By Rabbi Baruch Lederman
SAN DIEGO — Not all life issues are black and white. In fact usually they are not. We need the Torah sage to enlighten us. Only the wisdom gained through years of delving in the Torah can guide him. He can then help us see things in a different light than we might have expected.
Reb Yaakov Kaminetzky was a Rav in Toronto. He once ruled that a certain man was too sick to fast on Yom Kippur. The man fasted anyway, and died shortly after Yom Kippur. In order to drive the point home of how wrong it is to fast when you are not supposed to, Rav Kaminetzky refused to deliver the customery eulogy at the funeral. By not speaking, he made a bold statement. – One Yom Kippur, the gabbai (assistant) told Rabbi Chaim Sandzer that a certain congregant had fainted from the fast and needed some water. Rabbi Sandzer said that he could have only spoonful of water.
A few minutes later, the gabbai returned, saying the water had helped but that the congregant had fainted again. The congregant said he needed a little more water. The Rabbi then gave an unexpected response that he could have as much water as he liked but that he would have to give 100 dollars to charity for each spoonful of water. Though the gabbai was surprised at this ruling, the Rabbi insisted. When the revived congregant heard the Rabbi’s new ruling, he suddenly was no longer thirsty and continued davening without the need of more water.
One Yom Kippur in the 1800s there was a cholera epidemic in Eastern Europe. Reb Yisroel Salanter ztl, ruled that any cholera sufferer should eat and drink, rather than fast. He saw that the people had great resistance to accepting that ruling, due to the enormous seriousness they had for Yom Kippur. There dedication was misplaced because we are commanded to guard our health and in the case of cholera, lives were actually at stake. In order to drive home the point, Rabbi Salanter (who did not have cholera) publicly ate and drank in order to persuade the cholera sufferers to break their fast and save their lives.
The Chofetz Chaim, Rabbi Israel Meir HaCohen, was expounding the customs of Yom Kippur. Referring to the practice of beating one’s heart when reciting the confession of sins, he explained: G-d does not forgive those who smite their heart but he pardons those whose heart smites them for the sins they committed.
On the eve of Yom Kippur, Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik of Brisk was told that a Jew was being held in prison until he would pay a ransom of five thousand rubles. That evening when the Kol Nidre was about to be said, Rabbi Soloveitchik addressed the congregation and told them that Kol Nidre would not begin until the entire sum was raised. Only after the five thousand rubles were collected, and a messenger dispatched to deliver the ransom, did Rabbi Soloveitchik permit the reciting of Kol Nidre.
Dedicated by Herb and Bette Shatoff in memory of their dear parents.
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Rabbi Lederman is spiritual leader of Congregation Kehillas Torah. He may be contacted at baruch.lederman@sdjewishworld.com