The Ba’al HaTanya and Rav Gamliel Rabinowitz
Rav Gamliel Rabinowitz related a story. One time, HaRav Ba’al HaTanya, zt”l, went to raise funds to redeem a captive, as the students of the Ba’al Shem Tov would do. In those days, many people in need of a livelihood would rent a tavern from the village owners who were very brutal, and if the tavern owner did not have enough money to pay the rent, the wicked landlord would throw him into a narrow pit. It would become a matter of Pikuach Nefesh, as the landlord would not release the prisoner until the debt was paid.
The Ba’al HaTanya came to a certain town and wanted to see the wealthiest people, and he received a list of the honorable people which Hashem had bentched with wealth. Amongst those on the list was a very wealthy man, but as great as his wealth was, his stinginess was equally as great. It did not matter the cause, he would never give more than a measly penny to anyone who asked him for money.
The Ba’al HaTanya was told not to even bother to knock on his door, because aside from the embarrassment, nothing would come of it. However, the Ba’al HaTanya specifically chose to go to this Jewish man anyway, and explained the situation to him, that presently there was a Jew in a pit whose life was hanging in the balance, and it was up to them to save him.
The wealthy man listened, and took out a small coin and gave it to Rav. The Ba’al HaTanya did not flinch, and he took the coin from him with great pleasure and bentched him for the donation, and turned to leave. As he was going down the stairs from the house, he heard the wealthy man call him back. The Ba’al HaTanya returned, and the wealthy man took out another small coin, worth a little more than the first coin, and gave it to the Rav, and again the Ba’al HaTanya bentched him profusely, and started to leave.
The man once again asked the Rav to return and gave him slightly more than previously. This went on over and over until the wealthy man was giving sizable amounts. Finally, the man opened his drawer that was full of money and said, “Rebbe, please take whatever you need.”
The Closed Heart of the Wealthy Man was Opened
The Rav took the amount he required, and warmly bentched him for the Mitzvah that he merited to perform, and from then on, the closed heart of the wealthy man was opened, and he began to give much tzedakah.
The Ba’al HaTanya later explained, “The wealthy man was so stingy because when a poor man once came for a donation, the man gave a small amount, and the poor man became angry and rebuked him and did not want to take the donation. This caused his heart to close to the mitzvah of tzedakah. When I thanked him for whatever he gave me, no matter how small, it caused his heart to be moved until it opened completely as is befitting a Jewish heart.”
Rav Gamliel teaches from this that soft words will appeal to a person, while harsh words will force a person to become closed up, and when dealing with others, the correct and proper approach that one should take is to use soft words and always have a nice demeanor!
Reprinted from the Parshas Shoftim 5784 email of Rabbi Yehuda Winzelberg’s Torah U’Tefilah.
