By R’ Yoni Schwartz
Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzensky, ZT”L, remembered not only as a giant of Torah but also as a remarkable ba’al chesed, lived in Vilna. Those who knew him testified to his extraordinary ability to process information and multitask. Visitors to his home might find twenty people around his table while he simultaneously wrote a letter with one hand, a teshuva with the other, and carried on several conversations - all at once. With the burden of European Jewry on his shoulders, he was constantly occupied.
When Rav Simcha Wasserman, ZT”L, was a young child, he once visited Rav Grodzensky. Not long before, he had received a new shirt - something rare and precious in those days - and his joy was evident.
Entering the crowded room, he was struck by the commotion surrounding the Rav. Suddenly, the room grew quiet. Despite being short in stature and almost hidden among the people, Rav Grodzensky noticed young Rav Wasserman’s new shirt and publicly complimented him. Rav Wasserman later said that this small moment left a profound and lasting impression on his understanding of what chesed truly means.
Comment: In this week’s Parsha, Nitzavim, we are called to enter a covenant not only with Hashem but with our fellow Jews as well. Acts such as giving charity, organizing community initiatives, and volunteering are of great importance. Yet, as Rav Wasserman learned, being a true ba’al chesed is just as much about noticing the little things and acknowledging those often overlooked as it is about the grand gestures.
Reprinted from the Parshas Nitzavim 5785 email of Torah Sweets.
