Stories Of Greatness

A fascinating story about how one can become enriched from following the minhag to eat fruit on Tu BiSh’vat was told by an Israeli Jew after a trip he took to France. The man would often fly on business to various cities, and on one occasion, he found himself in Paris in mid-February. He went to daven in a nearby synagogue, and it was there that he learned that that very day was Tu BiSh’vat. He had a flight back to Israel to catch later in the day, so he quickly hurried out to the local fruit market and purchased some fruit to take along on his flight. The fruit seller was a religious Jew and when he noticed the man picking up some of the most exotic and expensive items, he felt compelled to ask: “Tell me, sir, why are you buying so much fruit – and such an exotic selection – just to take back to Israel? Aren’t there many exotic fruits in the Holy Land?”

The following story is about a young boy who understands the meaning of nosei b’ol chaveiro – “shouldering the burden of a fellow Jew.” What is truly inspiring is how this boy did what he did and who he did it for.

The Jewish People are the only people in history to predicate their survival on education. The most sacred duty of parents is to teach their children. Judaism is a religion whose heroes are teachers and whose passion is study. The Egyptians built pyramids. The Romans built the Coliseum. Jews built schools. That is why we alone, of all the civilizations of the ancient world, are still alive and strong, still continuing our ancestors’ vocation, our heritage intact and undiminished. In this parshah, Moshe Rabbeinu speaks of the duty of parents to educate their children. We should encourage our children to ask questions, so that the transmission of the Jewish heritage would be not a matter of rote learning but of active dialogue between parents and children.

Concern for others and the fear of hurting another individual’s feelings were trademark qualities of the Rosh Yeshivah of Chevron, R’ Simcha Zissel Broide zt”l. He embodied the attributes of Yosef HaTzaddik who was a “king who ruled the regiment” of his limbs and emotions and made them do the will of Hashem. It wasn’t just the way he acted with respect to his peers, fellow Roshei Yeshivos and other honorable people in all walks of society. R’ Simcha Zissel remained exactly the same in relation to his talmidim in the yeshivah as well.

A successful merchant came before the Sanzer Rav, Rav Chaim Halberstam zt”l, with a complaint. For years, his store had been bustling with customers and he did quite well in business. Now, however, another Jew came along and opened a competing business right near his. The competitor sold new, fashionable merchandise at lower prices, and literally took over the market. Now, his store is practically empty, and his source of livelihood is shattered.

At a wedding, Rabbi Yisrael Gettinger, Rav of Congregation Bnei Torah of Indianapolis, related the following story to Rabbi Hillel Goldberg. Between dances, he leaned over the salad and asked, “Do you follow football? Let me tell you a story.”