A Rosh Kollel from Bnei Brak found himself in a quandary. He was faced with bills from the Kollel that were adding up, and he was unable to cover the Kollel’s expenses. He was unsure how to proceed. He heard from other Kollel fundraisers that going to America didn’t always bring them the necessary funding, and sometimes it barely covered the cost of their plane tickets and trip expenses.
He therefore went to the Chazon Ish and posed the question to him. The Chazon Ish responded that should go to America for the money.
“Does that mean that I’m getting a brachah that I’ll get all the necessary funds in America?” asked the Rosh Kollel. “Are you saying that it’ll be the salvation for my dilemma?”
“No,” responded that Chazon Ish. “All I said was that you shall go. I did not predict the outcome.” The Rosh Kollel accepted the Chazon Ish’s words, and left his home.
After two weeks of humiliation in America, he saw in the end that he hadn’t even raised the money to cover what he laid out for his trip, certainly not to cover the Kollel’s budget. He didn’t quite understand why the Chazon Ish therefore suggested he go in the first place, and was plagued with disappointed thoughts the whole way home.
When he landed in Israel, he took a sheirut, shuttle, to Bnei Brak. Next to him sat a man who introduced himself, and they started a nice conversation. The Rosh Kollel asked him why he’d come, and he responded that he had come because of his father. Eleven months ago, his father had passed away and had requested to be buried on the outskirts of Bnei Brak. Although he’d lived in England, he nevertheless was close to many rabbanim in Bnei Brak, and thus had a big yearning to be buried there. The son had fulfilled his father’s request, and now was returning to put up the matzeivah, gravestone.
The man asked the Rosh Kollel where he could find ten people for the Kaddish that he wanted to say following the placing of the matzeivah. The Rosh Kollel replied that he would be happy to arrange it. And so, before placing the matzeivah, the Rosh Kollel took some of the Kollel yungeleit to attend and make the minyan.
After the placing of the monument and saying Kaddish, the man was so moved by the conduct of these yungeleit and their kindness in willing to attend this event despite their busy schedules. He offered the Rosh Kollel a donation toward his Kollel, which the Rosh Kollel happily accepted. Upon looking at the sum on the check, he saw that it was written for the staggering sum of one million dollars! The Rosh Kollel had gotten the entire sum needed to cover the Kollel’s budget, and more.
He then understood what the Chazon Ish had intended for him. The sum he received was much greater than anything he could’ve anticipated from all the donations he had been awaiting in America, but he wouldn’t have received it had he not been on that sheirut. (Heard on Stories to Inspire, from R’ Duvi Bensoussan)
There are several lessons that can be learned from this story. One is that one should always follow the advice of gedolim; by following them, we will always gain. But another lesson, along what we’ve been saying here, is that this Rosh Kollel got the yeshuah only after it seemed that he had no way out. After seeing his “last ditch effort” go nowhere, that is when the yeshuah originated and he was able to cover his Kollel’s bill.
