By Rabbi Yaakov Moskowitz
In Bnei Brak, a visitor once came to see Reb Aharon Leib Shteinman zt”l after not having been in his house for over thirty years. After looking around, he remarked, “Everything here still looks the same, Rebbe.” Reb Aharon Leib let out a brief smile. “It's not the house that’s supposed to be updated and renovated; it’s the people who live in the house who are really supposed to change.”
Reb Aharon Leib lived a life of remarkable growth, always seeking knowledge. Those close to him recall how he would often be hunched over his sefarim, rarely returning to his room to sleep. Instead, he would doze off at his shtender for a few hours each night before resuming his studies. His dedication to Torah ultimately led him to publish his renowned work, Ayelet HaShachar, which comprises seventeen volumes on Shas and five volumes on Chumash.
Yet, a few years before his passing, when his son attempted to arrange for him to learn in a quiet apartment away from distractions, Reb Aharon Leib politely declined. “If I do that,” he explained, “where will I get my yissurim from? People come to me at all hours of the night for advice and blessings. I need those challenges.”
It was well known that Reb Aharon Leib possessed a warm and caring heart, and his empathy was profound. This is why so many people lined up outside his house for counsel, where he would greet each individual personally. His sensitivity was so deep that most days, after meeting with everyone, he would sit with his eyes closed for about five to ten minutes, deep in thought and mumbling words of prayer.
At one time, his grandson asked him, “Saba, are you preparing for Rosh Hashanah? Are you learning Kabbalah? What are you doing?” He replied, “After I hear so many stories, I can't help but feel for everyone's pain and spend a few minutes davening for each individual.”
Reb Aharon Leib was always seeking ways to help others. Despite his own personal poverty, he would discreetly put money in envelopes and deliver them to those in need. After Rebbetzin Steinman passed away, several grandchildren would come and sing zemiros with Reb Aharon Leib to brighten up his meals. After seven years, Reb Aharon Leib told them they had to stop.
When asked why, he explained that their neighbor upstairs had passed away recently and there was a widow living there. He expressed concern about how she would feel hearing the beautiful zemiros coming from their apartment, reminding her of the joyous Shabbat meals she once shared with her husband. It was only after they learned that her grandchildren were also coming to sing zemiros with her that Reb Aharon Leib agreed they could resume.
Reprinted from the Mikeitz Torahanytime Newsletter.
