Yegias HaTorah
Rabbi Chaim Shlomo Leibovitz heard from a talmid of
his grandfather, Rav Boruch Ber zt"l, who had a
chavrusa with Maran during the period that the latter
got married. He told him that on the Rosh Yeshiva's wedding
day, that talmid of his grandfather reasoned he would
have some free time, for surely the chosson would be
busy. However, the Rosh Yeshiva sat and learned with him
until half an hour before his own chuppah.
Furthermore, on the following morning at six o'clock, the
chavrusa was awakened by an urgent knocking on his
door. To his surprise, there stood the chosson in all
his finery. His eyes widened in wonder as he opened the door
and Maran asked if he was feeling well. "I've been waiting
here for you an hour-and-a-half, wondering why you haven't
come to learn," explained the chosson. "I reckoned
you're probably not feeling well."
When the Rebbetzin was ill in the hospital and the doctors
decided to amputate her leg, the Rosh Yeshiva was informed
that the operation would take ten hours. During all that time
the Rosh Yeshiva, who was fasting, paced back and forth
outside the operating theater without saying a word besides
for a short conversation with the Ponevezher Rov when he came
to him.
When the ten hours of the operation were over, the Rosh
Yeshiva, zt"l, returned home, immediately sat down and
began writing chiddushei Torah on the Rambam on
Hilchos Malveh Veloveh. After one and a half hours
writing, a sigh burst forth from his lips that he has no more
strength. Only then did the Rosh Yeshiva break his fast.
(This story appears in the hesped of HaRav Heisler,
who accompanied the Rosh Yeshiva that day, in greater
detail.)
***
When he would walk in the streets, one could see on his face
expressions of deep thought and concentration and from time
to time he would nod or shake his head, murmuring, "That's
not a svoroh," or "this is the correct svoroh."
More than once he could be found sitting for four or five
consecutive hours thinking through a svoroh.
***
Neki Chapayim
When the Rosh Yeshiva, zt"l, was a young boy learning
in Slutsk in R' Isser Zalman Meltzer's yeshiva, the famous
dayan of Brisk, HaRav Simchah Zelig Riger zt"l,
sent his son to learn in the same yeshiva. Since the boy
needed help with his learning, his father asked Reb Isser
Zalman to appoint a bochur who was a talmid
chochom to study together with him and he, the father,
would pay.
R' Isser Zalman sought out the best bochur for the job
and asked his nephew Reb Elozor Menachem to learn with the
son of the dayan. At the same time, he knew he was
doing his nephew a favor, the boy was truly destitute at the
time.
The Rosh Yeshiva zt"l agreed to do as his uncle asked
him and he learned with the son of the dayan.
After a month, R' Isser Zalman went to deliver the money R'
Simcha Zelig had sent to his nephew. The latter, however,
refused to accept a penny, his explanation being that the
whole deal was ". . . a mekach to'us. I was told that
the bochur needs help in his studies, but I've seen
that he learns well and doesn't really need my help." Thus he
argued that payment here was incorrect and he refused to
accept the money as charity.
R' Isser Zalman was at a loss and decided to ask the advice
of his son-in-law, R' Aaron Kotler, zt"l. Surely R'
Aaron's sharpness would find a way to resolve the matter and
see to it that the Rosh Yeshiva, zt"l, would not
refuse to take the money he had earned.
Reb Aaron instantly came up with a brilliant solution. The
whole sofek is whether the boy needs help in his
learning or not. Give him a test on a difficult
Tosafos in Shas which he should study for on
his own. If he doesn't do well it's a sure sign that he needs
help and Rav Shach will agree to teach him for payment.
The son of the dayan himself later related that he had
no idea what R' Aaron was trying to achieve and when he was
given the Tosafos to learn for a test, he threw all
his strength into learning it well. After much toil and
effort he grasped the material and when he was tested he did
very well.
When the Rosh Yeshiva, zt"l, heard the results of the
boy's exam, he was delighted that here was the rai'oh
that he may not accept the money.
***
Rabbi Meir Heisler, shlita, relates that in 5731 when
the Rosh Yeshiva was ill in the hospital, he was there
together with the family when the doctor came in. The family
began to ask his advice as to the Rosh Yeshiva's condition
and treatment and obviously the doctors listened and weighed
up carefully the options, standing before Rav Shach with
yiras hakovod.
In the middle of the conversation Rav Shach asked his family
what they were discussing with the doctor. When he was told
that they were considering how to treat him, he announced, "I
do not want you to treat me with preference over my neighbor
in the next bed, an elderly Yemenite man. What will be with
him, will be with me, and anyway," continued the Rosh
Yeshiva, "I think it is gezel for the doctor to give
me more attention than any other patient. He is paid to treat
all patients in the hospital without taking time from one for
the sake of another."
***
R' Meir Zvi Bergman, shlita, son-in-law of HaRav Shach
and Rosh Yeshivas Rashbi, claimed that his father-in-law
never gave him an approbation for his yeshiva, saying he
could not use his status for the sake of his family.
The Rosh Yeshiva was once told that there was a teaching
vacancy in Chinuch Atzmai and he could put a word in for his
granddaughter so she could receive the job. The Rosh Yeshiva
shuddered at the thought. "Do you think I would use my work
in Chinuch Atzmai as a tool to gain positions for my family?
Never!"
***
A close talmid of his came to the Rosh Yeshiva with a
sefer he had published. Thumbing through the pages,
Maran noticed dedications to those who had donated money
towards the printing of the sefer.
The Rosh Yeshiva said sharply, "When I printed my sefer
Avi Ezri, I took no donations. Instead I printed just a
few, sold them and then printed some more."
Seeing the face of his talmid fall, he then added
softly, "On the other hand, my uncle, R' Isser Zalman did
take money from others for his seforim."
