Rav Avraham Grodzinsky ZT”L (1884-1944) was the Mashgiach Ruchani (spiritual supervisor) of the Slabodka Yeshiva in Lithuania after Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel ZT”L (the Alter of Slabodka) moved half of the Yeshiva to Chevron in Israel. Rav Grodzinsky was the personification of the Middah of Emes. In his work, “Toras Avrohom” he writes that even in the performance of a Mitzvah, when one’s inner motivations do not really reflect his outer actions, it is a lack of inner Emes. Of course, we still perform the Mitzvah in the spirit of the idea that, “Achar HaP’eulos Nimshachim HaLevavos – the hearts follow the implementation of actions” (see Sefer HaChinuch, Mitzvah #16 and Mesilas Yesharim, Chapter 23). This means that slowly but surely, the outer actions that we do affect our internal thoughts and ultimately when we do a Mitzvah – that external action will align with our internal, now pure intentions.
While still a student in the Yeshiva of Slabodka, Rav Grodzinsky worked for two years on the Middah exemplified by Shammai the great Tanna, “Havei Mekabel Kol Adam B’saiver Panim Yafos – greet everyone with a smile.” More specifically, he wanted to ensure that the smile that he greeted others with, reflected a genuine happiness to meet them. If it didn’t, that would be a lack of Emes – something that Rav Grodzinsky sought to avoid at all costs, even if being completely genuine took him two full years to perfect.
