Rav Binyamin’s Diligence
Rav Mordechai Brim son of the righteous gaon Rav Chaim Brim zt”l shared a story during a mussar shmuess lecture about the diligence and dedication required for Torah study.
He recounted an event from his childhood that deeply impressed upon him the value of Torah study and persistence. As a boy, he would attend the Shabbos kodesh evening meal, dechakal tapuchin kadishin, at the home of his maternal grandfather, the righteous Rav Yisrael Tussig zt”l, the Rebbe of Mattersdorf, who at that time resided in the Batei Ungarin neighborhood of Yerushalayim.
After the meal, his father, Rav Chaim, would customarily go to the beis midrash to learn Torah for several hours, savoring the sweetness and delight of Torah study. As has been commented on Chazal’s dictum, sheinah beShabbos ta’anug, (sleep on Shabbos is an enjoyment), the word sheinah is similar to shinun (revising one‘s Torah learning), hinting that the true pleasure of Shabbos lies in repeating and learning Torah, for there is no greater delight than this.
During those hours, the family would remain at his grandfather‘s home, putting the children to bed. Late in the night, when Rav Chaim returned from his studies, he and his righteous wife zt”l would wake the children and begin their walk home together in the holy stillness of Shabbos night.
On their way, they would pass through the famous Meah Shearim Market. As they walked past the central Yeshuos Yaakov Shul in the heart of the neighborhood, Rav Chaim would take young Mordechai inside and point out the renowned and righteous gaon, Rav Binyamin Rabinowitz zt”l. Rav Binyamin would be sitting and learning with passion and great diligence, even in the wee hours of the morning, well past midnight.
Rav Chaim would tell his son, “You must learn from Rav Binyamin’s love of Torah. His devotion is so strong that he cannot tear himself away from his studies.”
This image etched itself deeply into young Rav Mordechai‘s heart. He resolved to emulate this path of constant diligence and commitment to Torah study.
Similarly, the righteous Rav Mendel Atik often took his talmidim and children to witness the extraordinary sight of Rav Binyamin Rabinowitz immersed in his continuous study until the early morning hours. It was well-known that Rav Binyamin‘s study was infused with a unique sweetness of Torah that was almost unparalleled.
Rav Mendel testified that one year, on Yom Kippur, in the early hours before dawn, he passed by the beis midrash and saw Rav Binyamin sitting and learning Torah aloud with a melodic tone, deeply engaged in preparation for the sacred and awesome service of the holy day.
