While I was learning in Yeshivas Knesses Yisroel in Kovno, I
had the enormous merit of spending a winter with Rav Naftoli
Amsterdam. To be in his company was a rare and precious
experience. Because he was so immersed [in Torah study] he
refrained from all mundane conversation and the only
opportunity to benefit from his advice and counsel in
religious matters was while he went from his house to the
Beis Hamussar.
Rav Naftoli Amsterdam allowed one day in the year to be an
exception — Purim, which he would spend drinking,
interspersing his drinks with comments and stories about his
great teacher [Rav Yisroel Salanter] and colleagues. That was
when we yeshiva students were allowed to spend unlimited time
in his pleasant and fascinating company.
At one point, between drinks, he was lavishing praises on Rav
Yisroel's Salanter's great talmidim. He mentioned the
praises that Rav Yisroel bestowed upon them: "Reb Yitzchok
[Blazer] is a scholar; Reb Simcha Zissel is wise . . ." but
said nothing whatsoever of what Rav Yisroel had said about
him. I was lightheaded from having drunk too much and dared
to ask him, in a Purimdike way, "And what did your
rebbe say about you?"
Rav Naftoli fixed me with a look of astonishment and
remarked, "Do you imagine that even on Purim one is allowed
to poke fun at an old man? I am utterly ashamed that those
great men thought of me as being one of them simply because I
stood next to them during our great teacher's talks. They
were certainly very nice to me, but who knows better than I
that it was out of pity on an ordinary fellow like myself who
didn't measure up to their ankles . . ."
With Purimdike brazenness I pressed on, "But your
name, Reb Naftoli, is well known throughout the city. And in
the whole region and everyone longs to see you."
Rav Naftoli did not become angry and answered with modest
charm, "It's all to give honor to my teacher; people
mistakenly consider me a talmid of Rav Yisroel. The
cause of the publicity is my modest wife, who bakes beautiful
challos in honor of Shabbos. All the women praise her
wonderful work and thereby come to praise her and she, as is
her way, praises me to them, despite the fact that I have no
part in all the honor and publicity and am undeserving of it
. . ."
When the sun set and the first stars were visible in the sky,
Rav Naftoli Amsterdam rose from his chair. The effects of his
drinking vanished in an instant and he became another person.
He said, "Rabbosai, Purim has ended; it's time to
serve Hashem. We must clear our heads after all the drinking
and daven ma'ariv in fear and awe. We must also learn
with increased application in order to make up what we missed
of our regular learning because of Purim."
Rav Naftoli Amsterdam would divide up his time precisely and
would meticulously plan what he would be learning every day,
in every hour and at every moment. Come what may, nothing
caused him to deviate so much as a hairsbreadth from his
plan.
Following ma'ariv, a beaming Rav Naftoli parted from
us with thanks for sitting with him and making merry. He
moved his shtender to his regular learning spot and
immersed himself deeply in learning, all excitement and high
spirits, with intense application.
We stood rooted to the spot, beside ourselves at this great
spectacle of strength of character and at the strength of
will that the frail, elderly figure before us was able to
muster. His instantaneous switch from the gaiety and
lightheartedness of Purim to the holiness and solemnity of
Torah study and prayer had an aura of heroism — the
triumph of the human spirit over coarse materialism that
fades into insignificance in the face of spiritual
arousal.
What is a lion's strength, what is a rock's hardness, before
a man who studies Torah and serves Hashem?
It was clear to us spectators how he was able to draw on such
powerful resources — from Rav Yisroel's mussar
teachings.
(From Seridei Eish, Part IV)
