Pinchos got out of bed that morning even more reluctantly
than usual. It was bad enough that he had lost his father
less than a month ago, just before his bar mitzva. The
additional pressure of finding an omud each morning
was a constant burden on him which he knew would continue for
almost a year. He could not involve his mother; she had
enough to worry about at the moment. Whenever he thought he
had a place to daven, someone would come and claim
that he had priority, either a yahrzeit or that he,
himself, was also an ovel. It is easy to push a boy
around, especially one who still looks like a young child.
This morning Pinchos decided to get up a little earlier and
go to a kollel some distance from his house. He
thought that the men there were all young and with luck he
might find a permanent place for the year. To his
disappointment, there was someone already standing at the
omud when he arrived. The young man noticed him and
invited the boy to take his place. "Although I also have a
chiyuv (obligation to lead the davening), it
will be easier for me to find an omud than for you.
Just don't tell anyone that I gave my place to you." So at
least for this morning, Pinchos' problem was solved.
As he was putting his tefillin away, the man, who did
not seem to be quite as young as Pinchos had originally
thought, came back into the kollel. He went up to the
boy and asked quietly, "Would you like to daven here
each morning for the time being?" Pinchos looked up at him
hopefully without speaking.
"I will hold this place for you till you come, and will see
to it that no one else takes it." The boy was still
speechless. "There is only one condition. You are not to tell
anyone."
Pinchos rushed home so that he would not be late for
cheder. To her relief, his mother noticed that for the
first time since the tragedy, her oldest son was a little
relaxed. A week later, `the man', as Pinchos called him,
happened to be in the kollel again. "You know, I've
met you three times now and I don't even know your name. Mine
is Simonik." Pinchos supplied his name and answered about his
family and where he lived. He felt he had a friend.
Some weeks passed and the Rebbe in cheder told the
class that they should begin thinking about Yeshiva Ketana.
He told them that they would be tested on certain material
and although he would teach it to them, they would have to
review it with their fathers several times a week to have it
letter perfect. They should also start discussing with their
fathers which would be their first choice. He wasn't unkind,
this Rebbe, it was just that Pinchos' loss had slipped his
mind for the moment.
That week Simonik once again spoke to Pinchos. "Have you
begun learning for your farher for Yeshiva Ketana?
It's only a few months away now."
"Yes," Pinchos said somewhat dejectedly.
"Would you like to learn with me in the evenings?" asked
Simonik.
"Where would we learn?" asked the astonished boy.
"Right here in the kollel. They won't mind."
Pinchos was overjoyed. His grades had fallen these past few
months. "I have only one stipulation," added Simonik.
"Don't tell anyone," answered Pinchos with a shy smile.
Simonik was an excellent teacher. Within two weeks both the
Rebbe and the boys noticed the difference. After a month, his
classmates began to ask Pinchos about things they didn't
understand and he improved in all other subjects, too. He
learned in the kollel five nights a week without
telling a soul. One night Simonik asked him which Yeshiva
Ketana was his first choice. Pinchos mentioned the names of
two prestigious yeshivos and added that it was unlikely that
he would get into either because he realized that you needed
some influence, or at least a wonderful record throughout
your cheder years, neither of which he had.
Simonik had a private word with the heads of both yeshivos,
explaining the circumstances and recommending Pinchos.
Finally, the time came for the boys to be interviewed and
tested. Sometimes, the boys were told the results immediately
in some cases, the boys had to call up to see if they had
been accepted or rejected. Pinchos announced jubilantly that
he had been accepted to both yeshivos of his choice, on the
spot. He asked Simonik which was best for him.
One day, one of the kollel members mentioned that the
Rosh Hakollel was going to speak to them that night. "Why
don't you come?"
"Oh, it will be way above my head. I won't understand a
thing."
The young man urged him, "We have been watching you through
the months. I am sure you will be able to grasp the
shmuess."
That night Pinchos went to the kollel and waited. But
only Simonik came to the podium and began to speak. After
some time, Pinchos whispered to his neighbor, "When is the
Rosh Hakollel coming?" His neighbor stared at him and said,
"That's him speaking..."
Finally the year of mourning came to an end; somehow, Simonik
was still learning with Pinchos once or twice a week, but
always with the caution that he shouldn't tell anyone.
The years went by and one day, Pinchos, who had moved to
another town, saw the notice of Simonik's death. He went to
the shiva and told the astounded widow and her family
of what Simonik had done for him.
This was just one of the numerous stories about this
extraordinary man which the family of the late Shimon Moshe
Diskin heard during that week of shiva some three
years ago...
