Ring Ring!
“Hello?” said Reb Yechiel, answering his phone.
“Reb Yechiel,” came a voice on the other end. “This is Eli Ginsburg. We just found out that the New York State Assembly will be voting tomorrow on a new bill that will classify Meseches Megillah as ‘hate speech’.”
“Hate speech?” said Reb Yechiel, stunned. “What could they possibly have against Meseches Megillah?”
“Well, some politicians feel that Chazal were unfair in the way that they described Haman and Achashveirosh, and they want to outlaw the mesechta unless we change the text of the Gemara.”
“That’s ridiculous!” said Reb Yechiel. “I’ll call Ken Steiner. He should have enough power to at least delay the vote until we can have a meeting.”
“That’s the problem, Reb Yechiel. Assemblyman Steiner is actually one of the supporters of this bill. We need you to fly to Albany to meet with him today.”
“Okay, are there any flights available?”
“No. Anshel Holtzbacher has graciously offered to have you flown there in his helicopter. The meeting is at 12:30pm today. The flight will take about an hour, so you’ll be picked up at 10:30, which should give you plenty of time.”
“That’s perfect,” said Reb Yechiel. “I finish learning with my chavrusa at ten o’clock. I’ll talk to you later.”
“I don’t understand Tosfos’s kasha, Yankel,” Reb Yechiel said to his chavrusa, the two of them bent over their Gemaros. “We already used that possuk for a different droshah.”
His Chavrusa frowned at his Gemara for a moment before responding. “I think pshat is that when the Gemara brought that possuk...”
Yankel’s words were suddenly drowned out by a loud roaring sound. He and Reb Yechiel looked out the window to see a helicopter landing in the shul parking lot! A moment later, a man exited the helicopter and rushed into the shul, the helicopter’s rotors continuing to spin, distracting everyone in the beis midrash.
“Reb Yechiel,” the man said. “I’m Boruch Kandelowitz, I work for Anshel Holtzbacher. We’re here to take you to Albany for your meeting.”
Reb Yechiel looked up at the clock. “I thought I was being picked up at 10:30. I have another hour until we have to leave.”
“Right, I know,” Boruch said. “But we thought you’d like to leave earlier so you’ll have more time to prepare for your meeting.”
“I’m sorry,” replied Reb Yechiel. “But I’m in the middle of learning with my chavrusa.”
“But don’t you want to have extra time to relax before you meet Assemblyman Steiner?”
“I’ll have plenty of time,” Reb Yechiel answered. “But my seder limud is my seder limud. So unless it’s an emergency, I would like to finish learning before we leave. And if you don’t mind, can you please ask the helicopter pilot to turn off the engines? The noise is disturbing everyone in the Beis Midrash.”
“Yes, absolutely. Sorry to bother you,” said Reb Boruch as he hurried outside and had the pilot power down the aircraft.
Reb Yechiel and his chavrusa returned to their learning. At ten o’clock they closed their Gemaros and stood up.
“You know,” Yankel said as the two of them walked to the shelf to put their seforim away. “You haven’t changed since you left kollel.”
“What do you mean?” Reb Yechiel asked.
“When you were in kollel, you never let anything disturb your learning. Whether it was a doctor’s appointment or when you moved to a new house, you always made sure to take care of things outside of your sidrei limud. It’s quite incredible that you continue to do the same thing, even though you are a busy askan who is so busy with tzorchei tzibbur.”
“Thanks,” said Reb Yechiel. “I try hard not to let anything disturb my learning.”
“In a way you’re like Yosef Hatzadik,” Yankel said, walking Reb Yechiel towards the waiting helicopter.
“How so?”
“Well, the Gemara says that Yosef Hatzadik remained the same Tzadik - whether he was working in Potifar’s house, in prison, or as viceroy to Paraoh. No matter what situation he found himself, he did not allow that to change who he was. So too you, whether in kollel or working on important issues for Klal Yisroel, you make your kvias itim l’Torah the main element of your life and don’t allow other things to interfere.”
“I appreciate you saying that, Yankel,” said Reb Yechiel, as he climbed into the helicopter.”
“Have a safe flight!” called Yankel as the rotors started spinning up. “And hatzlochah with your meeting!”
Have A Wonderful Shabbos!
Takeaway:
Yosef Hatzaddik served Hashem as best as he could – no matter what circumstance he was in. We can try to imitate him as well.
Let’s Review:
- Why did the helicopter land in the Shul parking lot?
- Why wouldn’t Reb Yechiel leave when the helicopter came to pick him up?
