DEFENDING THEIR HONOR
Chazal teach that a talmid chacham is called "Shabbos." The Rebbe explains that just as Shabbos is removed from the weekday and its worldly activities, so too a talmid chacham is a person who is removed from the material activities of this world and is dedicated to ruchniyus.
(זהר ח"ג כט,א, לקו"ש ח"א ע' 40)
One day the Baal Shem Tov was shocked that he had seen a Yid being mechalel Shabbos, since everything a person sees exists within himself to a degree. He then recalled that once, after having heard someone degrading a talmid chacham, he himself had remained silent – and Chazal teach that a talmid chacham is called "Shabbos." Others relate that the Baal Shem Tov was told of a Yid who desecrated Shabbos. In response, the Baal Shem Tov said that he himself had a share in the aveira, since he had once made use of a talmid chacham, and this had led to that Yid's actual chillul Shabbos.
(רשימות דברים ח"ג ע' כה, רב ייבי כב,כח, תו"מ חל"ו ע' 7)
It was a tense time: the Russian government was about to decree that all rabbonim must learn Russian. A meeting of rabbonim and maskilim was held in Petersburg, in which the Rebbe Rashab and Reb Chaim Brisker participated. During Reb Chaim's speech, some maskilim began to ridicule what he was saying. The Rebbe Rashab wrote something on a note, handed it to his chossid, Reb Mendel Chein, and left. After the speech they opened the note to find out why the Rebbe had left, and read that he could not take part in a meeting at which the words of gedolei Yisroel are ridiculed. Hearing this, all the rabbonim stood up and left as well.
(ס' הצאצאים ע' 193, קדושת הדיבור ח"ג ע' 128)
The Rebbe once overheard one of his secretaries calling a certain rov by his first name. The Rebbe told him sternly, "He is a rov!"
(ניצוצי רבי 693)
SPEAKING UP
It was the custom of Rabbeinu Chaim ben Atar, known as the Or HaChaim HaKadosh, to distribute meat to poor talmidei chachomim in honor of Shabbos. One week a plague broke out amongst the cattle, and as a result, all the animals in town were found after shechita to be treif. Only the calf that was shechted for the tzaddik was kosher limehadrin. When one of the wealthy townsmen heard about this, he rushed to Reb Chaim's house, hoping to get some meat in honor of Shabbos. He offered an enormous price for a piece, yet was told, "This is not a butcher shop. The meat is reserved for poor talmidei chachomim." While they were speaking, one of Reb Chayim's regular "customers" walked in. Upset, the rich man exclaimed: "Eh... You call this a talmid chacham?!" Reb Chaim ignored his comment and gave the visitor his portion. The rich man realized the futility of his endeavor and left, furious. That night, the Or HaChaim HaKadosh had a dream in which he was told from Heaven that since he had not protested against the embarrassment of a talmid chacham, he would have to go into golus for a full year. He immediately packed his few belongings and set out on a long and arduous trek, traveling from one place to another, making sure never to sleep two nights in the same place. He often went to sleep hungry, yet he accepted his pain with love and davened to HaShem to forgive him for his sin.
On erev Shabbos Parshas Bechukosai the tzaddik found himself on the outskirts of a city. Sitting down on a stone to rest his weak body, he reflected on the first posuk of the parsha, which begins with the words, Im bechukosai teileichu. As he then continued walking towards the city, still in dveikus, he conceived forty-two original insights on this posuk. When he finally reached the shul, the shammes asked this needy stranger to be his guest for Shabbos. At the conclusion of the Friday night seuda, the shammes told him of the local minhag to visit the rov at his home, and together they set out, joining the throngs already gathered, all eagerly waiting to hear divrei Torah from the rov.
At the head of the long table, with eyes closed, sat the rov, enraptured in a state of dveikus. After a few moments he awoke, quietly shared fourteen insights on the above posuk, and concluded, "These peirushim I just heard in Heaven, cited in the name of the holy tzaddik, Reb Chaim ben Atar."
"Chaim ben Atar!" the unknown guest corrected him loudly. All eyes turned to see: Who could have the chutzpa to dishonor the Or HaChaim? The shammes, feeling responsible for his guest, begged them to leave the poor man alone. At the daytime meal, the rov expounded a second set of fourteen peirushim, explaining again that he had heard these in Heaven in the name of the holy tzaddik, Reb Chaim ben Atar. The same scenario repeated itself. Again the guest called out, "Chaim ben Atar!" This irritated the townsmen even more. Before shaaleshudes, the shammes warned his guest to behave properly. However, the scene repeated itself a third time, and Reb Chaim was locked in a room where he was to stay until fitting measures would be decided upon.
That night, a violent storm swept through the city, and the townspeople frantically rushed to ask the rov for its cause. The rov was told from Heaven that on Shabbos, gehinom closes, and it reopens on motzaei Shabbos when the Or HaChaim HaKadosh recites havdala. And since the tzaddik is currently locked in a room and thus cannot recite havdala, there is a great uproar Above. That was what was causing such a harrowing storm below. Hearing this, the townsmen immediately released their holy guest from his confinement. Reb Chaim understood that his teshuva had been accepted in Heaven, took his knapsack, and made his way back to his hometown.
(תולדות אור החיים הקדוש)
CONSIDER
What is the purpose of defending the honor of a talmid chacham? Will the other person necessarily change his mind?
