The great Taz put personal gains aside when it came to helping a orphan
Rabbi David Halevi, known as the Taz, the initials of his Sefer Turei Zahav on the Shulchan Aruch, was born in Vladomir, in the Province of Volhynia. (5346-5427; 1586-1667). His father Hagaon Reb Shmuel was the son of a famous scholar Rabbi Yitzchok Betzalels. Reb David's father was well to do, so that the young Illui, prodigy David, was fortunate enough to grow up. in an atmosphere of both wealth and learning. He had an older half-brother called Rabbi Yitzchok Halevi, a great Talmud scholar who founded Yeshivos in Vladomir, Chelm and Lvov Poland, and was the author of two Seforim on Hebrew grammar, called "Siach Yitzchak," and "Brith Halevi”, as well as Shailos and Teshuvos “Yitzchok Halevi” on Choshen Mishpat"
Rabbi David Halevi's father-in-law was the great Gaon Rabbi Yoel Sirkes, known as the Bach, "Bayith Chadash", the famous commentary on the Tur Shulchan Aruch. As was customary in those days, Rabbi David stayed in his father-in-law's house for several years, during which be applied himself fully to the study of the Talmud and Poskim (codifiers). This period served him as a good preparation for the great contribution which he himself was to make to this immense literature. The Taz wrote then his commentary on the Shulchan Aruch.
After serving for a few years as a Rav and Rosh Yeshiva in the large Polish city of Posen, he came to the conclusion that the Rabbinate was not for him. He made the decision to move to the eastern Polish town of Lvov in order to become unknown so that he could study in peace and quiet and no one would be able to identify him. A few weeks into his stay in this town, he was greeted at the shul by someone who said, "Rebbe." It turns out that the person who lived in the town was one of his previous talmidim. He vowed to keep his identity a secret and promised not to tell.
A few months later, Taz stepped down in order to find employment for his family. He obtained employment skinning and chopping meat in the slaughterhouse. Several challenging shailos emerged in the plant. After realizing that Reb David was a Talmid Chacham, the workers asked him a number of questions, and he provided them with a wealth of information. But when a challenging question arose, one of the employees just so happened to go ask the Rav of Lvov what he thought. The beef was declared to be non-kosher by the notoriously stringent and strict Rav. When the plant workers asked Reb David the same issue, he took a few minutes to consider and responded that the meat was kosher. Reb David humbly said, "Tell the Rav to look again in the commentaries on this topic," when he was informed that the Rav had declared it unkosher. The word got to the Rav of the town, and he was very upset. He called in the Taz and decided to put him in cherem for paskening shailos instead of referring them to the Rav of Lvov. The congregation was called by the Rav, who gave them instructions to go by Reb David and put him to shame for insulting the Rav. Reb David was content that he didn't have to reveal himself and accepted his fate. Reb David was forbidden by the Rav to enter the shul. To keep up with the davening, he would have to remain in the booth where the guard sat.
One widow in Lvov worked very hard so that each week she could buy a chicken for the Shabbos meals. When the widow's small daughter asked the Rav a question regarding a chicken, the Rav answered that it wasn't kosher. Without success, the girl started pleading with the Rav for pity on a widow. The Taz, who was in the booth outside the shul saw her and asked her why she was crying. She told him: “her mother is a widow and she was just at the rav who decreed that the chicken was not kosher and this means we will not have chicken for Shabbos.”
Reb David went to the home of the widow and asked her questions waht exactly happened with the chicken? Reb David thought and said, “The chicken is kosher. Go and tell the Rav to look in Yoreh De’ah Siman 18 in the Taz, in footnote 8, and he will see that the chicken is in fact kosher.” The young girl went back into the shul and told the Rav what Reb David said. The Rav decided to look up the halacha in Shulchan Aruch and realized that he had made a mistake; the chicken was in fact kosher. The Rav Apologized to the girl. He then asked the girl, “Who told you this information?” She replied, “The man sitting outside in the booth.” The Rav went outside and asked him, “How did you know that Taz?” “Because I am the author of the Taz!”
The Rav immediately asked Reb David to forgive him. The Rav said that Reb David can now come to Shul. The Rav announced that this Shabbos we will have a guest speaker deliver a Drasha and requested that the entire town come to the Drasha. Before the Drasha began the Rav made an announcement: We have with us one of the greatest Gaonim in the world who will deliver a Drasha. However, since we all caused the Gaon pain and embarrased him, I decree that everyone should ask his forgiveness and shake his hand. Everyone lined up and the Taz greeted each one warmly. The Drasha was very inspirational. From that day the Taz sat up front next to the Rav. The Rav was gratified that he had a true partner to discuss his Halachic questions!
The student of the Taz who had known the whole time of the Taz’s identity and was sworn to be quiet, asked his Rebbe, “Why did you reveal your identity this time, and yet when you were shamed by the congregants, you remained silent and you could have saved yourself by revealing who you are?”
The Taz explained brilliantly, “I really wanted to remain in hiding, and when it was to pevent my personal honor and pain, I accepted the anguish in order to remain in hiding. However, when when I saw the tears and felt the pain of this young orphan, all my personal plans were no longer significant. I had to do something to prevent the pain and anguish to this poor family and any other poor family in the future.” The student was amazed at the greatness and Ahavas Yisrael of his Rebbe!
