Rabbi Yitzchak Zilberstein
Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein once said over a story. During the time of the Czars, the Russian army used to kidnap young Jewish boys and force them to become soldiers. In addition to gaining a soldier, there was also a profit motive. The kidnapping soldiers could be bribed with ransom to free the boys. After a community would redeem a child, they would be paupers, for the kidnappers knew they would get their price.
One day, another Jewish boy was kidnapped in the town of Leipzig. That was bad enough, but this boy was also an orphan, and he had no one who looked after him financially, and the community Tzedakah fund was empty.
The Rav of the community at the time was Rav Baruch Taam. He requested everyone to come to the main Shul, and he opened the Aron HaKodesh. He then took all the adornments off the Sifrei Torah, and the entire time he was crying, “Torah, Torah, you are so important and dear to us! But there is one thing the Creator of the world considers more important than you, and that is a Jewish child! We request that you, the Torah, Daven to Hashem for this Jewish boy, to save him from all misfortune!”
The cries from the Shul ripped open the Heavens, as the Rav begged forgiveness from the Torah scrolls for removing the ornaments, so that he could use them to redeem the captured boy.
Heavily Armed Kidnappers Were Waiting for Their Ransom
The boy himself was present at this scene, surrounded by his heavily armed kidnappers who were waiting for their ransom. He saw the whole fuss and commotion to save him, and he cried out before the whole community, “I accept upon myself the Kingship of Hashem, and I promise to live in the halls of the Bais Medrash and learn Torah my entire life!”
The boy was then redeemed, and he went on to fulfill his promise. This orphan boy seemed like just an average child, and people didn’t expect to see greatness from him. But in fact, he grew up to become a Dayan in the Bais Din of Rav Taam, and became one of the Torah giants of that era.
Rav Zilberstein would tell this story to the children of Ramat Elchanan in Bnei Brak, and say to them with encouragement, “See the strength of a Jewish Child! See how high he can climb and grow in Torah greatness and Yiras Shamayim!”
Reprinted from the Parshas Devorim 5783 email of Rabbi Yehuda Winzelberg’s Torah U’Tefilah.
