Published March 04, 2010
When R’ Simchah Zissel of Kelm was very old, he had great difficulty walking. Once, after he had walked quite a distance from home, he asked the young man accompanying him to come back with him to his home. “Rebbe,” said the young man, “I know it’s difficult for you to walk back. Let me go back to the house for you and fetch whatever you need. You can wait for me here.” R’ Simchah Zissell, though, insisted in walking back with him.
When he came home, he went over to his wife and apologized to her profusely, because - unlike his usual practice on leaving his home - this time he had forgotten to say goodbye to her.
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“Rebbe,” said a wealthy man to R’ Hillel of Radoshitz, “I have no problems with poor people who come begging for alms, but I can’t stand those who come with chutzpah, and demand that they be given a donation.”
“I too can’t stand chutzpah,” replied R’ Hillel, “but with a difference. If I ask money from a wealthy man, who realizes that he was entrusted with his money by Hashem but is simply too miserly to give, I can tolerate that. I can’t stand a wealthy man who has the chutzpah to think that whatever money he has belongs to him, and it is his prerogative whether to give tzedaka or not.”
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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