THE SIGN LANGUAGE OF TZADIKIM
The Chofetz Chaim related regarding Rav Mordechai Benet – that Rav Benet’s talmidim noticed how he had the custom to draw the shapes of letters with his finger in the air. They paid careful close attention and realized that he was drawing the pasuk (from Tefillos Yomim Nora’im): Ashrei Ho’Ish She’Lo Yishkachecha U’Ven Adam Yis’ametz Boch – “Happy is he who does not forget You (Hashem), and the man who strengthens himself in You”, reminding himself never to take his mind off his Creator.
THE KSAV YAD (HANDWRITING) OF THE CHASAM SOFER BRINGS TREMENDOUS YIRAS SHOMAYIM
The Chasam Sofer was known to write his responsa very quickly without any afterthought or regret. Once, an issue with an aguna was presented to him, and as was his custom he wrote a quick response and handed his response to his son, Rav Shimon, to deliver it to the Bais Din in Nikolsburg. Rav Shimon thought that since this was a grave and important matter, he would delay fulfilling his father’s errand, because perhaps his father rushed the response and might want to clarify or change it later. A few days later, the Chasam Sofer asked his son if he had delivered the responsa. His son replied in the negative and explained his reasons. The Chasam Sofer proceeded to tell his son the following: “In every generation, Hashem puts a Godol HaDor who has Siyata dishmaya and the halachic responsa will be in accordance with Hashem’s will. In this generation, I was chosen for this task. Please deliver the responsa immediately.”
When the lengthy responsa was received by Nikolsburg’s Bais Din, Rav Mordechai Banet opened up the letter and just read the last few lines of the halachic decree. When the Bais Din questioned Rav Mordechai about why he had not read the whole p’sak din, he replied, “In reality, I only need to see the last line, if the Chasam Sofer said muttar or ossur – and that would be enough. However, I read a couple of the last lines because reading the ksav yad (handwriting) of the Chasam Sofer brings about tremendous Yiras Shomayim.
FIRST IN LICHTENSTADT THEN IN NIKOLSBURG
Rav Mordechai was the Rav in Nikolsburg and in the last years of his life, he fell sick and moved to Lichtenstadt (near Carlsbad) for treatments. When he was niftar, the people in Lichtenstadt buried him quickly because they wanted him to stay in their town. When the people in Nikolsburg found out what had happened, they caused an uproar – until the question if they should reinter him came before the Chasam Sofer. In his teshuva (responsa), he ultimately gives three reasons why it is mutar to reinter him in Nikolsburg (even though it was a very unpopular thing to do – because it gave the non-Jews ammunition to reinter bodies at their own discretion).
He also notes in his lengthy responsa, that the people in Nikolsburg are not to be believed that Rav Mordechai wanted to have his body returned – because he states that Rav Mordechai had affirmed in his lifetime that whoever will need salvation after his petira, should just come to his kever and his tefillos will be answered – and that incentivizes the people of Nikolsburg to try to have him buried near them. However, while he was writing the responsa, the Chasam Sofer fell asleep. In his dream, Rav Mordechai appeared to him and told him that he did indeed want to return to Nikolsburg – but Hashem wanted him to be buried in Lichtenstadt for the following reason:
When he was a young man, the shidduch to the girl that he was to marry was broken. This girl suffered embarrassment due to this fact and later married the Rav in Lichtenstadt. Rav Mordechai further related that with the help and tefillos of the Rav of Lichtenstadt, it was determined that the only kappora (absolution) that he could get was by being buried next to her in the cemetery for six months. And so it was: after six months his holy body was removed and re-interred in Nikolsburg.
Following is the text of his matzeiva – denoting part of this story:
[Editor’s note: Several years ago, I made the trip to Nikolsburg to daven at his kever. We arrived very late at night in the bitter cold and wandered the cemetery aimlessly searching for his kever in the near-pitch darkness. We were almost at the point of leaving, when we quickly davened to be zoche to say a few chapters of Tehillim at his kever. Within seconds, we turned to the next row, and there, right in front of us, was his kever. I can attest that there is a palpable spiritual high at his kever].
AVOS CHAPTER 1 MISHNA 16
Rabban Gamliel said, “Make a rav for yourself and distance yourself from doubt and do not tithe by estimating.”
When Rav Ovadia Yosef used to teach Pirkei Avos he would illustrate the above Mishna with the following story:
Rav Mordechai Bennet was once in the resort town of Carlsbad vacationing at the spa, when he met a reform rabbi. The German reformer bragged to Rav Mordechai how all matters of Jewish ritual and law were under his auspices and how his ruling on all matters of halacha was the final word.
When Rav Mordechai tried to discuss Torah with him, he was horrified to discover that the reform rabbi was nothing but a complete am ha’aretz who knew absolutely nothing when it came to Torah and halacha!
“Tell me rabbi,” Rav Mordechai probed, “What then do you do when matters of kashrus are brought before you for a ruling? Let us say a chicken or fowl with a needle piercing its gizzard or a broken wing joint is brought before you. How do rule whether it is kosher or treif; how can you tell?”
“Well,” answered the flustered rabbi , I just rule stringently and declare it treif every time; I leave no room for doubt and I am machmir!”
“Let me tell you a story, said Rav Mordechai with a smile, “There was once a simple country bumpkin, a Jew who lived far away from the city in a rural village. He raised geese, fowl, and duck, and when they were brought to the slaughter, he would take them to the local shochet. The country Jew would then sell the meat and fat on the market and
