Lofty Sweetness - Monthly Gedolim Stories

 It's time for another entrance into the segment of "Monthly Gedolim Stories," and for the month of Teves, I have a very sweet tale for you.

This is, from my understanding, a well-known, or at least an oft-repeated story, but this telling over of it appears in Rabbi Paysach Krohn שליט"א's newest book "The Maggid on Tefilah". The story was first told over by Rebetzin Toby Gutter, a teacher at the Beis Yaakov school in Boro Park, and then Rabbi Krohn heard it from the noted lecturer, Reb Moshe Tuvia Lieff.

Please note that the names and places in the story have been changed, as they are in the book as well.

I hope you find the story as sweet as I did.

Have a splendid week,

Your friend,

Yitzy Schweitzer

Lofty Sweetness - Monthly Gedolim Stories

The boys on the two buses were rollicking with excitement. They were on their way from Yeshiva Tiferes Torah in Bnei Brak to the Yam Yum Water Park in Zichron Yaakov. The first bud carried the seventh and eighth grade boys and their Rebbeim; the second bus held those in grades five and six, along with their Rebbeim. They had been talking about this outing for weeks, and now it was finally happening. They couldn't wait to get on to the water slide, the tube slide, and the wave pool. They were so excited.

The management of the water park told the Yeshiva that they had to be on time for their morning session, as a girls' school had booked it for the afternoon slots. However, as the buses pulled into the parking lot, the Rebbeim were surprised to see other busses already there. Many girls were entering the park, and others were getting off the buses. Something was wrong.

One of the rebbeim told the boys to remain on the bus, and he went to the main office to sort out the issue. The manager was incredulous. Indeed, a girls' school had rented the water park for the afternoon, but it seemed as though the office staff had seemingly double booked the morning slots.

The manager apologised profusely for the mix-up and said he would them for another day. Now the Rebbe had the unpleasant job of telling the boys they would have to return to Bnei Brak and come back another time. Understandably, the boys were very upset and disappointed. He tried to calm down the boys on his bus while the other Rebbeim on the other bud tried to explain the situation to the younger grades.

The was anger, sarcasm, and annoyance expressed by the boys and the Rebbeim were at a loss for how to control it all. After about fifteen minutes, Betzalel Heimlich, an eighth grade student, asked one of the rebbeim if he could have the microphone. At first the Rebbe was hesitant, fearing the young man might encourage the boys to be more rebellious and get them all fired up in the wrong way, but than, hoping for the best, he gave Betzalel the microphone and waited to see what he would say.

He got straight to it, "Raboisai," he exclaimed emphatically, "today we all made a great Kiddush Hashem. We did not enter the park because it is against halacha for us to be there with a girls' school. We showed who we are and we did not go and yell at the office staff who  made a bad mistake. We are an exalted people. Let's be proud we are Yeshiva bochurim!"

With that, he began singing, אשרינו מה טוב חלקנו ומה נעים גורלנו ומה יפה ירשתנו - We are fortunate - how good is our portion, how pleasant our lot and how beautiful our heritage. In moments, all the boys were singing vibrantly as the atmosphere on the bus totally changed. The rebbeim were quite astounded. The festive mood continued even as they exited the bus and entered the Yeshiva.

The principal, Rabbi Chaim Lerner, who had already heard about the double booking, was waiting outside to greet the first bus. As the first Rebbi exited, the principal asked, "So, what were the boys' reaction?"

The rebbe explained, "At first, it was horrible. They were so upset. But then this eighth grader took the mic and turned everyone around. He had everyone singing Ashreinu Mah Tov Chelkeinu, and everyone was in a great mood."

Rabbi Lerner asked for the young man's identity and was told that it was Betzalel Heimlich. When the second bus arrived, Rabbi Lerner asked one of the rebbeim how the fifth and sixth graders had reacted. "You would not believe what happened." The rebbe exclaimed in awe, "The boys were, of course, very upset, but than a fifth grader - a fifth grader, mind you! - got up and told the boys they should be proud of who they were, before he began singing Ashreinu Mah Tov Chelkeinu. He turned the whole atmosphere into a mood of festivity."

Rabbi Lerner was astounded. "Who was that boy?" He asked in amazement.

"Yonah Heimlich" came the reply.

Well, Rabbi Lerner was astonished. "His older brother did the exact same thing on the other bus!" he exclaimed. What amazing children these boys are! I must call their parents and find out where they got such incredible chinuch."

That afternoon, Rabbi Lerner called Reb Akiva Heimlich, the boys' father, and told him what had occurred on both the busses earlier that day. "I am so overwhelmed by what your sons did," he said. "Please tell me where they got such chinuch. How so you teach young boys such hashkofos?"

At first, Reb Heimlich tried to avoid the question, but when Rabbi Lerner pursued the matter, he relented. "I'll tell you what happened a few weeks ago," he began.

His wife had taken their seven children shopping on a very hot day. They had to travel by bus as the department store was far from their home. The shopping ended up taking more time than she had expected, and the children were getting quite impatient. Mrs. Heimlich assured them that before they left to go back home, they could each buy ices which would be cool and refreshing.

When they got on the bus and began unwrapping the ices she asked one of her children to give her the wrapper of one of them so she could see if the hechsher was acceptable. To her dismay, it wasn't. She huddled her children together and said, "Kinderlach, this is not a hechsher that we use. I'm not saying it's not kosher, but our family doesn't rely on this hechsher."

Understandably, the children were very disappointed, but none of them ate the ices. Their mother told them that because they were so understanding, when they got home, they could go to the freezer, take any cake or ice cream they wanted, and have themselves a party.

Reb Heimlich continued, "A while later as the children were eating fheir ice cream and cake i got home. I asked my wife what ws going on. When she told me, i said to her, 'I am so proud of the children. We have to do something more for them.' I told them all to go the local makolet, buy a big cake and special candies for themselves, and come back right away.

As they all scampered downstairs, I took out a white Shabbos tablecloth and set the table as though it were a Yom Tov. My wife and I set out silverware and drinks, and within a few minutes, the children returned. When they were all at the table, I said to them, 'My dear children, i am so proud of you. Mommy told me how hot and tired you were, and you didn't even taste those refreshing ices. You were Mikadesh Shem Shamayim, you showed the Ribono Shel Olam that we live on a higher standard. That is something to celebrate!'

With that, I had all  the kids stand up, and together, we danced all around the table as we sang Ashreinu Mah Tov Chelkeinu. We danced for a while and the children loved it." The father paused after finishing the story and then said softly, "I guess that's where they got it from."

Rabbi Lerner was silent with admiration. "You and your family should be blended," was all he could say.

The story wasvtold over by Rabbi Lerner to many other mechanchim, and someone went to tell it over to Rabbi Tzvi Mayer Zilberberg, who in turn called Reb Heimlich to hear the story firsthand. When Reb Heimlich told Rabbi Zilberberg the story, he said, "I would like to add one thing that I didn't tell the principal.

About three weeks after we danced around the table, a woman came to our home and, seeing our three-year-old son, took a candy from her purse and gave it to him. The little boy came into the kitchen, showed my wife the candy, and asked her, "Is this a kosher candy, or is this an Ashreinu candy?"

Now, if that ain't sweet, I tell you!