Memories
When the Gaon, Rav Yechezkel Abramsky, z’tl, served as the Av Beis Din in London, a Jew once approached him, and requested that he officiate as the Rav at his wedding. However, this Jew had never had a bris, and refused to undergo one, and consequently, Rav Abramsky refused to marry him. The Jew then turned around and complained to the Queen of England.
The Queen summoned Rav Abramsky, and Rav Abramsky arrived at the palace with a Rambam in his hands. He showed the Queen what was written in the Rambam and explained to her in a way that she was able to understand that it was forbidden for him to officiate a marriage with someone who was uncircumcised. The Queen understood and gave her agreement that he would be not forced to marry him.
Generations earlier, a similar story occurred, with a different outcome. In the time of the Noda B’Yehuda, a Kohen demanded that the Noda B’Yehuda marry him to a divorcee. When the Noda B’Yehuda refused, the Kohen informed on him to the Queen of Austria. The Queen decreed that the Noda B’Yehuda must marry this man.

The Noda B’Yehuda informed the Kohen that he was prepared to arrange Kiddushim for him. The man made all the arrangements for the wedding, and when the time came, stood under the chuppah with the divorcee.

At the time of the Kiddushim, when it was time for the chassan to say, ‘You are mekudashes to me’, the Noda B’Yehuda told the chassan to repeat after him word by word, ‘You are mekudashes to me like the law of the Queen Maria Theresa’. Everyone present began laughing hysterically and gradually dispersed, leaving the Kohen and divorcee alone. Everyone realized the chachmah of the Noda B’Yehuda, who avoided marrying the man according to halacha, but made it impossible for him to complain to the Queen again. After all, he had been married according to her law! The man was publicly humiliated, and Hashem’s will had been publicly upheld. (Barchi Nafshi)

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Rav Binyamin Stern, a resident of Yerushalayim, drives every Friday to several hospitals to distribute food for Shabbos to patients and their families. His wife’s encouragement allows him to fulfill this important mitzvah every week. It means that she cannot rely on his help with the children or Shabbos preparations, but she willingly manages by herself each week, aware of the importance of the chessed her husband performs.

On Erev Pesach, the Stern house was hustling and bustling, like every other frum household on Erev Pesach. R’ Stern was out making his rounds to the hospitals as he did every erev Shabbos and Yom Tov. Mrs. Stern was working in the kitchen when the phone rang. It was a friend, calling to wish her a good Yom Tov. They began talking, and in the course of the conversation, Mrs. Stern’s friend realized that R’ Stern was out distributing food to the hospitals. She was aghast. She began to rant and rave in a loud voice about how people only know how to do chessed on the cheshbon of their households. How could they leave their house on such a pressured day to do chessed for others? Were patients in the hospitals more important than their own families? She went on and on…

Mrs. Stern tried to mitigate how busy her household was. She said that it wasn’t so terrible — she had older children who helped out. Her husband performed his chessed with her full agreement. They had already adjusted to it — it wasn’t the first year that he was out on Erev Pesach. However, her friend would not concede and finished the conversation with a clear “psak din”. “You don’t need to do this, it’s not a mitzvah at all, and this is not called for.”

Motzei Chag — the Stern family had just made havdalah after an inspiring Yom Tov. They counted the Omer, and just then the phone rang. It was Mrs. Stern’s “friend” calling again. “You have no idea,” she said with a trembling voice. “You have no idea what we went through in the past twenty four hours. It was an hour after we spoke, and my son suddenly fell and fainted. We rushed in a panic to the hospital. My husband and I ended up spending the Seder night at the hospital. In our panic, we neglected to take anything to eat with us. We had no idea what we would do for the Seder. And then they came — your husband and his friends, with the food for a proper Seder – matzah, wine, meat and fish, and everything else. I’m calling from the hospital, before our release in another hour, to request your forgiveness…” (Niflosav Livnei Adam)

This week’s Torah is B’Zchus: Shmuel Simcha ben Tziporah Miriam, and Yechiel ben Sima Esther, who were involved in a serious car accident when returning to camp after the siyum Hashas.
Distributed by the Chevre Marbitz Torah D’NMB

Created By Rov Allen Sherman