Excerpts from the sefer of that name selected by R' A.
Chefetz — a book of stories and conversations of HaRav
Eliahu Mann with HaRav Chaim Kanievsky arranged according to
the parshas hashovu'a.
"Avenge the Revenge of Bnei Yisroel . . . And Then Be
Gathered Unto Your People"
When R' Shabsai Frankel zt'l passed away, it was said
that Maran the Steipler ztvk'l had instructed him not
to be in a hurry to print the edition of the works of the
Rambam that he was working on, since working on it was a
segulah for long life . . . Indeed, we find that the
author of Shaagas Arye blessed a certain wealthy woman
who sought to build a synagogue in the Diaspora and one in
Jerusalem. He advised her not to be in a hurry to complete
the project, and she followed his counsel. She immigrated to
Jerusalem at a very old age where she lived to build the
synagogue, after which she passed away.
I told all this to the Rov shlita and he said, "My
father never said that. Chazal (Midrash Rabbah, parshas
Mattos) write otherwise. `Our rabbis say: It is written
in Yehoshua, "Just as I was with Moshe, so will I be with
you." According to this, Yehoshua should have lived to 120,
as Moshe Rabbenu had. Why was his life diminished by ten
years? When Hashem commanded Moshe to avenge Israel's honor
[from Midyon] and then `be gathered unto your people,' he did
not tarry, even though he knew that he would die afterwards.
He took immediate action. But when Yehoshua set forth to do
battle against the thirty-one kings, he calculated that if he
fought them all right away, he would die afterwards as had
his master Moshe. Therefore he did not hasten. Hashem then
said to him, `If this is what you do, I shall shorten your
life by ten years.' "
Measure for Measure in Korach's Punishment
Question: How do we see a measure-for-measure in the
punishment of Korach?
Answer: Hashem wanted it to be clear and blatant that
there was no doubt about Moshe's leadership and Hashem's hand
in Korach's punishment. Therefore it was necessary to do
something extraordinary and dreadful.
Question: Korach, it is said, was a smart man. Why
then, did he ask such a foolish question as, `If a garment is
made completely of techeiles, does it need the blue
thread on the corner'? Any fool knows that it makes no
difference to the requirement of tzitzis.
Answer: In the beginning, he was clever. But once he
embroiled himself in the foolish quarrel, he uttered a great
deal of foolishness.
Question: Ohn Ben Peles was saved by his wife's
cleverness. Wherein lies her great cleverness? I heard in the
name of Maran R' Chaim Shmuelevitz ztvk'l that when a
controversy is raging, anyone who speaks the truth or does
something rational — is being very wise, indeed!
Answer: Upon hearing this, the Rov was very pleased
and added, "There was a man who fought a lot with his wife
and did not conduct himself appropriately. My father summoned
him but he did not come. Eventually, he divorced his wife.
When people subsequently came to my father to inquire about
the matter (for remarrying purposes), he said that the man is
a fine person, but when it comes to an argument he loses
himself. This man in fact remarried and had a fine marriage.
There were many complaints about his earlier actions,
however, and it was surprising that my father really said
what he did about him . . . [but it worked out].
EMUNAH UBITOCHON
Hashem Does Not Favor This Way
Question: If a person is steeped in debts, is he
obligated by way of hishtadlus — of making a
concerted effort — to buy a lottery ticket in the hope
of winning? And if we say that he is not obligated to do so,
is he doing the right thing in buying one anyway?
Answer: This is not an accepted solution. This is not
the right way. My father used to say on the subject that one
should not rely on lots (See Tosafos on Shabbos
156b). One scholar who was in great debt told me that the
Chazon Ish had, indeed, once advised him to buy a lottery
ticket, but only on the condition that he not tell anyone
about it. This man could not contain himself and told his
wife. When he did not win anything, he came to tell the
Chazon Ish, but he was embarrassed to say that he told his
wife. The Chazon Ish told him, "Apparently, Hashem does not
want us to dictate to Him how to give . . . "
The Rav said that he was once asked for the source of the
song which was popular with the students of the Novardok
yeshiva, "The past is gone, the future lies ahead, the
present is like the blink of an eye — so why worry?"
The inquirer said that it was to be found in the Ibn Ezra
commentary, but I couldn't locate it. The source for it,
however, can be found in Pele Yoetz (entry on
De'aga).
Providence Arranged for Him to Participate in Her
Funeral
There was a Jew who employed a non-Jewish governess for his
children. She was so well-versed in Jewish practice that she
would recite Modeh Ani with the children. Eventually,
her father came to take her back home.
Years later, the boy who had been in her care chanced to
visit a town and found himself in the midst of the funeral of
a gentile woman. He overheard people saying that this woman
had always boasted about taking care of Jewish children.
It turned out that this was the selfsame governess who had
tended him. Providence had arranged that he give her the
honor of attending her funeral.
One Cannot Flee from Troubles
My sister, may she live a long life, told me that a woman
once came to her and asked her to go to our father on her
behalf and to seek a blessing for her children who were
continually sick. She felt that she could no longer bear
it.
My sister duly went in to my father with her plea and came
out with his message. "One cannot run away from troubles," he
had said. "If one's children are well, then one suffers in
other ways if it is so decreed."
The woman returned some time later and said that her children
had become healthy, but a very difficult neighbor had moved
next to them and he was causing them such difficulties that
she would have preferred the first hardship rather than this
one.
About Money Stolen in the Rov's Home
"He is protected the whole day."
The Rov told me (on Shabbos Kodesh parshas Vayigash 4
Teves, 5759) that early the previous morning, there had been
a burglary in his home. I asked him, "Doesn't it say
(Brochos 9b) that one who prays at sunrise is
protected throughout the day? How can it be that at the very
moment of sunrise, he suffers damage?"
The Rov replied, "That is correct. We brought in Orchos
Yosher in the name of the Tumim that had the people
prayed at sunrise in the time of the Beis Hamikdosh,
the Destruction would not have come about. That is
referred to in the verse, `You have covered yourself by a
cloud so that prayers will not penetrate.' They were
prevented from knowing the precise time of sunrise. There
are, however, answers that can be provided from the questions
that arise on this.
Question: Does the rule that the person who prays at
sunrise is protected follow the rules of the protection of a
shaliach mitzvah whose protection does not apply in a
threatening situation (shechiach hezeiko), as is
explained in Pesochim?
Answer: No, these are two separate things. There is a
separate merit for one who prays vosikin.
One Intended to Perform a Mitzva but was Prevented from
Doing it
The Rov said that the theft included a sum of money which had
been donated towards the printing of the sefer Shekel
Hakodesh, and now that the first sum was stolen, there
was another donor who wanted to underwrite the publication of
that work. I approached the first donor and asked him if he
wished to donate again since he had the first `rights' for
this worthy endeavor. He replied that he did not have any
more money to spare and he was willing to let another person
undertake it. However, he asked that I nonetheless
acknowledge his donation in the work with a letter of thanks
and blessing. The second man agreed to let me do so. I
therefore stated in the beginning of the book that so-and-so
had originally donated the money for the printing but that it
was stolen. We know that if a person intends to do a good
deed but is prevented from doing so, he is still credited
with having done it. Therefore, he deserves thanks and
blessings.
Question: The aspect of "as if he had performed the
mitzvah" refers to one's Heavenly reward, but to thank him?
Was this really in place since the author had, in the end,
not benefited from this man at all?
Answer: At any rate, he had wanted to have that work
published through his donation. He certainly deserves an
acknowledgement and appreciation for his intent and will. In
Heaven it is considered as if he had given.
To Pray that the Money Be Returned
When the robbery took place in the Rov's home, I asked him if
it is permissible to pray that the thief return the money.
According to the Beis Halevi (Parshas VaYeitze), one
should not pray for something specific, like winning a
lottery. One does not have to advise Hashem, as it were, how
to run the world. Rather, he should pray in general that he
have the money he requires. How that should come about
— he should leave up to Hashem; it's none of his
business.
This can be read into the interpretation of the verse,
"Mei'ayin yovo ezri — from whence shall come my
help." That `whence' can be from anything in the world, even
what we consider a non-factor (ayin —
nothing).
However in this case of a robbery, it might be different,
since the stolen money was in his possession already and he
is only asking that it be restored.
Answer: One may pray that the stolen money be
returned, but not necessarily through the robber, himself.
One might argue that it would be good for the thief to return
it himself, for he would thereby be fulfilling the
commandment of, "He shall return the theft he had stolen."
One may certainly pray that the thief be the one who returns
the theft. And even if he is praying for his own good and not
for the sake of the thief who is losing out on the mitzvah of
at least returning the stolen money, in any case, since his
returning it is good for the thief, the robbed one may pray
for that.
