By Yoni Schwartz
The Chazon Ish’s tragic death left the Jewish world in shambles. There was a certain non-religious person who only knew the Chazon Ish, zt”l, by his real name, Rabbi Karelitz, from when he still lived in Europe, and he did not realize what a great person he truly was. When he read in the paper that Rabbi Karelitz had died, he called the family and said that he had known him back in Europe and was surprised to read that he had moved to Israel. He and the family began talking, and one thing led to another. Eventually, it came out that the Chazon Ish still owed him money from when they were in Europe.
The family asked, “What’s your name again?” to which he replied. They said, “Ah, Baruch Hashem! He was looking for you for a long time but couldn’t find you. He left your money in an envelope, and it has been sitting here for years. Thank you.”
Rav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l, the Chazon Ish’s great-nephew and one of his primary talmidim, was once in a similar scenario. One time at a wedding, he was asked to write the kesubah, and somebody lent him a pen. When he wanted to return it afterward, he couldn’t find the man who had lent it. Two years later, he bumped into him by chance and said, “Baruch Hashem that I found you,” then took out the pen from his jacket pocket - which he had been carrying for two years - and handed it to him.
Reprinted from the Parshas Noach 5786 email of Torah Sweets.
