Memories
An avreich who lives in a city in Israel with a mostly secular population used to build his succah every year on his small porch. It was not accepted in his city to build a succah in the street, and the grass surrounding the apartment was jointly owned by all the neighbors, who were opposed to building a succah there. The avreich’s family had grown over the years however, and his small porch was not large enough to accommodate a succah of the size he now needed. He decided to expand his porch.
In order to expand his porch, the avreich needed the agreement of all of the neighbors in his building. All of the neighbors agreed except for one. This neighbor had heard that the porch expansion was for the purpose of building a succah, and he claimed that it would bother him. The avreich pleaded with him, but the neighbor remained adamant in his refusal. The avreich continued to plead with him, and even offered him a large sum of money if he would agree, but to no avail. The avreich changed his tactics and tried to convince his neighbor to agree by telling him it would be worthwhile for him because he would then have a portion in the mitzvah of succah. This reasoning did not persuade him either.
The one who finally convinced the neighbor to change his mind was his wife, who apparently was more connected to shemiras hamitzvos than her husband. She had heard the neighbor telling her husband that he would have a share in the mitzvah of succah, and she convinced her husband that it would worthwhile for him to have a share in this mitzvah. She managed to convince him, and he finally agreed to the neighbor’s wishes. The avreich was so excited when he heard that his neighbor had agreed that he brought drinks and cake to his neighbor’s house, and made a “kiddush”. At the same time, he received his neighbor’s signature on his agreement to the building of the succah.
In time, the avreich reasoned that since his neighbor had agreed to fulfill this mitzvah, it was a propitious time to propose another mitzvah, since mitzvah gorreres mitzvah. He suggested that his neighbor lay tefillin and read Kriyas Shema every day. Surprisingly, the neighbor agreed to this too. However, since he was over seventy years old, and he had never put on tefillin, he requested that the avreich would come to him every morning and lay the tefillin for him.
The next day, the avreich came to the neighbor’s house, and lay the tefillin on him. He then showed him where Kriyas Shema was in the siddur, and he left the room so his neighbor could daven in privacy. The day after, the avreich didn’t hear from the neighbor even though the neighbor had promised to call. Eventually the avreich called his house only to hear bad news. The neighbor’s wife told the avreich that the previous day her husband had recited Kriyas Shema with great emotion and tears for an extended period of time. Immediately after he finished reading the Shema, he was niftar – after fulfilling these two mitzvos. His wife said to the avreich with great emotion, “Look what you caused. All you did was request his permission to build a succah , and when he agreed you prompted him to fulfill two more vital mitzvos which he fulfilled with great devaikus, and he was then niftar from the world as a baal teshuvah! How can we ever thank you?” (Barchi Nafshi)
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Every Rosh Chodesh, the Brisker Rav would distribute a stipend to the avreichim in his yeshivah. At times he didn’t have the money available and he would borrow the money to distribute the stipend. One month, he had been unsuccessful in acquiring the required amount of money, and he consulted with one his relatives about different options of acquiring the money. His relative brought up the idea of seeking a philanthropist who would donate a piece of property to the yeshivah. The Brisker Rav would then use the profits to pay the avreichim in a more reliable fashion. The Brisker Rav responded immediately, “If someone would offer to donate a property worth a million rubles, I wouldn’t accept it. I won’t sell the midah of bitachon for money!” (Rav Shmuel Hominer Shaal Avicha Veyegadcha)

This week is B’Zchus Rav Shraga Thav who has started a new shiur on Hagadata Gemorah entitled “The Great Debates of the Gemorah” every Thursday evening at the Kolel.

Distributed by the Chevra Marbitz Achdus D’NMB

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