Tzipora Pruskin sat by the table, her eyes brimming with
tears. "The doctor was here, but he couldn't find anything
wrong. He couldn't help our son," she sobbed bitterly.
R' Pesach Pruskin stood by the window and tried to console
his wife. "Don't worry! Hashem will help!"
But Tzipora was not reassured. "The doctor said we need a
miracle . . . He said that only prayers could help the
boy."
R' Pesach looked out of the window. It was dark outside. "I
am going off to shul to pray for him. Let me know if
there is any change."
The shul was empty and the lit lamp cast a circle of
pale light around his stender. Tearfully, he kept reciting
Tehillim, chapter after chapter. Hours later, his
older son entered.
"How is he?" inquired R' Pesach.
"Much the same," answered the boy, taking his place by an
adjacent stender. He opened up a Tehillim and joined
his father.
At dawn, the regular worshippers of the daybreak vosikin
minyan arrived. The young Pruskin son was sent home to
inquire about his sick brother. He soon came back with the
sad news, "No change." R' Pesach now turned to the small
crowd and exclaimed heatedly, "I hereby vow that I shall
dedicate my life to Torah study so that my son recover and be
well again!" All those present offered R' Pesach their
fervent wishes for his son's speedy recovery.
The early minyan soon dispersed and R' Pesach returned
home, expecting — together with his wife and family
— a miracle to happen. It did, eventually, but the
process was slow. The boy finally recovered and returned to
cheider as if nothing had happened.
R' Pesach Pruskin did not forget his vow. He applied himself
to Torah study with diligence. After some time, he was
approached by the Rosh Yeshiva in Slutzk, where he had
learned as a young boy, to serve as mashgiach. The
entire family moved from Laishin to Slutzk.
The new job entailed many technical responsibilities and was
time-consuming. R' Pesach was afraid that he was not
fulfilling his vow properly. And so off he went to the nearby
town of Brisk to ask a halchic question of Hagaon R' Chaim
Soloveitchik zt'l. "Am I fulfilling my vow? It seems
that I am spending too much time doing my duties with the
young boys rather than studying on my own."
The eminent R' Chaim answered, "Your days should be devoted
for those important duties as mashgiach in the
yeshiva, while your nights are for learning."
R' Pesach did as he was bid and began studying at night and
discharging his other duties during the day. The yeshiva in
Slutzk grew larger and many young students joined. Among them
were great lamdonim. Suddenly, R' Pesach felt that his
Torah knowledge was insufficient. He tried hard to intensify
his learning but continued to feel, nonetheless, that he was
lagging behind those geniuses.
One evening, he felt particularly depressed. He was sitting
by his gemora but all he could understand was the
superficial explanations of the written words. He began
crying bitterly; he so yearned for a deeper understanding.
Suddenly, he felt a change in his surroundings. Great lights
illuminated from all sides. In this dream-vision, he was told
that his prayers were answered and that from now on, his
understanding would be deeper.
He awoke feeling elated. He turned back to his gemora
and suddenly, everything was much clearer than ever before.
From that time on, he became admired by all those around him
for his great knowledge and depth. Eventually, he opened a
yeshiva of his own in Shklov.
His fame as a lamdan spread and many flocked to his
yeshiva, but then, World War I broke out and the yeshiva had
to disperse. They all escaped to Russia, where he
reestablished the yeshiva. R' Moshe Feinstein ztzvk'l
was among his illustrious students. But when the Bolsheviks
came into power, everyone had to flee again, this time to
Poland, where the yeshiva was reestablished.
R' Pesach became the rabbi of Kobrin, and in addition to
heading his yeshiva, he was also very involved in
hatzola work, helping refugees who escaped from
Communist Russia.
Throughout the years of wandering, Tzipora kept encouraging
her husband. Truly, she was the woman behind the simple
worker who became mashgiach, Rosh Yeshiva, and
eventually, the renowned rabbi of Kobrin. At her funeral, he
emphasized that she had been his source of inspiration and
support in his steps forward. "My Torah and your Torah," he
declared to his disciples and townspeople, "are all thanks to
her encouragement."
R' Pesach Pruskin died shortly after. Both were fortunate to
escape the terrible experiences of World War II.
