Savta Elka was an institution in 19th Century Yerushalayim. Her love for Torah was boundless. On the first day of Selichos, Horav Eliezer Don Ralbag, zl (Rosh Yeshivas Eitz Chaim, niftar 1895), was walking to shul. When he passed by Savta Elka’s window, he heard her weeping copiously.
He did not stand on ceremony, so immediately investigated the cause of the emotion. He discovered that one of her many grandsons had returned from cheder with a less-than-acceptable grade in Gemorah. This means that he did not receive his usual metzuyan, aleph plus.
“What happened to my precious grandchild?” she wailed. “He has always been an excellent student, diligent, loved learning, totally absorbed in Torah – and now this! Something must be wrong!”
The Rosh Yeshivah was unable to calm her down. Every year, he took upon himself a forty-day taanis dibbur. He did not speak from Rosh Chodesh Elul until after Yom Kippur. He wrote on a piece of paper that he would soon look into the matter. Immediately following Maariv on Motzoei Yom Kippur, he visited one of the bochanim, examiners, who had tested the students.
Seven scholars served in this capacity, and he visited each one until he located the bochein who tested Savta Elka’s grandson. The bochein added that he, too, was surprised. This boy had been an excellent student throughout his years in the yeshivah. Something had happened after Pesach that created a change in his learning. While he was still able to rattle off the Gemorah by heart without missing a beat, something was lacking in his havanah, understanding of the material.
Rav Ralbag’s next step was the boy’s home where he met with the father of the eleven-year-old boy. After receiving permission to speak with his son, he asked the boy point blank, “Why has your grade gone down this last semester?”
The boy’s response should give the reader an idea what type of child this was and the level of Torah studies in the end of the nineteenth century Yerushalayim. “In the past, I would pray hard and long that I do well in my learning. Hashem always listened, and I did well. This time, for some reason, my tefillos were not accepted.”
The Rosh Yeshivah asked about his daily schedule. Had anything changed that might have affected his learning? He replied that, when he came home, he would usually play with friends. Recently, a new boy had moved into the neighborhood. His father had offered him some grapes, which he ate. He discovered later that the grapes had come from his uncle’s vineyard in Petach Tikvah. Apparently, he had forgotten to tithe/take maaser from them.”
“In other words,” said the Rosh Yeshivah, “you ate tevel, untithed fruit.” When he said this, the boy and his parents burst out in tears. It took the Rosh Yeshivah some time to calm them down.
He said, “Baruch Hashem, on Motzoei Yom Kippur I was able to investigate and find the source of your inability to learn as you once did. Your teshuvah, penance, will be that you accept upon yourself to go to all the produce merchants and remind/encourage them to tithe their products.”
Rav Ralbag returned to Savta Elka’s home and relayed the entire story to her. Her reaction is classic. “Oy vei, oy! A small cluster of grapes, a moment of pleasure, cost him a semester of learning!”
