A Rosh Yeshiva once came to the Chazon Ish, ZT”L to request permission to expel a student who wasn’t following the rules of the yeshiva, and was a bad influence on others. Reluctantly, the Chazon Ish allowed it. However, he told the Rosh Yeshiva to ask the student if he would agree to learn with the Chazon Ish, as he was “looking” for a study partner. Thus began a seven-year relationship between the young man and the great Chazon Ish, in fact for a number of those years he actually lived in the Chazon Ish’s home.
He carefully observed the Chazon Ish and wrote down all that he witnessed. The Chazon Ish was a tremendous masmid, one who studied Torah with all his physical strength. His nightly routine was that he famously learned until he had no more strength, and then collapsed onto his bed to rest. He leaned his head against the wall and left the lamp burning. As soon as he felt his strength return, he would resume his learning. One day, a bochur from the Mir Yeshiva came to stay overnight in the home of the Chazon Ish. As he prepared to go to sleep, a strange thing occurred.
The Chazon Ish also began preparing for bed and changed into pajamas. When the bochur got into bed, the Chazon Ish asked his student to put out the lamp. The room was dark and all three inhabitants went to sleep. The next morning, the student asked the Chazon Ish about his unusual behavior the night before. He had never before seen the Chazon Ish change clothing and prepare for sleep, nor had he ever seen him lay in the dark.
The Chazon Ish explained that he was concerned that the Mirrer bochur wouldn’t sleep properly if the Chazon Ish was learning and with the lamp on in the room; therefore, he went to bed and asked that the lamp be extinguished. Although the Chazon Ish lived in a spiritual world, he concerned himself with the welfare of others. He gave his precious time to facilitate the well-being of his fellow Jew.
Comment: When Yosef revealed himself to his brothers, they were stunned and embarrassed. The Midrash writes that every Jew must worry about their eventual Yom HaDin (Day of Judgement). We must care about others and seek out opportunities for Chesed and Mitzvos, so that we would not be embarrassed upon our eventual Yom HaDin.
