Reb Yoina was from the great talmidim of the Mezritcher Magid. He lived in the city of Brod and spent his days in the beis medrash. His day would start before dawn with tikun chatzos, followed by learning Chassidus until day break, when he would immerse in the river, sometimes breaking the ice. Shachris would last many hours, after which he would eat some bread, occasionally with some onion, and then he would rest for a short while. Next came mincha and mairiv, followed by a shiur in learning, and krias shma she’al hamita at great length.
Reb Yoina was understandably terribly poor. At one point, when he did not even have enough money to put bread on the table, he poured out his heart to Hashem saying, “You are the provider for everyone, I also need a livelihood, but with three conditions: Not to earn it through work – for where can I find time in my busy schedule for work. Not to find it – I don’t want to gain on the account of someone’s loss. Not to win it – since it is questionable if those in the lottery gave their money with a whole heart. If you will ask me, if so where will my livelihood come from: Ribono Shel Olam do You need my advice? You are all powerful and can find other ways”.
גאון וחסיד עמוד 245)(
Reb Yoina was once asked to join a certain beis medrash of poor people, and refused by saying “there, the rich do not have mercy on the poor”. Being that there were no rich people there, he was asked to explain, which he did:
“Every person has the rich part of him and the poor part of him. The head is rich, he has no needs and is free to think what he desires, like a rich man. The stomach on the other hand is poor, with so many demands and needs. In that beis medrash”, Reb Yoina explained, “in order to be a good Jew, the people fast a lot, putting all the demands on the stomach but leaving the head free to think what it wants. The proper thing to do, would be to have mercy on the stomach by letting it eat, and work with the head instead”.
(גאון וחסיד עמוד 247)
