One day, Leibele Kalmanowitz, the son of R' Osher, returned
home from cheder with a note which read, "Tomorrow we
shall begin to study Eilu Metziyos. Please send your
child with a copy of Bova Metzia."
That day, Leibel's mother trudged to the outskirts of the
city where the local seforim store was situated. Hot
tears streaming from her eyes, she told the shopkeeper,
"B'ezras Hashem, my Leibele will begin studying
gemora tomorrow. The rebbe told him to bring a Bova
Metzia to cheder."
While she was stating her request, Leibele's father entered
the store. He, too, had come to purchase a gemora for
his son.
"What are you doing here?" he asked his wife.
"I came to buy our Leibele a gemora," she replied.
"Where did you get money to buy it?"
"I sold the silk kerchief your mother gave me as a wedding
gift. I hope it will be enough."
"And I sold the watch your father gave me," her husband
admitted.
Then and there, an argument erupted between them regarding
who would purchase the gemora. Leibele's mother
claimed that she should buy it since it is written, "...do
not forsake the Torah of your mother." Leibele's father
demanded his rights, however, basing them on the
mishna's statement that the father is obligated to
teach his son Torah.
While the argument escalated, the salesman racked his brain
for a compromise. Suddenly, he had a brainstorm. He would
suggest that the two split the cost!
The parents liked this idea and the argument subsided. Quite
shortly, however, another argument broke out over who would
carry the gemora home. At last they agreed that each
one would grasp one of the handles of the basket in which it
had been placed.
At home, the parents placed the gemora on the table.
In her excitement, Leibele's mother lifted it and began to
weep, wetting its cover. Moments later, his father lifted it
and also began to shed tears, drenching the cover even
more.
So many tears flowed from their eyes on that occasion that
the gemora's cover began to swell.
Leibele's grandson, R' Avrohom Kalmanowitz, related that he
merited to see the distended cover of that precious
gemora.
It doesn't take much effort to perceive the extent of the
kedusha and tahara which prevailed in a home
where parents sacrificed all of their energies, even
possessions, for the sake of their children's pure education
and not for the sake of acquiring another piece of jewelry or
furniture.
