#395 (s5765-38/ 1 Sivan 5765)

A Significant Bar Mitzvah Speech

"Whoever answers these three questions," the Shelah had stipulated, "should be appointed the chief Rabbi."


A Significant Bar Mitzvah Speech

The Jewish community of Frankfurt was in mourning for their beloved Rabbi. With the passing of Rabbi Yeshayahu Halevi Horowitz (known as the Shelah, after the initials of his book Shnei Luchot Habrit), the residents of the city were as bereft as orphans.

The old Rabbi had no heir, but he hadn't left his flock entirely without recourse. A few days before he died he had called the Jewish leaders together and instructed them on finding a replacement. The potential candidate would have to pass a test consisting of three complicated and difficult questions, involving very deep Torah concepts. "Whoever answers these questions," the Shelah had stipulated, "should be appointed the chief Rabbi of Frankfurt."

The search began after the funeral. A delegation was chosen of three of the most distinguished leaders of the community, and they set out to find their candidate. As a major Jewish center, Frankfurt required a very special personage; only a scholar with the highest level of piety and erudition would do.

The first city the delegation arrived at was Cracow, which boasted many Torah scholars. Surely it wouldn't be too difficult to find someone there who could answer the three questions.

On the day they arrived they learned that a great celebration would be taking place later that evening. The son of one of the wealthiest Jews in Cracow was becoming Bar Mitzva, and the entire community was invited. The members of the delegation from Frankfurt were also invited to attend.

In the middle of the festivities the Bar Mitzva boy stood up to deliver a speech, as is customary. The hall fell silent as everyone listened attentively.

The boy's sermon was very deep, revealing an unusual mastership of Torah knowledge and proficiency. It was, in short, the most impressive Bar Mitzva speech that anyone had ever heard. The boy began by postulating three difficult problems; when the members of the delegation realized that they were the same three questions the Shelah had raised, they looked at one another in amazement. They could hardly believe it when the boy proceeded to answer them skillfully one by one.

All of the guests were impressed, but the members of the delegation could barely contain their excitement. Clearly, the hand of G-d had steered them in the right direction. All they had to do was find the tutor who had prepared the boy for his Bar Mitzva; whoever he was, it was obvious that he must serve as the next Rav of Frankfurt. They thanked G-d for having led them to a suitable candidate so quickly.

Indeed, it wasn't difficult to locate the boy's teacher. As they learned from the boy's father, his name was Yosef Shmuel.

They found R. Yosef Shmuel in a corner of the study hall surrounded by little boys. The melamed was dressed simply and rather poorly, but they didn't hesitate to approach him.

"We'd like to speak to you about an urgent matter," they said, but the tutor was busy. "Not now," he replied. "I am an employee, and it wouldn't be right to shirk my duties." R. Yosef Shmuel resumed his teaching.

If anything, the melamed's answer made the members of the delegation even more hopeful. This was obviously a man of ethics, G-d-fearing and devoted to his job. They agreed to speak with him later that day.

When they came back they got quickly to the point. They told him about the passing of the Shelah, and the three questions he had established as a test for his successor. "So now you're going to be our Rabbi!" they concluded.

They were shocked, however, when Reb Yosef Shmuel declined their offer most adamantly. He wasn't looking for honor or glory, he explained, and he already had a job as a teacher of Torah from which he derived great satisfaction. Politely but firmly he turned them down. All their pleas fell on deaf ears. They begged and implored the melamed, and even promised him an impressive salary, but to no avail. R. Yosef Shmuel could not be budged.

The members of the delegation prepared to leave Cracow, dejected and forlorn. Who knew if they would be able find another qualified candidate? They had just left the outskirts of the city when their carriage broke down, and for several hours they had no choice but to sit by the side of the road until it was repaired. All of a sudden a messenger caught up with them; he had come directly from R. Yosef Shmuel on a special mission.

The messenger revealed that the tutor had suddenly taken ill, and seemingly overnight had arrived at death's door. Indeed, the doctor who was summoned asserted that he had no more than a few days left to live. When R. Yosef Shmuel heard his pronouncement he had cried out, "Master of the Universe! If You really want me to serve as the Rabbi of Frankfurt, I'll do it!"

No sooner had he uttered these words than the mysterious illness began to dissipate. A messenger was immediately dispatched to intercept the delegation from Frankfurt and inform them of his decision.

The joy of the Jewish community of Frankfurt knew no bounds. Divine Providence had clearly demonstrated that R. Yosef Shmuel was meant to be their leader, and he was formally appointed chief rabbi of the city a short time later. And everyone marveled at the prophetic vision of the Shelah, who had provided his flock with such a worthy successor.
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[Adapted by Yrachmiel Tilles from the rendition on www.lchaimweekly.org (#607).]

Biographical note:
Rabbi Yeshayahu Halevi Horowitz (1560-1630) was born in Prague, where he served as chief rabbi for many years. In his later years he moved to Israel and became the chief rabbi of Jerusalem. He is best known as the author of Shnei Luchot HaBrit, a work of commentary and halacha, and is usually referred to as "the SHeLaH", the acronym of its title. His burial place in Tiberias, only a few meters from the tomb of the Rambam, is a popular pilgrimage site, especially on Erev Rosh Chodesh Sivan, which he himself recommended as a propitious time for saying the special prayer for success in educating one's children that he composed.


You can get the Hebrew prayer at http://www.tefillos.com/tefillas_hasheloh.asp> or download a PDF of the Artscroll Hebrew/English edition at <http://www.artscroll.com/itehillim.html#parentsprayer>


Yrachmiel Tilles is co-founder and associate director of Ascent-of-Safed, and editor of Ascent Quarterly and the AscentOfSafed.com and KabbalaOnline.org websites. He has hundreds of published stories to his credit.

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