Rav Shlomke once approached the illustrious Rav Shmuel Alexander Polansky, the Rav of Teplik, requesting to learn a complex area of halachah from the Tur and Shulchan Aruch (Choshen Mishpat) together. The two Torah giants studied together diligently, delving deeply into intricate subject in the main shul of the Beis Yisrael neighborhood in Yerushalayim.
One day, during their study, they clarified a particularly challenging halachah after extensive deliberation. They arrived at a clear and definitive conclusion, shining light on the issue like the clarity of their giving at Sinai.
Suddenly, Rav Polansky became pale as a sheet, trembling with visible fear. Seeing his state, Rav Shlomke asked him: “What happened? Why have you been overcome with such dread?”
Rav Polansky explained that he had just remembered presiding over a difficult din Torah, in Teplik many years ago, which involved the exact halachic issue they had just resolved. However, in that case, he had ruled contrary to the conclusion they had just reached! Consequently, he feared that he had inadvertently wronged the parties involved, ruling unjustly and failing to deliver a true and righteous judgment.
The Rav began to weep and lament over his mistake, and his grief was so overwhelming that he fainted on the spot. Even after being revived from his fainting spell, he found no solace and immediately sought to clarify the details of the din Torah. He endeavored to locate the litigants so he could return the money to its rightful owner per the halachah.
After exhaustive efforts and inquiries, his associates uncovered the name of the individual and the specifics of the case. However, when they investigated further in Teplik, they learned that the man had left years earlier and moved to another country. No one knew his current whereabouts. The Rav was deeply distressed by this, and in his anguish, he turned to the holy Rebbe, Rav Shlomke of Zvhil, seeking his guidance on how to proceed.
Rav Shlomke responded with a remarkable reassurance: “Do not worry. He will show up here!”
Astonished by this wonderful reply, the Teplik Rav prepared the exact amount owed in the din Torah. He placed the sum in a neatly sealed envelope and carried it in the pocket of his coat, ready for any eventuality.
Indeed, just a few weeks later, as the Rav left the shul after Minchah, he unexpectedly encountered the very man in question, who had also come to daven at the shul. The man was delighted to see his former Rav from Teplik and explained that he now lived in a distant country in the United States and was visiting the Holy Land briefly. The Rav expressed his joy at the meeting and took the man aside for a private conversation.
The Rav gently reminded the man of the din Torah they had previously been involved in. Though the man had long forgotten, the Rav recounted the case in detail, explaining that he had recently reviewed the relevant halachic issue and concluded that the original ruling had been incorrect. He reached into his coat pocket, retrieved the prepared envelope, and handed it to the man. The recipient was astounded and deeply moved by the Rav’s righteousness and unparalleled integrity.
Shortly after this event, Rav Shlomke ended his learning sessions with the Teplik Rav, explaining that they had already clarified the halachic matter that needed resolution. The wise Rav of Teplik understood that the true purpose of their chavrusah had been to arrive at the corrected halachic conclusion, allowing him to rectify the prior mistake.
I will not deny that more than I am impressed by the open miracle and the holy Rebbe‘s foresight, what stands out most is the extraordinary yiras Shamayim demonstrated by the Teplik Rav. Upon realizing that he had erred in a halachic matter, his distress was so profound that it led to fainting! How often do we err on halachic issues, Rachmana litzlan, yet fail to feel such anguish?
May the merit of Rav Shlomke of Zvhil protect us and all of Klal Yisrael, Amen.
