Once, Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, received a very special and expensive new Shas, and was learning from the Mesechta Bava Metzia volume for the first time. Printed Seforim in those days were quite expensive and this new Gemara was a treasure.
Talmidim would pass by just to see it. It happened that Rav Moshe got up to get a different Sefer and Rav Nissan Alpert, zt”l, went over to his Rebbe’s Shtender to look at the new Gemara. By accident, he got a little too close and knocked into the inkwell, and spilled ink all over the brand new Gemara, staining the pages!
Just then, Rav Moshe came back and saw the ruined pages and the embarrassed Talmid. With a gentle smile, Rav Moshe said, “Doesn’t the Gemara look beautiful in blue?” referring to the blue ink that was now all over the pages of the Gemara.
Rav Alpert breathed a sigh of relief that his Rebbe didn’t seem to mind his mistake. He asked Rav Moshe, “How is it that the Rosh Yeshivah is not bothered at all by this? This expensive Gemara is brand new, and now it is ruined!”
Rav Moshe responded, “Do not think that I just now overcame my urge to get upset. My nature is to be angry, and I have been working against the Middah of Ka’as, anger, my entire life!”
Reprinted from the Parshas Bo 5784 email of Torah U’Tefilah.
