אבות א:אוַעֲשׂוּ סְיָג לַתּוֹרָה
«Create a Fence for the Torah» (Avos 1:1)
A well-known story is told in the Belz court. When the holy Rav Shmuel, zt”l, the eldest son of the holy Rav Yehoshua of Belz, zt”l, married the tzaddekes Sarah a”h, daughter of the holy Tzemach Tzedek of Vizhnitz zt”l, she was surprised after the seven days of sheva berachos to see her husband wearing a kalpik shtreimel, as was the custom in Belz. This type of shtreimel seemed very strange to her, as she had never seen such attire in her homeland, and it was not the custom her father’s house. She struggled greatly to accept this unfamiliar garment.
However, Rav Shmuel the tzaddik, naturally did not wish to alter the customs of his forefathers, and this caused his wife anguish and sorrow to the point of tears.
When her father-in-law, the holy Rebbe of Belz, heard about her distress, he called her to him and spoke gently and consolingly. Among his words, he said with charm and chein:
Derech Eretz Precedes Torah
There is a well-know saying of Chazal (D’vei Eliyahu, chapter 1): דֶּ רֶ ךְ אֶרֶץ קָדְמָה לַתּוֹרָה - “proper conduct precedes Torah.” During the seven weeks of Sefiras Ha’omer, we prepared for Shavuos by refining our character traits, each week focusing on a specific middah.
The teachings of Pirkei Avos, filled with guidance for upright behavior and personal development, are among the best ways to preserve the Kabbalas HaTorah we accepted upon ourselves on Shavuos.
