Memories
A famous philanthropist once traveled to Bnei Brak to visit the headquarters of the organization Ezra Lemarpeh, the organization which aids countless Jews in need of medical help, advice and referrals. The philanthropist met with Rav Elimelech Firer, the renowned director of Ezra Lemarpeh. After their meeting, the two of them decided to travel to Yerushalayim to daven by the Kosel.
They arrived after midnight. As they approached the Kosel, they heard the sound of sobbing coming from the plaza in front of the Kosel. As they got closer, they saw a middle-aged Jew standing and leaning his head on the stones, crying unceasingly.
When Rav Firer heard the sound of crying, he was unable to return to his routine, even while he was in the company of one of the greatest philanthropists. He turned to the philanthropist and said, “Hashem didn’t arrange that we would be here at this time for no reason, but in order to hear the tears of this Jew, and help him out. Let’s make a deal. I’ll approach him and introduce myself and if he needs medical advice, I will aid him to the best of my ability. However, if he tells me that he is not in need of medical advice, but in need of financial help, you will enter the picture, and offer your financial help.” The philanthropist agreed to the “deal”.
Rav Firer approached the man, tapped lightly on his shoulder, and introduced himself and inquired whether he was in need of medical advice. The man replied, “No, no, I have no need for such help. Everything is fine, Boruch Hashem.”
Rav Firer walked away and told the philanthropist that it was now time for him to enter the picture. The philanthropist approached the man and gently inquired whether he needed financial help. This time the answer was also negative. “Hakodash Boruch Hu has given me everything I need, and I’m not in need of anything,” he answered.
The philanthropist reported back to Rav Firer and Rav Firer was confused. If everything was fine, why was he crying so loudly, with so much emotion? He decided to approach the man once again and clarify the matter.
“I’ll tell you in one sentence why I’m crying,” said the man. “Last night, I married off my youngest son, the last of the twelve children Hashem has given me. I came tonight to thank Him, the Creator of the world, on the great kindness He has shown me for so many years until I was zocheh to bring my last child under the chuppah.”
The man explained that just as he had come to the Kosel over the years to plead to Hashem to help him marry off his children, now that all his tefillos had been answered, he had come especially to the Kosel to thank Him. The man concluded his thoughts by saying, “And is it possible to thank Hashem and praise Him for such great kindness without bursting into tears?!” (Barchi Nafshi)
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Hagaon Rav Aharon Kotler told over a story about his father’s mesirus nefesh for Torah. His father was a fur merchant in Lita. At a certain period, his business dwindled, and it reached a point where his family was lacking food to sustain themselves.
Every day after Shacharis, his father would learn for two hours, and was mapkid on this learning period his entire life. One day, a wealthy merchant knocked on the door of the Kotler family, and informed them that he would like to buy a sizable amount of furs. However, it was now the set learning time of R’ Kotler. His wife knocked on the door of his room, once, twice, and three times, and urged her husband to utilize this opportunity for his business.
R’ Kotler answered from behind the door, “Go tell him that if he’s willing to wait until I finish my learning, good! If not – he should go in peace. A person’s mezonos is set from Rosh Hashana until Rosh Hashana. If it was decreed that I will sell the merchandise, I’ll find a buyer!” Rav Aharon concluded his story, “My father’s wondrous mesiras nefesh for Torah instilled in us the emunah peshutah, ‘When you learn Torah, you never lose out!’ All of my mesiras nefesh for Torah — I acquired from him!” (Tuvcha Yabiyu)

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