Rav Lazer Abish writes that in 1937, Rav Elchanan Wassermann, zt”l, set out on a trip to America to raise the necessary funds for the Baranovich Yeshivah. He traveled all around America for these funds.
At one point, while he was staying in the home of Rav Zalman Levin, he had Rav Shmuel Greineman, the principal of Yeshivah Torah Vodaath, going around with him as a translator. When they arrived in upstate New York, they passed a wealthy looking home, but Rav Shmuel walked right by it, not giving it much attention.
Rav Elchanan questioned why they were skipping that home, and said, “There is a Mezuzah on the doorpost.”
Rav Shmuel answered there were two vicious looking dogs at the gateway, preventing any visitors from entering, and that was why he was avoiding it.
Rav Elchanan responded that he was going to approach the house, despite the terrifying dogs. He opened the gate and headed toward the front door. Sure enough, the dogs came charging at him, but as soon as they got to him, they immediately paused. He persisted, and went up to the front door, and asked for a donation.
The shocked man who answered the door asked, “How did you get in? Didn’t the dogs ‘greet’ you at the entrance?”
Rav Elchanan responded that dogs see the Tzelem Elokim, the image of Hashem that is within every person. Many people lose this image along the way in life, but Baruch Hashem, I managed to keep it clean, and the dogs respected it. That is why they didn’t harm me.”
Rav Abish commented, “This serves as a great lesson. Even dogs can feel the intrinsic value that is within our Neshamah. Even though at times it may not be seen, it is something that can be perceptibly seen, even by dogs. Although we can’t see it, we must remember that this is a very real thing!”
Reprinted from the Parshas B’ha’alos’cha 5785 email of Rabbi Yehuda Winzelberg’s Torah U’Tefilah.
