First On The List - Monthly Gedolim Story
I was reading the Ami Living this past Shabbos and came across Rabbi Yoel Gold "Aha! Moments" column where he wrote an inspiring story about Yiras Shamayim which involves a visit he took to the Ribnitzer Rebbe's kever pretty recently. I was touched by the story, and thought to share it as the "Monthly Gedolim Story" for Av.
My best wishes to you,
Yitzy Schweitzer
My best wishes to you,
Yitzy Schweitzer
First On The List - Monthly Gedolim Story
Less than a year ago, Rabbi Gold was traveling to Monsey to visit his sister who lives on Route 306 in Monsey, New York. This highway runs straight to the kever of the Ribnitzer Rebbe and in a spur-of-the-moment decision Rabbi Gold decided to visit the tziyun and daven there. As it was a nice day, he walked the distance of 45 minutes down Route 306.
After davening at the kever, Rabbi Gold decided to write a kvittel. He wrote down his name, his wife's name and the names of his children and made the usual bakoshos, for chinuch, shalom bayis, parnassah and yisras shamayim.
As he was about to leave, something tugged at his conscious. Something felt wrong. How could he leave the most important request for last? Shouldn't yiras shamayim come first? So he unfolded the paper and rewrote the request for yiras shamayim before the request for parnassah.
As he finished up, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned and found a young man he did not know who asked him if he was Rabbi Yoel Gold, to which he responded in the affirmative. "I wanted to ask you a favor" said this young man "There is a yid in Monsey, who has had ALS for the last 20 years. He is completely paralyzed, but his wife puts on TorahAnytime for him so he can hear shiurim and watch the videos. As such, they are quite familiar with your work. It would give the family such chizuk if you were to visit them."
Rabbi Gold agreed to go, but told the young man he had walked to the kever, which is, of course where they were still standing. He had left his car about 45 minutes away. "No problem. I can give you a ride over there" the young man said.
As they drove Rabbi Gold learnt that this holy yid they were going to visit was named Rabbi Avraham David Weisz and he was the chavrusa of the young man. He had called Mrs. Weisz to let her know they were coming over.
When they got to the house and entered Rabbi Weisz room, the kedusha in the air was palpable. He was lying still and unmoving where he spent all his days. His only remaining motor function was slight movement of the eyes which he used to communicate. Rabbi Gold could feel those eyes looking directly in to him as he felt moved to the depth of his soul.
He had no words. Give this man chizuk? What could he possibly say to him? How could a small man like him give this man inspiration?
Than Rabbi Gold remembered: What was he doing earlier.
He told Rabbi Weisz how he had come to visit him: He had decided to stop by the Ribnitzer Rebbe's kever, he had changed the order of the requests on his kevittel to put yiras shamayim at the top. "It seems" Rabbi Gold finished off "that even before I finished writing, Hashem was directing my steps. He said to me 'You want yiras shamyim? I'll show a place where you could learn true yiras shamayim' and he sent me to your home to meet a heilige yid like you"
Rabbi Gold writes in the article and says that as he stood there, a Gemara came to mind:
"Haba Letaher misayin oso". When someone comes to purify himself, when he feels he wants to do good in the world, he receives support. The word "misayon" meaning "they help him" is in the plural form. Who are those who help a person who wishes to do good?
The Maharshah says this refers to the malachim who are created from a persons machshavah - from his intention to take action and better himself. In that moment of his thought entering and making itself known to him, so to speak, the melachim are created and they help him towards achieving his goal of taharah.
After davening at the kever, Rabbi Gold decided to write a kvittel. He wrote down his name, his wife's name and the names of his children and made the usual bakoshos, for chinuch, shalom bayis, parnassah and yisras shamayim.
As he was about to leave, something tugged at his conscious. Something felt wrong. How could he leave the most important request for last? Shouldn't yiras shamayim come first? So he unfolded the paper and rewrote the request for yiras shamayim before the request for parnassah.
As he finished up, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned and found a young man he did not know who asked him if he was Rabbi Yoel Gold, to which he responded in the affirmative. "I wanted to ask you a favor" said this young man "There is a yid in Monsey, who has had ALS for the last 20 years. He is completely paralyzed, but his wife puts on TorahAnytime for him so he can hear shiurim and watch the videos. As such, they are quite familiar with your work. It would give the family such chizuk if you were to visit them."
Rabbi Gold agreed to go, but told the young man he had walked to the kever, which is, of course where they were still standing. He had left his car about 45 minutes away. "No problem. I can give you a ride over there" the young man said.
As they drove Rabbi Gold learnt that this holy yid they were going to visit was named Rabbi Avraham David Weisz and he was the chavrusa of the young man. He had called Mrs. Weisz to let her know they were coming over.
When they got to the house and entered Rabbi Weisz room, the kedusha in the air was palpable. He was lying still and unmoving where he spent all his days. His only remaining motor function was slight movement of the eyes which he used to communicate. Rabbi Gold could feel those eyes looking directly in to him as he felt moved to the depth of his soul.
He had no words. Give this man chizuk? What could he possibly say to him? How could a small man like him give this man inspiration?
Than Rabbi Gold remembered: What was he doing earlier.
He told Rabbi Weisz how he had come to visit him: He had decided to stop by the Ribnitzer Rebbe's kever, he had changed the order of the requests on his kevittel to put yiras shamayim at the top. "It seems" Rabbi Gold finished off "that even before I finished writing, Hashem was directing my steps. He said to me 'You want yiras shamyim? I'll show a place where you could learn true yiras shamayim' and he sent me to your home to meet a heilige yid like you"
Rabbi Gold writes in the article and says that as he stood there, a Gemara came to mind:
"Haba Letaher misayin oso". When someone comes to purify himself, when he feels he wants to do good in the world, he receives support. The word "misayon" meaning "they help him" is in the plural form. Who are those who help a person who wishes to do good?
The Maharshah says this refers to the malachim who are created from a persons machshavah - from his intention to take action and better himself. In that moment of his thought entering and making itself known to him, so to speak, the melachim are created and they help him towards achieving his goal of taharah.
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