By Rabbi Paysach J. Krohn
Rav Boruch Ber Leibowitz and Rabbi Reuven Grozovsky
In 1929, R’ Boruch Ber Leibowitz, the Rosh Yeshivah of the Kamenitzer Yeshivah in Poland, and his son-in-law, R’ Reuven Grozovsky, came to America to raise funds for their yeshivah. Among the cities they were to visit was Baltimore, where they were to be met by R’ Koppel Wolpert, a former student of R’ Boruch Ber’s from when he had still been teaching in Slobodka.
The former student was ecstatic that his revered Rebbe would be visiting his city. Mr. Wolpert, already married at the time, made sure that his home was tidy for the special guests, and on the day of R’ Boruch Ber and R’ Reuven’s arrival, R’ Koppel went to the train station to greet them.
He brought the Rabbis to his home, made them comfortable and offered them something to eat. R’ Boruch Ber and Mr. Wolpert got into a conversation, and as they were talking, they walked into the living room where Mrs. Wolpert had turned on the radio and was listening to an afternoon program. As Mr. Wolpert came into the room, he shut the radio so that he could hear what R’ Boruch Ber was saying.
When he turned to continue his conversation, he saw that R’ Boruch Ber had left the room and seemed very disturbed. Mr. Wolpert walked towards his Rebbe, and R’ Boruch Ber said to him in a hushed but strong manner, “Koppel! What has become of you?”
The young man didn’t understand what his Rebbe wanted. Perhaps he had seen something in the living room which he didn’t like? “Oy!” R’ Boruch Ber said. “Is that how you were trained in Slobodka?”
R’ Boruch Ber was getting more perturbed with each passing moment, and soon he motioned for R’ Reuven to go out onto the terrace with him. Mr. Wolpert tried to apologize for whatever it might have been that was bothering his Rebbe, but it was to no avail. R’ Boruch Ber and R’ Reuven spoke privately for a few moments, and then R’ Boruch Ber announced, “Koppel, we cannot stay in your home any longer.”
The young man was flabbergasted. What had gone wrong?
R’ Boruch Ber finally explained. “How could you have done that in front of me? How could you have shut off that radio when, just moments before, your wife had turned it on? How could you have been so insensitive? You embarrassed her in front of me. Now every time she sees me, she will feel humiliated! How can I stay here another moment if I will cause her to feel uncomfortable?”
R’ Koppel was astounded. His Rebbe continued. “Unless you go in and apologize, R’ Reuven and I will have to pick up and leave right now.”
Mr. Wolpert says that he did go in and apologize, and the two Rabbis indeed stayed that afternoon. Now, close to sixty years later, the incredible concern for another person’s feelings that was shown by his Rebbe still remains vivid in his mind.
Reprinted from the Tazria-Mesora 5785 email of Rabbi David Bibi’s Shabbat Shalom from Cyberspace. (Excerpted from the ArtScroll book – “Around the Maggid’s Table”)
