In Sivan, 1941, the city of Vilna fell to the Germans. At this time, Horav Yisroel Zev Gustman, zl, his rebbetzin and daughter were living there. [The word “living” is perhaps a euphemism, since they suffered immeasurably. Indeed, they were the beneficiaries of countless miracles during their stay in Vilna and during the rest of the war.]
The Gustmans escaped and, for a while, were hidden in a pit belonging to a kindly non-Jewish farmer. When it was no longer safe even there, they fled to the forest and joined a group of partisans. This is how they were able to exist for the next few years. They had run out of food and now subsisted on grass.
The Rosh Yeshivah realized that they must leave the forest before they died of starvation. Unsure whether the Nazis were still in Vilna, they took their chances. Who knows? Perhaps they would experience another miracle. The Rav and his family were desperate, so they knocked on the door of the first house. When the woman of the house saw who stood at her door, she immediately slammed the door in their faces. She was not allowing a Jew to cross her threshold. The owners of the next two homes responded in a like manner. It was the owner of the fourth house who opened his door to them. [We can only begin to imagine the incredible merit that person had for playing such a crucial role in saving such a brilliant Rosh Yeshivah and his family.]
Rav Yisroel Zev Gustman
When Rav Gustman looked inside the house, he was astonished to see an Aron Kodesh, siddurim and other sifrei kodesh. Apparently, since the shul was housed in a nondescript house with no mezuzah on the door, the Nazis had no reason to believe that Jews were its residents. He was about to turn around and leave in search of food, when his Rebbetzin blocked the door. She firmly asserted, “For two years, we were on the run. You did not have a sefer from which to learn. Here you have a house filled with sefarim. Sit down and learn for an hour. We can wait one more hour to search for food!” This tzadekes had her priorities straight. [Not that the Rosh Yeshivah did not. He probably felt that sustaining his wife and daughter took precedence over his learning. Indeed, both Rav Gustnan and his Rebbetzin had their priorities in order.] What mattered most to her was her husband’s Torah study. This eishes chayil personified the true Jewish woman of valor. She was on a mission to glorify Hashem, and no greater avenue exists than Torah learning. Food would have to wait. It was not part of their mission. Is it any wonder that Rav Gustman once commented that his yeshivah, his talmidim and whatever he merited to accomplish in Torah, were in the z’chus of this extraordinary woman?
