On the day that the young man who would later be known as Rav Yisroel of Ossatin, zt”l, turned thirteen, his father, Rav Mordechai Feivish, zt”l, called him over to teach him how to put on Tefilin. Before he started, he first he told him a story, and it inspired him for the rest of his life.
“A group of Chasidim once came before the Maggid of Mezeritch, zt”l, and asked that he suggest a leader to guide them. The Maggid gave them a garment, a belt, and a staff, similar to what important people in those times wore. He then said to them, “Go to Vitebsk, find my student who is called Mendel, and give him these objects. He is your future Rav.”
The Chasidim obeyed the Maggid’s instructions. When they found Rav Mendel of Vitebsk, zt”l, they gave him the items from the Maggid. He put on the garment and belt, and he held the staff like a respected Rav, and requested that they treat him with Derech Eretz, proper respect.
This seemed strange to the Chasidim, since before they gave him the Maggid’s three objects, he had seemed to be the most simple and unassuming person. Why had he suddenly changed to behave like a prominent figure? When Rav Mendel noticed their confusion, he explained.
“The Torah tells us (Devarim 17:15), that you should appoint a king over yourselves from your brothers. An instant before a person is accepted as king, he was considered ‘among your brothers’, and in a split moment, he is profoundly changed, since he has now become the king, and all the many Halachos that are relevant to a king apply to him. That is why I am now acting differently. It is because my status and title has changed from just moments ago, that I am now required to act differently.”
Rav Mordechai Feivish then explained to his son how this story applied to him. He said, “Every Jew undergoes a similar change when he becomes a Bar Mitzvah. A moment before he makes the change, he is a simple boy unable to join in a Minyan or fulfill any Mitzvos, except in the context of Chinuch, as he is just ‘in training’. But a moment later, he is a completely different person, with a new status and title in Klal Yisroel!”
Reprinted from the Parshas Naso 5781 email of Rabbi Yehuda Winzelberg’s Torah U’ Tefilah.
