Shabbos Stories for Parshas Nitzavim 5782  

Shabbos Stories for PARSHAS nitzavim 5782  

Volume 13A, Issue 57 – 28 Elul 5782/September 24, 2022  

Printed L’illuy nishmas Nechama bas R’ Noach, a”h  

A Sure Thing  

By David Koppelman  

Rav Chaim of Brisk  

 Rav Chaim of Brisk, known as the Gaon of Brisk, was renowned for his  compassion.  

 One day during the reign of Czar Nicholas II of Russia, a young Jewish man  was arrested and accused of committing a heinous and revolutionary act, punishable  by death. His distraught mother came running to Rav Chaim, crying and imploring  him to use his influence on a high official whom he knew, and intervene on behalf  of her son. Rav Chaim promised to do whatever was in his power to help free the  prisoner. 

 The Gaon discussed this matter with some of his close associates, who begged  him not to get involved. “Don’t endanger your own life by trying to defend this  criminal!” they pleaded.

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 Rav Chaim remained stubborn in his determination. “Let’s examine the  facts,” he said. “Pidyon shebuyim (redeeming captives) is definitely a great  misvah. That is one fact. That this heartbroken mother is suffering terribly is also a  definite fact. But your fears that I might endanger myself by getting involved is only  a hypothesis. The Gemara teaches us (Pesahim 9a) that something which is in doubt  cannot take precedence over the definite. And all the more so when there are two  existing facts…” 

 Rav Chaim succeeded in freeing the youngster. (Glimpses of Greatness)  

Reprinted from the Parashat Re’eh 5782 email of Rabbi David Bibi’s Shabbat  Shalom from Cyberspace.  

The Secrets of Tzadikkim 

Rav Shimon Finkelman relates a  great story. When the Chofetz Chaim  was fifteen years old, he went to the  town of Horodna so that he could learn  from a Tzadik known as Reb  Nachum’ke of Horodna. The Chofetz  Chaim later considered Reb  Nachum’ke his main Rebbe.  

After spending a little time  diligently observing Reb Nachum’ke’s  ways and learning a lot from him, he  came to realize that Reb Nachum’ke  

carefully concealed many of his great  deeds so that others would not  recognize his full greatness. The  Chofetz Chaim understood that  although Reb Nachum’ke was  acclaimed as one of the greatest  Tzadikim of that time, people were  unaware of his true greatness.  

Reb Nachum’ke was the  Shamash of the Chevrah HaShas Shul  in Horodna, and he considered it an  honor to care for the needs of a place 

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that was dedicated to Tefilah and  learning Torah. The Chofetz Chaim  noticed an interesting practice of Reb  Nachum’ke. Every night after  everyone had left the Shul after  Ma’ariv, Reb Nachum’ke would lock  the Shul’s door from the inside, shutter  all the windows, and remain in the  Shul for quite some time.  

A Mystery to the Chofetz Chaim  What Reb Nachum’ke did  during this time was a mystery that the  Chofetz Chaim wanted to solve,  because he desired very much to learn  from the Tzadik’s ways so that he  could improve his own Avodas  Hashem. One night, after Ma’ariv, as  the people filed out of Shul, the  Chofetz Chaim quietly hid behind a  bench in the back of the Shul, being  careful not to make any noise. He  could hear Reb Nachum’ke bolt the  door, and shuttering the windows, as  Reb Nachum’ke went about his nightly  chores in the Bais Medrash, getting it  ready for the next morning.  

Seemingly Nothing  

Out of the Ordinary  

It seemed that he was doing  nothing out of the ordinary, but  Chofetz Chaim was sure that if Reb  Nachum’ke saw it necessary to lock  the Shul during these hours, there must  be a good reason for it, so he continued  to hide quietly behind the bench. At  midnight, Reb Nachum’ke walked  over to the Bimah in the center of the  

Shul, and reached into its bottom  compartment.  

The Chofetz Chaim watched as  Reb Nachum’ke pulled out a box, and  from the bottom of it, he removed a  Sefer on Kabalah. He then lit a candle  and began to learn. Suddenly, a flash  of light appeared. A fire had broken  out! Bright orange flames danced  about in the center of the shul, but Reb  Nachum’ke, engrossed in his Sefer,  did not seem to notice them.  

A Frightening Fire  

It seemed to the Chofetz Chaim  that Reb Nachum’ke would be  engulfed in fire at any second! The  Chofetz Chaim opened his mouth to  shout a warning to Reb Nachum’ke,  when he realized that Reb Nachum’ke  was not actually in any danger. The  Chofetz Chaim comprehended that this  was not a fire that consumed. It was not  an ordinary earthly fire. It was a  Heavenly fire, created by Reb  Nachum’ke’s learning!  

The Chofetz Chaim remained in  his hiding place and watched this  amazing sight. When Rav Baruch Ber  Leibowitz, the Rosh Yeshivah of  Kamenitz, heard this story, he said that  he was amazed that the Chofetz  Chaim, at such a young age, was able  to distinguish between an ordinary fire  and a fire from Shamayim, and this  was more surprising to him than the  fact that Reb Nachum’ke’s Torah  learning could even cause such a fire to  appear! 

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The person who told this story over to Rav Baruch Ber said he heard it directly  from the Chofetz Chaim, but he added that he had more to tell. After hearing this  story from the mouth of the Chofetz Chaim, this very student said to his Rebbi, the  Chofetz Chaim, “Now that I have been privileged to hear this story from the Rebbi,  I would like to relate a similar story in which I was involved.”  

Went Off Alone into the Forest  

He went on to explain that those who were privileged to be close to the  Chofetz Chaim knew that from time to time he went off alone into the forest, and  what he did there, no one ever knew. He described that he recently followed the  Chofetz  

Chaim on one of his visits to the forest, and he explained to his Rebbi that his  intentions in doing this were proper, just as his were when he hid behind the bench  in Reb Nachum’ke’s Shul, and he only desired to absorb whatever he could from his  teacher. He said that he followed the Chofetz Chaim into the woods, and he watched  as the Chofetz Chaim stopped at a clearing in the woods, picked up a stick, and drew  a circle in the dirt.  

The Chofetz Chaim then stepped into the circle, looked up toward Shamayim,  and said, “Ribono Shel Olam! I come before You today with an urgent request, a  valid and important request, which must be granted in full. Hashem, I will not leave  this circle until my Tefilah has been accepted and my request is fulfilled!”  

Left the Circle and Returned Home  

After a few moments, the Chofetz Chaim left the circle and returned home.  The student said to the Chofetz Chaim, “Rebbi, I did not see any fire descend from  Shamayim, or any other sign that the request had been granted. But if the Rebbi went  home, that means that the Rebbi somehow knew that his request had been granted.  How did the Rebbe know?” The Chofetz Chaim did not reply.  

Rav Shimon Finkelman writes that when we speak of a hidden Tzadik, we  usually refer to a Jew who appears to be quite ordinary, but, unknown to most people,  he serves Hashem in a very special way. The Navi tells us (Michah 6:8) that one  who truly desires to be close to Hashem will excel in the Middah of Hatznei’a  Leches, serving Hashem simply for Hashem’s sake, without fanfare, and without a  desire for honor. He will seek to disguise and conceal his great deeds to the best of  his ability, so that they will be known only to Hashem.  

The Chofetz Chaim was a Tzadik who was known around the world, yet, there  were deeds that he concealed during his lifetime from everyone. We can be sure that  there were other deeds which he concealed from everyone, and Reb Nachum’ke did 

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this as well, and these are actions that will never be revealed, and will remain hidden  forever, and this is the most desirable form of Avodas Hashem  

Reprinted from the Parshas Re’eh 5782 email of Rabbi Yehuda Winzelberg’s Torah  U’Tefilah.  

The COVID-19 Informer  

Rabbi Yoel Gold told a story about a couple that was getting married in Israel  right at the start of the pandemic. They decided to make the wedding quickly with  just immediate family before Israel went on lockdown. Only 20 people came to  attend.  

Right after the kedushin, the mishtarah—police showed up, saying they  received an anonymous tip, and demanded that everyone evacuate the venue. They  were afraid coronavirus would be transmitted so the police slapped everyone with a  5,000-shekel fine and sent everyone home, except the bride and groom, who were  required to wait outside against the building in the cold.  

Surrounded by Police with Guns  

Picture it: Tamar—the bride—in her wedding dress, David—the groom—in  his tuxedo, were surrounded by police with guns, shivering from cold. By the time  the police let them go, the wedding was ruined, and the couple was in debt on their  very first day as husband and wife. The couple tried their hardest to stay happy, to  dance, to cheer each other up, to not cry. As much as they knew it was for the best,  they were so disappointed and heartbroken with how the night turned out.  

Seven months later, David got a phone call, and he was visibly upset after  hanging up. His wife asked him, “What’s wrong?” He said, “That was my father. A  young man in kollel contacted him to say that he was the person who gave the police  the tip at the wedding, and he’d like to speak to us.” “Should we go?” Tamar asked.  “I guess so… maybe it will help us come to terms with how our wedding turned  out.”  

Felt a Tremendous Guilt  

They went to meet the boy. He explained to them that COVID-19 had just  emerged in Israel, and he was extremely afraid of the new virus. He heard the music  and assumed it was a big wedding, so he called to tell the police there was a party  going on next door at the hall. Since that night, he felt a tremendous guilt. He was  also in shidduchim and usually got calls with matches. Since the wedding, not 

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one shadchan had called with a date, and when he reached out to matchmakers, he  could not get set up with anyone. He knew he had to apologize to this couple. He  tracked them down and was begging for their forgiveness.  

The newlyweds, so traumatized from the event, told him they needed some  time. After a few days, on Erev Yom Kippur, they decided that even though it was  so hard, they would put it all behind them. They would forgive him. They called  him, and the bochur broke into tears, crying, “I’m so sorry for what I did. Please  forgive me.” The couple was emotional and accepted his sincere apology.  

They went into Yom Kippur feeling so at peace, knowing that they overcame  a huge challenge, and they felt comfortable asking Hashem for forgiveness when  they did the same a few hours earlier.  

A Very Bad Car Accident  

The next day, while David was building the Sukkah, Tamar was driving to  work, and she was in a bad car accident. Three cars plowed into hers. When David  got to the hospital, the doctor walked into Tamar’s room and said, “Your wife must  have G-d watching over her.” The whole car was completely totaled, except for the  driver’s side! Not only that, but the airbag should have deployed on impact, and for  some reason it didn’t. Tamar was newly pregnant and would have lost her child.  

Tamar said, “Hashem must have had a sentence on me. And in His kindness,  He orchestrated this whole situation with the wedding and having to forgive  this yeshivah boy, for us to have the zechut, for me and my son to be saved. When  we forgive Hashem’s children, Hashem forgives us. When we hold grudges, they  weigh us down and they’re very hard for us. And when we forgive, we become  lighter and happier, and we become better people for it.”  

Reprinted from the Parashat Re’eh 5782 email of Jack E. Rahmey based on the  Torah teachings of Rabbi Amram Sananes.  

The Kosher Soldier  

By Rabbi Reuven Semah  

Years ago, there was a city in Lithuania called Kovno. In order to prevent the  desecration of the Jewish cemetery, it was necessary to evacuate the graves and  transfer them to a safe place. The Jewish workers discovered two people buried there  whose bodies were still completely intact. 

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When this occurs, this is a clear sign that the person was very righteous. It was  revealed that one was the Rabbi of Kovno, and the other was known as the “Jewish  soldier,” and on his tombstone was written, “Here lies the kosher Jewish soldier.”  

Their curiosity drove them to find out what was so special about him to have  caused his body to be preserved completely. It was written in the town records that  this soldier served in the gentile army. He refused to eat anything unkosher while  serving in the army, and never ate any food from the army. He subsisted solely on  raw fruits and vegetables.  

One day his fellow soldiers decided that they would force him to become  impure at all costs. They took some hot unkosher soup and tried to force him to eat  it. The holy soldier refused to take it. They continued to force him until he choked  on the soup and died. 

 His sacrifice for the purity of kosher food sanctified his body to such a level  that the body remained whole and perfect. How fortunate we are to have the  opportunity to purify ourselves by eating only the purest of kosher foods. Shabbat  Shalom.  

Reprinted from the Parashat Re’eh 5782 email of Rabbi David Bibi’s Shabbat  Shalom from Cyberspace.  

The Screaming Poor Man  By Rabbi Shmuel Choueka  

A story is told of a Rabbi who used to give out money to poor people every Friday  to help them with their Shabbat expenses. Many people would come to him every  week, and he would always give everyone the same amount of money. One week, a  man came to the Rabbi and asked if he could get twice the amount. The Rabbi  explained sympathetically that he doesn’t give anyone more than the set  amount. The man then began to scream insulting remarks at the Rabbi, after which  he stormed out of the Rabbi’s office. 

 The Rabbi told his attendant, “Quicky, run after him and give him the money he  was asking for.” When the attendant left to catch the man, the other people in the  room asked the Rabbi, “Why would you give him more money after the way he just  disrespected you?” 

The Rabbi said, “I know this man. He has been here many times before and he has  never acted this way. It must be that he is under extreme pressure this week due to  his dire situation and he just lost control. My honor is not important. What matters 

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right now is to get him what he needs in order to help him out of his difficult  situation.” 

Reprinted from the Parashat Re’eh 5782 email of Rabbi David Bibi’s Shabbat  Shalom from Cyberspace.  

The Protection of Charity  

Two families, the Horowitzs and Itzkowitzs, made a shidduch with their  children and the local townspeople coul d hardly wait for the wedding. As the two  wealthiest families in town, this was sure to be an event you didn’t want to miss!  

Two weeks before the wedding, Mr. Horowitz receives an urgent message that  Mr. Itzkowitz’s factory just burned down, and all his money was gone. Now he is  not exactly the richest man in town anymore - to say the least.  

Shocked, Mr. Horowitz didn’t waste a moment and hurried to the Rabbi’s  home. “The wedding is off,” he cried, “If Mr. Itzkowitz can’t pay his share of the  deal, I can’t do such a shidduch!”  

The Rabbi thought for a moment. “Okay, not a problem,” he replied, “but now is  erev Shabbos. Come back after Shabbos and we’ll discuss.” Well, if the Rabbi said  it’s not a problem, then he has nothing to worry about. Shabbos was relaxed.  

Immediately after Shabbos, Mr. Horowitz hurried to the Rabbi’s home  together with Mr. Itzkowitz to discuss the details. After hearing both sides, the Rabbi  declared: “Mr. Horowitz should pay for both sides of the wedding!”  

Mr. Horowitz was stumped. What kind of deal was this? “Yes,” explained the  Rabbi, with a great deal of patience. “You have good luck - your factory didn’t burn  down. Now you should show some gratitude to Hashem that you can afford the  expenses and pay for the entire wedding!”  

The world is a cycle, explains the Kli Yakar. Some people get rich while  others remain poor; and then the tide turns. Money disappears from wealthy families  while the more needy get rich. This is to stand as a constant reminder for us that this  world is only temporary - nothing lasts forever. For this reason, the Torah tells us  that one should give readily to charity and in return, Hashem will bless him and his  children. The tide will keep turning in his benefit.  

Reprinted from the Parshas Re’eh 5782 email of Rabbi Dovid Hoffman’s Toral  Tavlin. 

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The Legendary Reb Chaim  Gelb of Williamsburg  

We all know wonderful baalei tzedakah, charitable, generous people, who  easily part with checks, but refuse to visit or come face-to-face with the poor man,  or the individual who is in need. Empathizing with the indigent provokes feelings of  guilt. Some well-meaning people just do not want to come face-to-face with the  fellow who is in need.  

Giving the check does not exonerate a person from empathizing with his  friend’s plight. He must be nosei b’ol im chaveiro, carrying the yoke with his friend.  See it, feel it, get into it, and then help him. Let him know that someone cares. For  some, receiving a check without meeting/speaking to the benefactor is for some an  experience they would rather forgo.  

A Permanent Fixture at Weddings and in Shuls  

In order to appreciate the following story, one must first have somewhat of an  idea concerning the personality of Reb Chaim Gelb, zl. To those who go back over  fifty years, we remember Reb Chaim as a permanent fixture at weddings and in shuls  all over Williamsburg. 

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Reb Chaim was an immigrant who came to these shores in 1901. From a  spiritual vantage point, America was a disaster. Kashrus and Shabbos had been left  in Europe. The handful of observant Jews was the exception to the rule. The  prospects of a young man growing up observant were bleak. Poverty was rampant,  especially for one who insisted on observing Shabbos. The job market was open only  to one who was willing to work six days a week, with the sixth day being Shabbos  kodesh.  

His Love of Hashem and His People Superseded All Else  

Some remained strongly committed to the religious lifestyle they had  experienced in their European hometown. Reb Chaim Gelb was one of them. He was  a man whose love of Hashem and His people superseded all else. His entire life was  devoted to helping his brothers and sisters, but it was not only Jews whom he helped.  He is vividly remembered as dashing through the snow in sub-zero weather  numerous times to bring fresh cake and hot coffee to shivering firefighters battling  a blaze.  

Others remember him purchasing hot knishes for young yeshivah students  whose parents could not afford even basic staples, let alone delicacies. He felt, and  obviously so, that just because a boy was poor, he should not be deprived of some  of the delicacies enjoyed during recess by his wealthier friends.  

I remember him going from wedding to wedding, collecting bills and coins in  his outstretched yamulka. He then covertly transferred the collected funds to those  in great need. Reb Chaim Gelb’s life was the living embodiment of lovingkindness.  He left this world imparting this legacy to all those who seek an exemplar of how  the mitzvah of chesed should be executed. He taught that empathy can best be  realized when one has a ringside seat to observe the poverty and pain of those whom  he benefits.  

True Chesed is Performed with Empathy  

Veritably, the beneficiary benefits regardless, but true chesed is performed  with empathy, which can only be felt first hand. When the benefactor personally  observes the abject poverty to which some are subjected, he will give with feeling.  He will be helping someone whom he knows, someone who is now family.  

A family on the Lower East Side (Manhattan) was in dire need of assistance.  When Reb Chaim heard of their plight, he immediately went to one of his wealthy  supporters and solicited his help. When he apprised him of the abject poverty that  reigned in their home, the man took out his checkbook and immediately made a  handsome donation. He added, “If this is insufficient, you know my address. I am  always willing to help.” 

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Reb Chaim did not settle for the check alone, “I insist that you come with me to their  house. I want you to see firsthand how they are suffering.” The man gave all kinds  of excuses but when Reb Chaim refused to budge, he went with him. They traveled  by car, the businessman’s car, which probably cost as much as most homes.  

They arrived at the rundown apartment building which this family called  home. The smell that permeated the hallway was overpowering; denizons of various  nationalities lived here, and the odors of their cooking wafted through the air. The  man remarked that the stench was so bad, they should have brought along a gas  mask.  

Building Was Not Equipped with an Elevator  

They walked up a number of flights of stairs, since the building was not  equipped with an elevator. They knocked on the door of the apartment and a young  woman attired in a housecoat that had seen better days greeted them. Reb Chaim  introduced his friend to the woman, who asked them to take a seat. The chairs were  ancient and remnants of different sets of furniture. No two chairs matched.  

They creaked under the guests’ weight, and they felt like they would give out  at any moment. The hostess opened her icebox (prior to refrigerators, and  furthermore, most people couldn’t afford them) to offer them some fruit. Nothing  was in it. The icebox was empty. The woman apologized, “I have not gone shopping  yet today.”  

The truth was that she could not shop without money. Thus, the family simply  starved until they could raise the money for provisions. When the man whispered to  Reb Chaim that he needed to use the facilities, the woman said that the lavatory was  in the hall and shared by all the occupants of that floor. He decided that he would  wait.  

“Mommy, Mommy, We are Starving”  

The children burst through the door, having just come from school, “Mommy,  mommy, we are starving!”  

Their mother replied, “You had breakfast this morning. Why are you hungry?”  As soon as our guests leave, I will go to the store and buy you some goodies.”  The children, aged two to seven, three boys and one girl, said that they would wait  patiently. From the way they expressed themselves, the guests deduced that this was  a nightly interchange. They had no food, because they had no money.  The woman asked Reb Chaim, “What brings you here today?”  

He explained that he just wanted to check up on their welfare.  

“Everything is fine,” she replied. “Only my husband is having great difficulty  finding a job.” 

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The man looked at Reb Chaim and declared, “Fine, I have seen enough. I do  not know how these people live.” He told the woman, “Here is my card. Have your  husband call me, and I will give him a job.”  

She replied, “I am sorry, but we have no phone.”  

“Fine, have your husband come see me. I will take care of him.”  The man located a decent, furnished apartment for the family. The father was  a hard worker and did very well. The visit changed the trajectory of their lives, all  because Reb Chaim understood that seeing a situation up close makes a powerful  impression. By seeing the poverty with his own two eyes, he realized that dismissing  them with a check would never do. Before we give, we must see.  

Reprinted from the Parshas Re’eh 5782 email of Rabbi A.L. Scheinbaum’s Peninim  on the Torah.  

A Father is Always a Father 

The story is told of Rebbe Hershele of Spinka who was a great Admor abroad,  when he danced with the Sefer Torah in the hakafos on Simchas Torah. In the middle  of hakafos, the Rebbe heard a large commotion that developed in the shul. He turned  his head towards the noise and saw that there was indeed a quarrel at the side of the  Bais HaMedrash. On the spot, the Rebbe handed the Sefer Torah to another man 

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who would continue to dance with the Sefer Torah and headed to the area of the  quarrel.  

In the midst of the fight, he saw that his son who was a young man fighting  with an older man, each of them was trying to shout above the other one while all  the men surrounding them were fanning the flames, all of them siding with the older  man.  

Why Didn’t the Rebbe Try to Reconcile the Two Sides?  

The Rebbe intervened on behalf of his young son and told the old man that if  he could not stop, he should leave the Bais HaMedrash. Afterwards, when  everything calmed down and the old man was appeased and everything returned to  peace, they turned to the Rebbe to teach them how it happened that the Rebbe sided  with his son in such an extreme way and did not even try to reconcile them at the  time?  

The Rebbe replied, “I heard the sound of a quarrel, I looked and realized that  everyone had come out against my son, and no one tried to protect him and  understand what was in his heart. At that moment, I decided to take off the mantle  of the rabbinate! I removed the title of Admor from me, I set the hakafos on the side,  and I approached my son to be his father! In a situation like this when everyone was  attacking him, I felt that the child should know that he has a father who supports him  and will be his father, no matter what!!!”  

[Of course, afterwards he was treated properly.} Our teacher, Rav Gamliel,  told the story and said that he once received testimony from a man whose son had  completely gone off the derech and left everything. The same man when he heard  the story was very moved and turned to his son and said, “My son, I want you to  know one thing. I want you to know and take to your heart well, no matter where  you are or what situation you will be in, always remember that in any situation you  may find yourself, I am your father!!! I was your father when you were a baby, and  as a child, and I will always be your father!!!”  

Returned with a Wholehearted Teshuva  

It was not long before the boy returned with wholehearted Teshuva, and he  later said that this sentence had transformed him. How appropriate is this story for  the month of Elul! Hashem, Who is the King of all kings is our Father! And if we  want, then He is able to act as an uncle for us, the main thing is that we get close to  him, and earn a good writing and seal [kesivah v’chasimah tovah].  

Reprinted from the Parshas Shoftim 5782 email of Tiv Hakehila. 

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