Emunah Peshutah in the Words of Chazal

Emunah Peshutah in the Words of Chazal

לא תסור מן הדבר אשר יגידו לך ימין ושמאל

“Do not turn aside from the matter they tell you, right or left” (Devorim 17:11)

Rashi explains: Even if they tell you that right is left and left is right you should still listen to them.

The Gemara (Pesachim 42b) relates a fascinating incident: Rabbi Yehuda taught that when preparing matzos a woman should knead the dough using “mayim shelonu" (מים שלנו)6. Rabbi Masna gave a drosha and taught this in Paphunia. The next day everyone brought their jugs and came to him saying: "give us water." Rashi explains that they thought the Rav had decreed that they must buy water from him, and they were ready to do so.

R' Yosef Sorotskin in Meged Yosef brings from his father: Chazal did not bring this story so that we should be impressed by the ignorance of the people of Paphunia — that they did not know what “mayim shelonu” meant. Rather, Chazal wanted us to be impressed by the strength of their emunas chachamim.

In our times, if a Rav decreed that people must buy water from him, the congregation would immediately complain that the Rav is trying to enrich himself and is not acting for the sake of mitzvos. The people of Paphunia, in their innocence, accepted the Rav's decree with complete faith that his intention was leshem Shomayim, and they all came and were prepared to buy the Rav's water.

His father adds that something similar happened to him when he conducted a fundraising campaign in South Africa for the Yeshiva of Telz. One Jew — second generation assimilated — honored him with a generous donation. In conversation it became clear that this donor thought that “yeshiva” meant shivah (the seven-day mourning period).

6 This can be translated to mean water that is drawn and left out overnight, which is in fact what it means, and it can also be translated to mean “our water”. In the Gemara they misinterpreted it to mean “our water”.

When his father asked how he could think he was donating for a shivah, and what relevance fundraising has to such a thing, the donor answered innocently that he also did not understand the matter, but he assumed that since the Rav was asking, it must be something he needed to give towards.

R' Shalom Shwadron zt"l also relates a fascinating story involving the Chazon Ish which highlights how although in today's generation we struggle to have emunah in the words of our chachamim, at least we see that in times of the past people use to be able to attain such levels:

There was a simple Jew who lived in Bnei Brak and would daven vasikin in the minyan of the Chazon Ish. This Jew was distinguished by his pure and straightforward emunas chachamim, and for every matter — big or small — what to do and what not to do — he would ask the advice of the Chazon Ish.

One Friday, close to candle-lighting time, he came to the Chazon Ish and told him that he had a leak in his house. The Chazon Ish said to him: “Go to a plumber.”

The man replied: “It's late, and no plumber is willing to come."

The Chazon Ish asked again: “So what do you want from me?"

The Jew answered with complete innocence: “That the Rav should say that the water will stop flowing."

The Chazon Ish responded: “Alright — the water should stop flowing.”

With his simple faith, the Jew returned home — and indeed, the water stopped flowing.

Motzei Shabbos, the Jew came again to the Chazon Ish, this time with the opposite complaint: “The Rav said the water should stop flowing, and it really stopped — but now there is no water in the house!"

The Chazon Ish asked: “And what do you want now?"

He answered: “I ask that the Rav should now say that the water will start flowing again!"

The Chazon Ish said: “Fine — the water should start flowing again."

The simple Jew returned home — and indeed, the water began to flow.

We must strive once again to reach such levels of emunas chachamim and really value the words that come out of the mouths of our chachamim.