Nearly a hundred years ago, in Vienna, there lived a Frum, young woman, who had an exceptionally beautiful voice. This girl’s reputation spread far and wide, and women would flock from all over to hear her sing. One day, this girl came home, and she was very excited to share some news with her parents. She was offered a very unique opportunity to sing in the opera! She knew that only the best singers around were ever offered such a chance, and she very much wanted to accept the position.
Upon hearing the news, her father began to tremble anxiously. He did not want his daughter to enter such a world where she would have to sing in front of men, but he did not know what to say to his daughter, because she wanted to sing in the opera so badly, and had just about decided that she would accept the offer. He knew he had to approach this delicately, and he decided to go see the Kapishnitzer Rebbe (Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heschel, 1888-1967), zt”l, and seek his advice. After hearing the situation, he asked for the man to bring his daughter in to see him. Not wasting any time, the father left and returned very quickly with his daughter, to see what the Rebbe would to say to her.
The Rebbe looked directly at the young woman, and asked her, “Please tell me, why do you want to sing in the opera?”
The girl responded, “By singing in the opera, I know that I will be very successful in creating a very big Kiddush Hashem, because many people will see me, a Frum, young woman, who is able to sing like a world-famous singer. They will see me and appreciate that I am Jewish, and recognize the talent that Hashem has given me.”
The Kapishnitzer Rebbe said to her, “You want to sing in order that your voice be heard. If so, let’s make a deal. If you will promise me that you will not sing in the opera, I will promise you that you will merit to have a son whose voice will be heard from one end of the world to the other!”
The young woman thought for a moment, and answered, “If that is your promise, then I will agree to not sing in the opera.” A short while passed and this girl got married, and soon after gave birth to a son who was remarkably brilliant. His mind was sharp and unique, and he stood out among his friends as a one-of-a-kind type of person, just like the Kapishnitzer Rebbe promised. This boy grew to up be the great Tzadik and Gadol Ha’dor, Rav Shmuel HaLevi Wosner (1913-2015), zt”l, whose Halachic rulings and Divrei Torah reach from one end of the world to the other!
Reprinted from the Parshas Ki Seitzei 5784 email of Rabbi Yehuda Winzelberg’s Torah U’Tefilah.
