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Pardes Yehuda

Excessive Searching for an Esrog Is Bitul Torah

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The Gaon Rabbi Dov Berish Weidenfeld (the Chebiner Rav, author of Dovrev Meisharim ) once entered a shop selling Esrogim. The store was filled with customers minutely inspecting numerous specimens. The Chebiner Rav requested the shopkeeper to select an Esrog for him. The merchant brought one out; the Rav glanced at it, asked the price, paid, packed it up, and turned to leave. As he walked out, he overheard a customer remark to his friend: "The Rav bought his so quickly! Either he already has a finer one at home and this is a secondary one, or the merchant set aside an exceptional one for him in advance." Overhearing this, the Rav turned and said: "This is my only Esrog, and the merchant prepared nothing in advance. I simply believe one should not waste precious time searching endlessly for an Esrog. If it is kosher and beautiful, that is sufficient—anything beyond that is bitul Torah."

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