[RBS] An Anecdote with a Powerful Middot Message, from the Shavuot, 5770, Shiur of Rav Chaim Soloveichik from RBS-Alef

[Catriel Lev]

In my opinion, the most moving anecdote, including a powerful message for this time of year when we are attempting to correct our Middot (character traits), in Rav Chaim Soloveichik's Shiur from Shavuot was the story which he told of being at a Simchah in America with his father, Rav Aharon Soloveichik, Zecher Tzaddik LiVrachah.


Rav Chaim told how they were eating delicatessen at the Simchah, when he happened to ask who supervised the Kashrut of the delicatessen. When the host mentioned the name of the person who supervised the Kashrut of the delicatessen, Rav Aharon Soloveichik put down his fork and said that he could not eat this delicatessen, though he assured everyone that it was kosher and technically permissible to eat.


It turned out that Rav Aharon could not bring himself to eat the delicatessen because he knew of a terrible blemish in the Middot (character traits) of the person who supervised its Kashrut, a serious flaw in his fulfillment of Mitzvot Ben Adam LaChavero (Torah commandments relating to the proper treatment of one's fellow man). In a manner very similar to the Talmudic description of a Chasid Shoteh (despicably foolish "righteous person"), this Kashrut supervisor had instructed his congregation that if they are near an immodestly dressed woman who slips on the ice, they should not help her get up!


Rav Aharon Soloveichik was such a great Tzaddik that his moral standards affected him to such a degree that he could not even bring himself to eat meat supervised by a person who could issue such a ruling!


Wishing a Gmar Tov (Pitkah Tovah) to all,

כתריאל לב
רמת בית שמש
טלפון: 02-9914332
טל' נייד: 050-205-7867
Catriel Lev
Ramat Bet Shemesh, Israel
Telephone: 972-2-991-4332
Mobile Phone: 972-50-205-7867