By Rabbi Moshe Hirschberg
Late one night, as Reb Akiva Eiger was learning in his house in Pozna, there was a loud bang on his front door. A mother and daughter stood at the doorstep, very shaken up. The Rav sat them down at his small table, and after they calmed down somewhat, they explained the reason for their visit. Their father/husband managed an inn, and most of the income from their business went to cover their rent to the poritz.
But that winter had been very harsh, and few had passed through the city. They couldn’t cover the rent. Their father had gone to the poritz to plea for an extension, hoping to accumulate the sum at some later time. He had been granted a three-month leeway, but that period came and went with their wallet no better off than before. They had nothing to present to the poritz.
“Yesterday,” continued the visitors, “the poritz sent a group to throw him into dungeon, and his life is hanging by a thread. If we come up with all the money by tomorrow, we can spare him, but if not...who knows...” There was no way the Rav would leave this mitzvah unattended. He told his son that he’s going out, much to the son’s amazement as to where his father would be going at such an hour.
So, with his kapotah and his son, the Rav headed to the door. Reb Akiva Eiger went through the town, and the only place still occupied with people at that hour was where all the forlorn hung out. But what wouldn’t one Yid do for another? He went in and gave it a shot. They may be the right people to ransom this person.
When he entered, the participants were struck by their visitor. Never in their wildest dreams did they anticipate such a guest. Reb Akiva Eiger wasted no time and began addressing the listeners with the need at hand. As they heard the Rav’s cause, these people who had very minimal — if any — connection to Yiddishkeit began shelving out generous sums of money. When these gangsters and robbers were approached by the gadol ha’dor, their hearts took a shift, and in just a few minutes, the entire sum was covered.
A sense of satisfaction filled the air. Reb Akiva Eiger and his son were glad that the sum was covered, and the ruffians were glad to cover it. They were sure that Reb Akiva Eiger would turn around and return to his house, but he remained there and asked for everyone’s attention.
From the depth of his heart, the Rav pleaded with them to repent and turn a new page in their lives. He shared how it pained him so to see this group violating the will of Hashem. As Reb Akiva Eiger was rebuking them, their satisfied smiles made a little — or a big — spin. They were not expecting such words from the Pozna Rav, to say the least.
From among the crowd, Reb Akiva Eiger overheard someone grumbling, “First he asked us for money, and only after milking us dry does he reprove us. He should have reproached us first and then launched his pitch. Then we would see how much he would walk away with — nothing!”
“I knew all along that you would have claims against me,” rejoined Reb Akiva Eiger. “But let me tell you something. For the longest time, I’ve been davening for your return, but no matter how much I davened, I saw no improvement. Nothing at all. I therefore refrained from voicing my opinion per Chazal’s teaching that ‘just as there is a mitzvah to say something that’ll be heard, so is there a mitzvah to withhold something that will not be heard.’ Up until today, that was the case.
“But moving forward, I see that it can be heard. Once you did that mitzvah, and you did it willingly, there’s room for you to move in the right direction. That kind deed left enough of an impression that there is some chance of improvement, and that’s why I only now saw it fit to speak such reproof.”
A wave of tears began to stream down the cheeks of Reb Akiva Eiger, but he was not the only one. The hearts of the listeners loosened up as well, and many burst into tears. Once he saw the impression he made on them, that at least the first step was taken, he collected the pile of money and headed home.
He was content returning home with a heartfelt tefillah that Hashem would leave this impression permanent. The Rav happily handed the money over to the mother and daughter, wishing them well on concluding their mission. The words of Reb Akiva Eiger did leave a permanent imprint on the hearts of many there in that room that night, and they started a new page in life. It brought them to unimaginable heights — all from the power of one mitzvah. One mitzvah leads to another. And can ultimately be life changing.
Reprinted from the Parshas Devorim 5785 email of Zichru Toras Moshe.
