Wisdom & Wit

Wisdom & Wit - Parashat Vayikra

When R’ Moshe of Biala visited a certain city, the chassidim of the city wanted to make a big party in his honor. R’ Moshe, however, categoric- ally refused this honor. When he was asked why he was so opposed to the idea, he explained:

“After I die, they will ask me in Heaven why I accepted all the honors I received, when I was clearly not worthy of them. I will that as I was impoverished and had to earn a living, I accepted the call to be the Rebbe of Biala. That position requires that I receive certain honors, as befitting the rabbi of a community. They will accept that reason in heaven and agree that I had no choice but to accept the honors due to the Rebbe of Biala.

“However,” they will argue with me, “what right, then, did you have to accept honors from any other community, where your livelihood was not at stake?”

“For that,” the Rebbe said, “I would have no answer, so I would rather not accept any offers from others for honors.”

~~~

When a fire broke out in Radin, everyone tried to salvage whatever they could from their homes. When the Chafetz Chayim was warned that the fire was approaching his home, he stood in thought for a while. Finally, he climbed up on a chair and retrieved a clock high up on a shelf. When he was later asked why he had hesitated before taking anything out, and why it was just this item he had taken, he explained that he had needed time to think about whether there was anything which had been entrusted to him for safekeeping. He then remember that a yeshiva student had left him a clock to look after, and so he had to make sure to bring out the clock.

While others worried about saving their own possessions, the Chafetz Chayim was concerned about fulfilling his duties as an unpaid watchman over an item left in his care.

Shmuel Himelstein’s Words of Wisdom, Words of Wit; A Touch of Wisdom, A Touch of Wit; and “Wisdom and Wit” available at your local Jewish bookstore

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