By Rabbi Yechiel Spero
As Rav Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky, the Steipler Gaon, set out to buy his lulab in Bnei Brak, he was escorted by one of his students, one who had accompanied him for the past few years. This student knew the ins and outs of the business and therefore many dealers had called him to request that the Steipler buy his set of arba minim from them. The young man had chosen one particular dealer, and he and the Rav were on their way to that store.
When the Steipler walked in, all eyes turned to him. Although there were quite a few individuals there when he arrived, he was immediately ushered into a back room so he could examine the lulabim in peace. The nervous dealer had chosen what he thought were the absolute best lulabim in stock and set them out on a table. The Steipler picked up the first one, examined it, and placed it down on the table where the others were. He then picked up the next one and did the same; each one he selected seemed to have its fault. Finally, he reached the last one on the table, inspected it, and after scrutinizing it closely, put it down. He then went back to the very first lulab he had looked at, one that he had quickly dismissed, and decided to purchase it. The seller, though somewhat perplexed by the Steipler’s behavior, was thrilled to have been able to sell the lulab to the Steipler.
After the Steipler walked out of the shop, his student turned to him and wondered aloud why his Rebbe had settled on that lulab when there were so many other stores and lulabim to choose from. The Steipler was not one to compromise on misvah observance. Why had he settled now?
The answer he gave to his questioning student contained an unforgettable lesson. “It is true. There are many, many shops from which to choose a lulab and etrog. I am certain in fact that I could have bought one that was much nicer than the one I chose. But at what cost? Had I walked out the door without a lulab, then not only would those who were in the outer room have questioned why I left empty-handed, but word would have spread on the street that the Steipler could not find a kosher lulab in this dealer’s shop. This in turn would have caused him to lose many customers. And that is too high a price to pay for a lulab.” (Touched by a Story 3)
Reprinted from the Sukkot 5784 email of Rabbi David Bibi’s Shabbat Shalom from Cyberspace. Excerpted from the ArtScroll book – “Touched by a Story #3” by Rabbi Yechiel Spero.
