These are various stories that are related to the yom
tovim, some of them related to pesukim in this week's
parsha.
If You Follow My Statutes . . . Rashi: To Toil In Torah
(Vayikra 26:3)
Rav Shmuel Yitzchok Slushtz related: "In the winter of 5738
(1977-8) I came to our master to ask him about a Rashi on
Bava Kama 56a. He asked me to write my question down
on a piece of paper, which he put into the pocket of his
housecoat.
"Approximately two months later, I consulted him about the
Beis Yaakov High School. After responding about the school he
took the note with the question on Rashi out of his pocket
and said to me, 'Please forgive me. I haven't had any time.'
I was astonished.
"After Pesach (some five months after I'd given him the
note), I went to see him about an extremely urgent matter.
Before I'd put the situation to him he put in his hand and
took out the note and again pleadingly explained that he'd
had no time. `But now, we'll see what it's about,' he said,
instructing me to take out one of the works of the Rishonim.
My note had been in his pocket for five months."
*
Once, one of his close talmidim found HaRav Shach
examining a notebook of chiddushei Torah. The
talmid asked why they weren't printed with his other
chiddushim in Avi Ezri.
"Because they're not the true meaning."
The talmid asked why HaRav Shach was keeping the
notebook if the chiddushim it contained were not the
real meaning.
HaRav Shach explained that he had developed these
chiddushim with huge effort when he had been ill and
was suffering tremendously — while he was undergoing
"unimaginable suffering." Although he couldn't publish them
because they weren't correct, neither could he bring himself
to discard them because of his great sacrifice in developing
them.
What a lesson!
Moshe Told Bnei Yisroel about Hashem's Festivals
At the end of maseches Megilloh, Chazal learn from
this posuk (Vayikra 23:44) that, "Moshe told bnei
Yisroel the halachos of each festival on the festival;
the halachos of Pesach on Pesach, the halachos of Succos on
Succos etc." Some of the Rishonim cite this as the source of
the law mentioned in Rosh Hashonoh that, "A person
must go to meet his teacher on a Regel" — "so
that he learns the halachos from him."
Others however, explain that the mitzvah of going to meet
one's rav on a Regel is not part of the mitzvah of Torah
study but is a kind of "encounter" that we can have nowadays
instead of the mitzvah of going up to the Beis Hamikdosh
on a Regel.
Rav Chaim Meir Steinberg relates: "As a bochur, my
friend Rav Yitzchok Weinstein and I once paid our master a
Yom Tov visit. It was Shevii Shel Pesach, at dusk. When our
master saw us, he smilingly asked us, `What did you come
for?'
"We replied that we'd come in order to fulfill the
Gemora's requirement to go to meet one's teacher on a
Regel. Our master took us into his room and continued
smiling as he said, `One fulfills that requirement when one
wishes Gut Yom Tov in the yeshiva.' "
Rejoice on Your Festival
Rav Gershuni relates: "I remember, decades ago, when our
master started delivering daily shiurim on maseches
Kiddushin at the beginning of the summer zman, he
prefaced the shiur by saying, `I want you to know that
I didn't have Pesach this year.' Then he explained. `There is
a kushya that troubled me throughout Pesach. Maybe you
can help me with it . . .' "
Rejoice Before Hashem
Maaseh Rav records that the Vilna Gaon would go before the
sefer Torah rejoicing greatly, ". . . like a burning
torch, clapping his hands, wheeling and turning with all his
might before the sefer Torah. And when the sefer Torah was
returned to the Aron Hakodesh, he was no longer so
joyful."
HaRav Shach asked the Brisker Rov zt'l: "Why was the
Gaon so joyful when the sefer Torah was outside and
noticeably less when it was returned? What determines the
degree of rejoicing?"
The Brisker Rov replied that one can only dance for a
particular person or object when it is present and in view.
The Gemora in Kesuvos (17) asks, "How does one
dance in front of the kallah?" When the
kallah is there, one can dance. If the object of the
dancing is not there, it is altogether out of place to
dance.
While the sefer Torah was outside the Aron
Hakodesh, the Gaon danced in front of it. But when it had
been returned, dancing was no longer appropriate. We are not
on such a high level that we can claim to be standing before
Hashem and dancing before Him. We can only express joy when
we ourselves are joyful.
Because I Made a Covenant Over These Things
"Rabbi Yochonon expounded this posuk (Shemos 34:27)
[as follows]: Hakodosh Boruch Hu only made a covenant
with bnei Yisroel over the Oral Torah (Gittin
60).
One of HaRav Shach's great-grandchildren came over to him on
Simchas Torah night and told him what was troubling him: in
his beis haknesses, children were not given sifrei
Torah to dance with. How could he celebrate Simchas
Torah?
HaRav Shach rose immediately and went over the bookcase. He
took out a copy of Chiddushei Rabbi Akiva Eiger and
presented it to the boy telling him, "Take this and dance
with it!"
Observe the Festival of Matzos
The Gemora (Pesochim 118) tells us that, "Whoever
scorns the festivals is akin to someone who worships idols;
the posuk (Shemos 34:17-8) says, "Do not make molten
gods for yourselves' and straight afterwards says, `observe
the festival of matzos.' "
Rav Sariel Rosenberg relates: "Once, I wanted to pay our
master a Yom Tov visit. When I entered his home, a burly
Yid came out of the kitchen with our master
accompanying him. A few minutes later the Rebbetzin
a'h, returned from the store and went into the kitchen.
Less than a minute later she came back into the room and
cried excitedly, `What have you done? He's broken
everything!'
"It transpired that the door of the refrigerator had almost
come off and our master had brought a workman to fix it. Not
only had he failed to repair the door, he had removed it from
its place entirely.
"The upset did not affect our master's Yom Tov joy a whit. He
listened to the complaint with a radiant face. When his
Rebbetzin saw that he wasn't responding she continued, `Don't
we have an agreement? I don't interfere in your learning and
you don't interfere with things in the kitchen!' and then she
added, `Besides, it's chol hamoed and one musn't have
anything fixed.'
"He immediately replied, `Here, you see, you're getting
involved in matters of halochoh, so I'm allowed to be
involved with the kitchen . . .'
"She had to smile at this and then she went back into the
kitchen.
"Our master said to me, `You understand — I heard a
Yid calling outside that he needed work so that he'd
have food to eat. It's permitted to have a worker do jobs on
chol hamoed if he won't have anything to eat
otherwise. I called him to fix the door and paid him his
wage. What does it matter if the door is fixed or not? What's
important is that he should have food."
I Am Dust and Ashes
The Gemora in Chulin (89) says, "Hakodosh
Boruch Hu said to Yisroel, `I delight in you. Even when I
raise you to greatness you diminish yourselves before Me. I
made Avrohom great; he said, `I am dust and ashes'
(Bereishis 18:27) . . ."
HaRav Shach's grandson relates: "In Avi Ezri, at the
end of the section on Kodshim, our master published
some chiddushim, prefacing them with the description,
`Several Points that I Noticed When Learning perek Tomid
Nishchat while I was Sick.'
"When the volume was published he regretted what he had
written and said, `Ah, there's pride in the words, "while I
was Sick." It's as though I pat myself on the back for having
learned even when I was ill.'
"He didn't calm down until he asked his family to go through
every copy and go over the words `while I was Sick,' with a
pen. He only relaxed after being told that it had been erased
from every sefer."
