FICTION

According to R' Efraim's family tradition, his ancestral roots went all the way back to the exiles of the Bayis Sheini. That same tradition claimed that his ancestors were among the first settlers in Mogdor, Morocco. The Jews of the city, who knew R' Efraim's illustrious family, were proud of their famous neighbor, who was also distinguished in his own right. R' Efraim, the hero of our story was, first of all, a G-d fearing Jew of the genuine genre; his piety was reflected in everything he did: how he prayed and how he dealt in business. His integrity was inherent in his genes. And second, he was renowned for the wealth he had acquired through the labor of his own hands.

Most wondrous was the fact that riches had not ruined R' Efraim in the least and he remained an aristocratic, prestigious figure, the pride of Mogdor. He had not always been rich; in fact, he had begun his adult life along the same lines as his forerunners, in arduous Torah study. Necessity had forced him to seek a means of livelihood and he had begun dealing modestly in fabrics.

Over the years, his business swelled to a vast chain of stores that spread over many cities and huge warehouses. The many agents who were fortunate to be included among R' Efraim's employees knew that their boss would grant them a generous wage and treat them fairly. Consequently, he gained their trust and affection to such a degree that no one, not even the lowliest of them, would have dreamed of stealing from their master, for had they tried none of the other workers would have covered up for him. Almost all of his employees were Jews, and R' Efraim would occasionally gather them together and deliver a shiur or lecture, which raised his esteem in their eyes to the very skies. They instinctively knew that he was a G-d-fearing person, through and through.

Just as everyone knew R' Efraim, so did the townspeople know Dovid, the youth whom R' Efraim had taken into his home as a penniless orphan. He lavished love and affection upon the boy and turned him into his right-hand man. The wages Dovid received, together with the prestige of his office, were a source of comfort to the young man who had suffered so much in his short lifetime and he tried to justify R' Efraim's faith in him and to repay him for his boundless kindness. He learned to intuitively divine what R' Efraim wanted or needed, and the latter never had to state a request in so many words.

He revered his benefactor and tried to emulate his piety in prayer and study as well. But in his heart, he knew that R' Efraim was an exalted person, thoroughly and perfectly, and hoped and prayed that success would continue to always shine upon him.

Hassan also knew R' Efraim the Jew and hated him bitterly. Their acquaintance had begun when they were both boys. Hassan, unruly and rebellious, was the very antitheses of the genteel Efraim, and he was always jealous of him. When he matured, he decided to try his hand in the same business, fabrics, and had accrued a huge fortune, as well. He wielded tremendous power and would strut about, imposing his fear upon one and all. But rich as he was, his wealth did not approach that of his rival, nor did his esteem begin to equal the true respect everyone had towards the Jew. Hassan nursed the hope that someday he would be able to show the Jew who was the better man in every way.

More insights and thoughts on various aspects of chinuch from a veteran Torah educator.

HaRav Einfeld explained the tremendous obligation that an educator has toward his students. He is like a paid shomer who is constantly on duty, like Noach who had to feed the animals in the teivah night and day. R' Yeruchom compared it to the poles of the Oron Hakodesh in the Mishkan: they had to constantly be in their supportive role of the Oron, they must never be removed. He is given the tools to teach his students properly, and is held to a high standard of success. Furthermore, the teacher must be filled with love for his students.

A Story and Its Source

To what degree have our leaders been careful to honor talmidim?

R' Zeev Wilensky, a talmid of HaRav Boruch Ber Lebowitz zt'l of Yeshivas Kamenetz, related the following: His brother, HaRav Yonah zt'l, one of the top talmidim of R' Boruch Ber, was one of the few who understood his deep shiurim properly.

R' Yonah eventually left to study in Yeshivas Mir. R' Boruch Ber met R' Zeev and asked him to tell his brother, R' Yonah, to come to Kamenetz to help R' Boruch Ber write down his shiurim and edit them, since he was the best person for the job.

The next morning R' Zeev was told that the Rosh Yeshiva was looking for him urgently. When he arrived, R' Boruch Ber asked R' Zeev if he had already sent the letter to his brother. Although surprised, R' Zeev answered that he had not yet sent it. HaRav Boruch Ber beamed with happiness and explained, "The truth is that I really need R' Yonah for this matter, but if the talmidim see that I called R' Yonah back, there would be some who would lose heart and say: `Aren't we good enough? Why does the Rosh Yeshiva need to bring someone from afar?' I therefore decided not to call him."

Although this seems like an example of the extreme piety that characterized R' Boruch Ber, it actually stems from the Torah itself. Everyone must behave as the Torah teaches us.