By Rabbi Paysach J. Krohn
A young fellow appeared before R’ Chaim Ozer Grodzensky, the gadol hador of his time, for a brocha that he not have to go to the Soviet Army. The hazards of war were frightening, and the term of service could be almost endless – usually 20-25 years – especially if the Soviet authorities knew that the inductee was Jewish.
In the course of his discussion with the young man, R’ Chaim Ozer asked him, “Do you were tzitzis?” The boy was embarrassed to admit the truth but he would not lie to the man to whom he had come for a brocha, and so he looked down and said honestly, “No.”
The conversation continued and R’ Chaim Ozer asked, “Do you at least put on tefillin every day?” The boy hesitated for a moment, and then said in a low voice, “Rebbe, I can’t lie to you. I don’t.”
“What about Shabbos?” asked R’ Chaim Ozer. “Do you observe Shabbos?” Once again, the boy couldn’t look the Rav in the face, and staring at the ground he said, “Rebbe, I must tell you that I am not religious and I am not a Sabbath observer.”
Silence permeated the room as the frightened boy waited for R’ Chaim Ozer’s next words. He was sure that he would be asked to leave immediately or be rebuked strongly. He braced himself for the harsh words that he knew must come.
But instead, R’ Chaim Ozer said softly to him, “I give you a brocha that the Soviet authorities should be as disappointed in you as I am.”
The boy thought his heart would melt as he understood at once both the rebuke and the blessing of R’ Chaim Ozer. He nodded his thanks and left the room at once.
Two weeks later, he came back to R’ Chaim Ozer and said, “Rebbe, I wanted to tell you that your brocha helped. I was rejected by the army.”
Then he lifted up his shirt and showed R’ Chaim Ozer the tzitzis that he was now wearing. The young man wore tzitzis and put on tefillin, and observed Shabbos for the rest of his life! (Excerpted from “Around the Maggid’s Table”)
Reprinted from the Parshas Yisro 5785 email of The Weekly Vort.
