By Rabbi Yoni Schwartz
Portrait by Herman Strouk (1876-1944)
Rabbi Akiva Eiger was traveling on a wagon to a certain town. Suddenly, it began to rain. The rain kept on getting heavier and heavier. The water was filling the ditches on the roads and turning the hard earth into soft mud. Soon, not only was the entire wagon filled with water but also one of the wagon’s wheels got jammed in the mud. When the wagon driver hopped off to take it out, the water came up to his knees. Once the wheel was finally out of the mud and the driver got back onto the wagon, he had to take his shoes off to let them dry.
Rabbi Eiger saw the discomfort the driver felt from having soaking wet and cold socks and felt his pain. He then handed him a pair of dry socks which the wagon driver greatly appreciated.
When they reached their destination, the wagon driver saw Rav Eiger with shoes but no socks and immediately felt very guilty for having used the socks of the great Rav. Rav Eiger, seeing his guilt, felt the need to comfort him. He said, “When I saw you in wet socks, I felt that it’s not fair for me to sit here in dry shoes and socks.”
Reprinted from Parshas Mishpatim 5784 email of Torah Sweets edited by Mendel Berlin.
