The Chazon Ish & The Street Light - Monthly Gedolim Story

As we approached the Yom Tov of Rosh Hashana earlier this week, I had an idea for a new segment on the blog: A monthly story involving any one of the countless Gedolim, not only from our generation but also from the past generations.

For this first month, I am going to share with you a beautiful little story about the great Chazon Ish, HaGaon HaRav Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz zt''l, which I first heard from Rabbi Paysach Krohn.

I hope you enjoy this story and please do let me know if you want more of these new posts every month, as I would love to share some more stories with you.

Happy reading,

Yitzy Schweitzer

The Chazon Ish & The Street Light - Monthly Gedolim Story

When the Chazon Ish first came to Bnei Brak it was mostly farmland and always quite dark at night because of that. Someone who was close with the Gadol however, went to the municipality and asked them to build a streetlight on the block where he lived, which they did. In fact the street light was not just on the block, but quite close to the Gadols house.

A couple of days after the street light was installed, someone asked the Chazon Ish if he had noticed the light and whether he liked it there. His response was unexpected, as it was also beautiful and insightful.

He said, "You know, I noticed something very interesting. When I am down the block and the light is at the other end, my shadow is quite big, but as I walk closer towards the light, my shadow becomes smaller and smaller".

"In the same way" the Chazon Ish continued, "In life, if a person is far away from the light, he may just think, ''oh, look at me, I cover so much ground, I have a very big shadow'' but, when he gets closer to that light, he will realize, his shadow is not as big as he thought it was, in fact, compared to the greatness of the light, his tiny shadow, is almost insignificant."

That is why the Chazon Ish was always learning, because he realized how great the light of Torah is and how little he really knew.

In the same vein of thought, as we get closer to the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur, we have to realize how great and powerful Hashem is and how little we match up in that greatness, because even with all our talents, gifts and strengths we must understand that all of those talents we posses ultimately come from Hashem. So if we really look at ourselves we will realize that while we are great, each in our own way, we cannot nearly match up to the Al-mighty, all powerful, Hashem. Not even a chance.

All we can do is pray to him, try our best to get closer to him, and hope that we grant us a new year of goodness, full of health, happiness and success.