In the times we are experiencing, many of us are feeing lost, in despair and hopeless. Let us once again recount the astounding chizzuk from the Chazon Ish.
One of the Talmidim of the Chazon Ish was in touch with a holocaust survivor. He had lost his entire family and every last one of his possessions to the Nazis. After the liberation, along with losing his material possessions, he had lost his will to live and certainly rebuild his life.
This talmid brought him to the Chazon Ish in hope that he would manage to instil within him some chizzuk and the will to live.
The survivor began to recount to the Chazon Ish in vivid detail the nightmare he had undergone. He relived in vivid detail how his wife and each and every one of his children were taken and shot in front of his eyes. Every single one of his material possessions had been taken away along with his dignity and emotional sanity and even his most basic will to live. The inhumane Nazis did everything they could to break him physically and emotionally. They put him to work for endless hours doing back breaking work, and having them live on the most impoverished rations of food. Anyone not complying was at risk of being beaten badly, if not killed on the spot.
After being liberated he was no more than a skeleton with skin, a mere shadow of his former self. He had lost everything and felt he had nothing to live for.
The Chazon Ish listened carefully and deeply sympathised with the nightmare he had undergone. He then took hold of his hand and told him as follows:
The Suitcase of Cash
Many years ago, there was a wonderful young man called Chaim. Every year Chaim would borrow a sizable sum of money, travel to the big city. In the city, he would purchase a large amount of merchandise for a good price, he would then return to his town, sell the merchandise for a good profit, repay his loans and support his family with the profits.
This arrangement worked very well for many years, however one year things changed in a dramatic way.
Chaim, who was generally a healthy man, from one day to the next became ill. The upcoming period was difficult for him and his family and travelling was not a possibility for him. However, the family's savings were dwindling and he needed a way to pay the bills and put bread on the table. What more, his medical bills were increasing and he needed a way to cover them.
Chaim gathered his strength and went to his regular lenders and borrowed the sum of money needed for a business trip. He then went to his wife and said as follows: “My dear wife, generally I take care of the financial burden of the family, and I wish I would not have to do this, however we are both aware that our finances are dwindling and expenses are skyrocketing. Being that I cannot travel, I must ask you to take this bundle of money and go to the big city, meet up with my regular suppliers, buy some merchandise which we will sell and with help from Hashem, it will sustain us with the profits.”
His wife faithfully agreed. She put together a few belongings along with the case full of cash and headed out to the city. Following the tedious trip which took a few days, she finally arrived in the city. After checking in at the inn, she headed to the bustling commerce centre anticipating to find her husband's suppliers. Things were easier than anticipated, she found the acquaintance, bargained well on the prices, got some good deals and was ready to pay. She then opened up her suitcase and to her utter shock the money was gone. She shrieked out and screamed “all the money is gone”, after which she lost consciousness and fainted.
A crowd of onlookers gathered and tried to revive her and calm her down but to no avail. Each time she regained consciousness she remembered that the money was gone and fainted again.
A group of kind people decided to comb the area in hope of finding the missing money. They split up into groups and began looking in every nook and cranny and asking everyone they saw if they had seen the bundle of cash.
Their efforts bore fruit as soon enough one of the groups reported that a man down the street had seemingly found a large bundle of cash which could certainly be what the woman had lost. They rushed to tell the distressed woman who gained consciousness and ran over to the man, gave a clear description of the bundle of cash along with the exact amount which was in it. The man nodded and said, “Indeed this is the right bundle, indeed this is the money which was yours, however it is no longer yours. This city is an “ir sheruboy akum” - a city with a majority of non Jews, and the halacha is that in such a case you certainly gave up hope of finding it and there certainly was yiush sheloy midas which lehalacha, haveh yiush and the money is mine”.
The poor woman could not believe her ears. How could this man be so cruel, what was with hashovas avaidah, where was his Jewish heart and she began shouting at him, to which he did not respond in the nicest way. The bystanders got involved with many siding with the woman but some pointed out that Halacha is halacha, and if halachicly it was his, who are we to tell him what to do?
Things got out of hand and the group decided to go to the local Rav. The Rav listened to each of the sides carefully and after considering the case concluded that this shayleh was too complex and referred them to the no less than R’ Yiztchock Elchonon, the greatest Posek of those times.
After listening carefully to each side, R’ Yitzchack Elchanan turned to the finder and told “please return the money”. The man was shocked and said, “but Rebbe, it's an ir sheruby goyim '' R Yitzchok Elchonon responded “I am the posek, not you, do as I say. I will gladly explain to you after”. The Yid returned the money and the grateful woman left.
The surprised Yid then turned to R’ Yitzchan Elchanan and asked “Wasn't I right? The majority in this city are not Jewish and she was surely bound to be meyaesh?
R’ Yitzcah Elchanan gave the most astounding answer, he said “my dear friend, you are halachically wrong. Indeed being that we are surrounded by non Jews, the woman would most certainly give up hope of finding the money, however this was not her money. Her husband appointed her to buy with the money and sell with the money, however he did not give it to her and certainly did not give her the rights to be meyaesh, to give up hope on the money!
The Chazon Ish the turned to the Yid facing him and took his hand and said as follows:
“I understand you underwent the worst gehinom in this world and you lost every last thing which is dear to you. I also understand your desire just to give up and not rebuild your life. However, you must realise that every morning we say in elokay neshamah, Ata berasah, ata yetzarta, atah nefachtah bi. Your neshamah and your life is not yours. Hashem instilled it in your guf for you to use it, build with it and grow with it. He did not however give you the rights to give up on it. It is his neshama and not yours. Furthermore, despite the tremendous difficulties, never will he give a challenge without the tools and koyches to overcome them.
The inspired Yid left the house of the Chazon Ish refreshed and with new kochos and indeed rebuilt his life anew and built once again a family!
We have experienced perhaps the greatest tragedy in recent history, the pain is stinging and overpowering we however must keep strong, we may not give up, we must remember that regardless of what happens our neshomes are merely a pikadon from Hashem, for us to elevate, not however to give up on.
