929 (s5776-01 / 3 Tishrei 5776)

Good Advice Twice

For the last twelve years of the life, the Tchebiner Rav's health seriously declined, and he was instructed by his doctors to take a rest every afternoon..

Connection: Seasonal--Erev Yom Kippur

Good Advice Twice

1) The Full Hands Dilemna

Someone in distress came to Rabbi Dov-Berisch Weidenfeld, the famed Tchebiner Rav. His children were getting older, some of them weren't healthy, and he couldn't find a shidduch for them. "I don't know what to do anymore," he said to the Tchebiner Rav. He felt lost in his worries.

The Tchebiner Rav replied to him with a story:
"Some years ago, on Erev Yom Kippur [the morning before the Fast], a man was walking in the early dawn to do kaparot [rotating a chicken over one's head while reciting a certain prayer 3 times, then donating the chicken or its monetary worth to the poor]. He held the chicken in one hand, and in his other hand he held his High Holiday prayerbook.

"As he was about to begin, his eyeglasses slid off his nose and fell to the ground. He stood there, perplexed, not knowing what to do. How can he pick up his eyeglasses when both his hands were full? If he put the chicken down, it might run away. He certainly couldn't place the prayerbook on the ground. So he stood there confused, with his hands full and his eyeglasses remaining on the ground."

The listening man was confused. "So what did he do?" he finally asked, when it became clear that the Rav had finished speaking.

"I don't know," the Tchebiner answered, "but of one thing I am certain. He's not standing there anymore!"

With this story, the Tchebiner Rav was telling him, "People sometimes don't know what to do, they feel stuck, helpless, But such situations don't remain static. With time, somehow everything works out. The problems of today may not be there in the future."

[Source: Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from toirahwellsprings@gmail.com.
(Torah Wellsprings: collected thoughts from Rabbi Elimelech Biderman, Shlita. Compiled by Rabbi Boruch Twersky with permission of Machon Be'er Haemunah.]

2) The Pleasure of a Shabbat Nap

During the last twelve years of his life, the health of the elderly Tchebiner Rav, Rabbi Dov-Berisch Weidenfeld, seriously declined. His doctors insisted that he must take a rest every afternoon. On most days, a yeshiva student was assigned to ensure that the Rav was not disturbed during this time.

One Shabbat afternoon, the Rav lay down to rest, and for some reason the yeshiva student assigned that day was not on duty. Within a few minutes there was a knock at the door. A few seconds later the knock became louder and more urgent. The Rav dragged himself up with difficulty and opened the door to find...a nine-year child!

"Are you the Tchebiner Rav?" the young visitor asked.

When he received a positive reply he announced, "My Rebbe in cheder [Torah school for pre-bar mitzvah boys] told me that if I get the Rav to test me on my learning, and gives me a signed note to prove it - I will receive a candy! - Will the Rov please test me?"

The Rav warmly invited the child in, sat him down, and tested him as requested. He also assured him that he was welcome to return after Shabbos for a signed note.

As he escorted the boy out, the Rav gently pointed out to him that in future he should take care not to call at people's homes in the mid-afternoon on Shabbos, as they are likely to be resting.

To child quickly replied. "I know that! I would not normally knock on anyone's door at such a time, but I was sure that the Tchebiner Rav would be engrossed in his Torah learning and surely would not be resting!"

What was the Tchebiner's reaction? He kissed the child on his forehead and thanked him for the rebuke!

And from that day onwards the Tchebiner Rav did not rest anymore on Shabbos afternoon, when he realized that it was perceived by someone as unbecoming of a person of his stature to do so.

[Source: Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from//Revach.net/4788.]
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Biographical note (based on //charedi.org):
Rabbi Dov-Berisch Weidenfeld, [of blessed memory: 5 Shevat 5641 - 10 Mar-cheshvan, 5726 (January 1881-October 1965 BCE)], served as the chief rabbi of Tchebin, Poland, until World War II when he was exiled to Siberia and from there to Bucharest. After the Holocaust, he came to Israel, where he was immediately accepted as one of the Torah giants of the generation. Soon after he re-established his yeshiva, Kochav MiYaakov, in Jerusalem. Three volumes of his great work, Sheilos Uteshuvos Dovev Meishorim, have been published. Many more were lost in the war. (His successor as rosh yeshiva was his son-in-law, Rabbi Boruch-Shimon Schneerson, a noted brilliant scholar and author in his own right -- and a son-after-son descendent of the 3rd Lubavitcher Rebbe.)

Yerachmiel Tilles is co-founder and associate director of Ascent-of-Safed, and chief editor of this website (and of KabbalaOnline.org). He has hundreds of published stories to his credit, and many have been translated into other languages. He tells them live at Ascent nearly every Saturday night.

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