Rav Dovid Koppelman told a story. At the beginning of World War II, Rav Elkanah Zoberman, zt”l, Rav of Yardanov, and a main Talmid of Rav Meir Arik, zt”l, was exiled to Siberia with his family. He suffered immensely, enduring extremely harsh weather and back-breaking labor.
Despite the hardships, Rav Elkanah’s love of Torah burned strong in his heart, and he continued to learn Torah constantly and Daven intensely, both before and after his work. Even on days when he and his family had nothing to eat, Rav Elkanah kept learning.
A fellow prisoner, Shmuel, became aware that Rav Elkanah and his family had been fasting for two days. Shmuel risked his life to steal half a loaf of bread at midnight, then rushed to Rav Elkanah’s tiny, cold room. He found Rav Elkanah standing on a chair, because the ground was frozen. His body was covered with torn rags, and he was holding a small, flickering candle next to a torn-out page from a Gemara. It was one of a few torn pages he had found in the area.
Oblivious to the bitter cold and the hunger, Rav Elkanah’s eyes were entirely focused on the Gemara, and he was completely engrossed in his learning. When Rav Elkanah raised his eyes and saw Shmuel, his face shone with happiness. Shmuel handed him the bread.
Rav Elkanah thanked him profusely, and then woke up his family. He divided all the bread between his wife and his children, without taking even a small piece for himself. With renewed enthusiasm, he returned to his learning!
Reprinted from the Parshas Acharei Mos-Kedoshim 5785 email of Rabbi Yehuda Winzelberg’s Torah U’Tefilah.
