You Shall Not Fear

Rabbi Yechezkel of Kozmir once decided to come out openly against one of the powerful figures in the community.

He instructed a Rabbi from his Rabbinical court to announce the Torah's ruling in the synagogue, despite the displeasure of that influential individual.

The Rabbi showed signs of hesitation and reacted with fear, asking, "what will people say?"

Rabbi Yechezkel replied: "It was because of a statement like like that that the Holy Temple was destroyed!

"For our Sages, of blessed memory, said, 'the humility of Rabbi Zechariah ben Avkilos destroyed our city and burnt our Temple,' because he weighed considerations of what people might say."