Rav Sholom Yosef Freidman (Elul 11)
RAV SHULEM YOSEFS BIRTH
“The story is told that when Rav Shulem Yosef was born, his holy father, the Ruzhiner, came in to bless the new mother and wish her mazal tov. When he gazed at the newborn, he declared, “A Leipzige shtikel sechora!” (“A fine cloth from Leipzig”). Everyone assumed that the Ruzhiner was referring to the fineness of the newborn, since Leipzig was the town where the best cloth and material could be purchased. However, when Rav Shulem Yosef became ill, he traveled to Leipzig to seek a cure – and ultimately passed away and was buried there. The Ruzhiner’s prophetic words then took on a new meaning altogether.” (Chayei Shlomo 11 Elul)תשכ׳׳א/5721
Rav Zev Wolf Landau Keser Torah, Zer Zahav (Elul 11)
THE INNER BEAUTY OF THE KOTZKER REBBES ESROG
Year after year, Yankel took pride in sending the most beautiful mehudar esrog to his rebbe, Rav Menachem Mendel of Kotzk. But that year business wasn’t doing well at all. “While things have taken a downturn,” thought Yankel, I have a chazakah – an annual obligation to fulfill” He did his best and managed to buy the rebbe a beautiful esrog—one that was nearly the quality of past years.
This year however, a competitor emerged when wealthy chassid moved in. He challenged Yankel’s longstanding tradition of providing the rebbe with a mehudar esrog, and having greater means, he sought to outdo him. And in fact, the esrog he bought for the Kotzker looked more mehudar than Yankel’s!
“Reb Feivel,” the Kotzker Rebbe summoned his devoted gabbai. The rebbe handed him the two esrogim, and instructed him to present them before his inner circle of chassidim. “Show these two esrogim to my dear disciples and to Rav Avrohom, my son-in-law as well. Let us hear their opinion on this matter!”
The gabbai returned with their decision. They all agreed; in their opinion, the newer esrog was far more mehudar. The Kotzker was not satisfied though. He turned back to Reb Feivish and asked, “Did you show the two esrogim to Rav Zev Wolf?”
“Zev Wolf? No, I did not.”
“Please show the esrog to him as well.” The Kotzker said.
When Zev Wolf examined the two esrogim he declared unequivocally that it was the former esrog that was more mehudar and that the rebbe should take that one. When his decision was relayed to the Kotzker, he agreed. The rebbe’s son-in-law, Rav Avrohom, author of the Avnei Nezer heard the decision, and disagreeing, hurried to his father-in-law’s room. “It seems clear that new esrog is more mehudar!”
“If you think so, here-- take it as a gift,” the Kotzker said handing his son-in-law the newcomer’s esrog.
On the first day of Yom Tov, the Avnei Nezer recited the brachah over the new esrog and shook it with the four species. On the second day, however, the esrog fell apart! Hurrying off to Rav Zev Wolf, the Avnei Nezer asked in amazement “How did you know? Was it the divine intuition – ruach hakodesh?”
“No, no” said Rav Zev Wolf, “it was not that!” he assured the Avnei Nezer. “I saw that the rebbe was asking us to decide between two esrogim-- one clearly more externally beautiful than the other. I just knew there must be something more to his request . . .”
THE BED
As much as Rav Zev Wolf tried to hide his greatness and pretend that all his decisions and actions were based solely on deduction alone, there were incidents that betrayed his loftier perceptions. One example was when he stayed in Sovota at the home of the wealthy chassid, Yisroel Lassman. The devoted chassid showed Rav Zev Wolf honor and gave Rav Zev Wolf a large well-furnished room with a fine bed.
All that night strange sounds came from Rav Zev Wolf’s room; it was the sound of pillows and blankets being tossed and moved. In the morning, they found Rav Zev Wolf had arranged the pillows and blankets, not on the new bed, but instead, on the floor. The bed was not slept in.
The next day, Rav Zev Wolf asked that the bed be removed. Reb Yisroel agreed to do so and explained to the wonder of the chassidim that he should have known better than to buy a bed from a Polish nobleman who had used it for many years. But how could Rav Zev Wolf had known that? (Based on Siach Sarfei Kodesh 3 & 4, Beis Kotzk pp. 216-217)
THE STINGY THIEF
There was once a wealthy chassid who was very stingy. When approached to give charity, he said that he felt he was exempt from contributing to such a cause since the pauper in question was unworthy of the charity.
When Rav Zev Wolf of Strikov heard this, he said: “A stingy person is one thing but a thief as well?”
“What theft? What are you talking about?” asked the astonished miser.
“It’s simple,” explained the Strikover, “it says in the pasuk, ‘do not steal from a pauper for he is poor.’ If you do not wish to give charity, so don’t give any, but to challenge the pauper’s standing and say he is unworthy of the charity? You are saying he is unworthy of the status of pauper. And so, you are actually stealing from him his right to accept charity!”
THE PRIDE OF THE POOR
On another occasion, a wealthy miser asked the Strikover why the Torah did not guard the honor of the poor so that only anonymous donations be accepted. The rebbe replied: “If the wealthy were properly ashamed of all their ill-gotten gains, your question might have carried some weight. As it is though, most wealthy people take pride in wealth that is tainted; why should the poor not take pride in their status as poor? They can even be more identified and open about their station in life since their poverty is surely not tainted!” (Beis Kotzk p. 220)
TWO TYPES OF TRUTH
There was once a Kotzker chassid who couldn’t bring himself to accept Rav Wolf Strikover as a rebbe after the Kotzker’s passing. When asked what fault he found with the tzaddik he answered, “I cannot believe that anyone else could be as truthful and sincere as the Kotzker; after his truth, there can be no other!”
This chassid’s words reached the Strikover. One day the chassid grew very ill and was confined to bed. He sent his son to ask the Strikover to daven for his recovery. The tzaddik read the kvittel and responded that the chassid must come himself, “and if he cannot make it here on his own, tell him that they should carry him here in his sickbed!”
The chassid heard and agreed. When he arrived before the Strikover, Rav Wolf told him thus:
“Surely you know of the parshas Metzora in the Torah? Surely you also know that the metzora is afflicted because he spoke lashon hara – evil words of forbidden speech.
“Now this is a strange turn of events, since lashon hara refers to truthful statements and that means that this man is a metzora and he has been afflicted with tzaraas for the sin of walking around telling the truth all day long!
“Nonetheless, for this kind of truth he is punished with tzaraas, and you know what the tikkun is for such a person, right? He is brought before the kohen. Now, it is known that included in the job of the kohen is to not speak the truth! All day long the Kohen is busy making peace between Jews, between neighbors, friends, and between husbands and wives. To do so, he must slightly alter what each of them said, massaging the truth all for the sake of peace!
It is further known that if the truthful one subjugates himself before the one who bends the truth, he is healed. Now do you understand?”
The chassid expressed his sincere regret and accepted the rebbe’s authority and he was healed. (Otzar Yisroel)
