ר ב י נ ת ן נ ט ע צ ב י ב"ר מ ש ה פ ינ ק ל זצוק"ל כ"טִשבט תרפ"ז
R' Nosson Wachtfogel Zatzal told me that nobody has a: מוּשָּ ג idea how great this Tzaddik was. Anybody who knows the history knows that he is responsible for nearly all the Litvishe Torah in the world. Besides producing R' Ahron Kotler Zatzal, R’ Hutner Zatzal R’ Shach Zatzal etc., he was influential everywhere. He was a “master of masters” in being M'chanech his Talmidim, and he turned people inside out, in a short time! He was full of unending love for each Talmid.
He could also be very tough, and even be M'vazeh B'rabim (shame someone in public) if need be. He was always successful, since he was purely L'shem Shamayim. But they say that any M'chanech that did his type of shtick of: זְּרֹק מָּרָּה בַתַלְּמִּידִּים כתובות קג ב “injecting bitter medicine into his Talmidim" wasn’t Matzliach. He was a major Baal Mussar, and he criticized himself mercilessly (this is not for us!!) If he felt that he had the slightest ill feeling towards a Talmid, for example, if the Talmid was a drop chutzpadik, then he refused to apply any kind of Middas HaDin (harsh treatment) with this Talmid; and he kept away.
Did you ever meet a Chassid who is constantly supporting Litvaks, or a Litvak who is constantly supporting a Chasid? (Or a Sephardi with an Ashkenazi, etc.?). R' Nosson Zatzal told me about such a person, and he considered him the Tzaddik HaDor. He told me that he believed that he is alive because of this person’s Tefilos. R' Meir Stern Shlita quoted the Maharal in Pirkei Avos that the Yetzer Hara for Machlokes is extremely strong.
It is hard to detect this Yetzer Hara, because if people can conquer it, the Geula Shleima would be here. The Satan dances and enjoys any kind of putdown in any direction. Especially if you claim that a Gadol came out against a certain group; now a person can feel like a big Tzaddik going against them.
TRUE STORY
My friend told me about a Chashuva person who lashed out about a certain group, and he brought “solid” Torah based proofs why they weren’t Oisgehalten. My friend wanted to explain to this person that he simply wasn’t talking like you talk about fellow Jews whom you are supposed to love; even if he’s right. Secondly, my friend remembered this Chashuva person who had Redifos (persecutions) from his own group, and he was heavily involved.
I told him to keep away, since this person sounds like a real Baal Shita. The Satmar Rebbe Zatzal said: אֵּין אָּדָּם עוֹבֵּר ע בֵּרָּה אֶלָּא אִּם כֵּן נִּכְּנָּס בוֹ רוּחַ שִּ י טוֹ ת a person doesn’t sin unless he gets a spirit of “Shitos” (religious principles). I told him that he’s talking to the wall, since “a person convinced against his will is of his opinion still”. R' Nosson Zatzal used to dislike people with strong principles, whom you can’t move since they’re so bound to their stubborn principles.
People love their Shitos and opinions. L'havdil, Rachmana Litzlan, Hamas were raised from the cradle to hate and torture Jews, Rachmana Litzlan. It’s not easy to change your opinion, even if you’re an Ehrlicher person. I knew a very Chashuva person who simply couldn’t understand how a certain group davens. "That you call davening??" I once had to spend Yamim Nora'im with a group that davens very different than my Derech, and it was murder. It had no Ta'am (flavor) to me.
People who really work on themselves don’t mind being wrong; like Dovid HaMelech who said: וְּחַטָּאתִּי נֶגְּדִּי תָּמִּיד תהלים נא ה my sin is before me always. PS. A person who does this is Zoche to a major Tikun for his Neshama. R' Gershon Liebman Zatzal told me that he’d be against a certain Shita, except he’s afraid that he has a Negi'a to go against them and he’s Passul (disqualified). In Novardok they said “Negi'a Gaon”, which means that a person is a super genius proving that what he likes or what he’s used to is the correct way. And he’ll bring true proofs from: כָּ ל הַ תוֹרָּ ה כוּ לָּ הּ the entire Torah.
I knew a person who was fire against a certain way of learning. An Adam Gadol explained to me that this person is not good at learning that way, and that’s why he Passel’s (disqualifies) all those who learn like that. A person would be shocked if he knew how much the Satan and Negi'os mix into all his Shitos. A big Masmid and a real straight-shooter once told me that he was told by someone that since it’s his nature to be a certain way, he can’t look down at other people who aren’t the same. He was: מַ סְּ כִּ ים agreed, since he is a Tzaddik.
And the same with Chesed and Zikkui HaRabbim and all kinds of Shitos and Chumros. People very often believe anything that makes them or their group look good. Everyone else is inferior. Or “No, I’m broadminded. Everyone else is also okay, except that one group!” Either way, the Yetzer Hara creeps in, Rachmana Litzlan! Some people have a Negi'a to love and respect everyone except themselves. They have the same Yetzer Hara of hating and looking down, just in a different direction. The true Baalei Mussar would encourage exercises in the opposite direction of a person’s: נְּטִּיָּה tendency.
TRUE STORY
Rabeinu Yonah and other Rishonim were fire against the Rambam, until they realized their mistake. Rabeinu Yonah spent the rest of his life going from Yeshiva to Yeshiva, admitting his error, and praising the Rambam B’rabim (publicly). This is why he wrote his Sefer “Shaarei Teshuva”. Even the Satmar Rebbe Zatzal said that until he met the Litvishe Gedolim, he didn’t have such a good opinion of them. We see how scary is this issue, and it’s K'dai to go like R’ Meir Herskowitz Zatzal, who said to someone who asked him about a very controversial Shita: “Keep out of trouble, and just learn.”
