HaRav Ezrachi and HaRav Olshin
In a rare excursion, despite the fact that he hardly stepped out of his house since the beginning of the Corona pandemic, HaRav Yeruchom Olshin, member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah and Rosh Yeshiva of Lakewood, went to visit HaRav Ezrachi. During the visit, an amazing story was retold by HaRav Mordechai Ezrachi. Per request of Yated Ne'eman, the Rosh Yeshiva agreed to repeat it. These are the reported words of HaRav Ezrachi:
In my youth, HaRav Aharon Kotler delivered a shiur in the home of HaRav Yechezkel Sarna. He came to Eretz Yisroel and delivered a brilliant, profound and acute shiur in Bava Metzia on shtaros, which included participation of talmidei chachomim. I recall that HaRav Simcha Zissel Broide, who was renowned for his genius and sharp mind, was able to anticipate the shiur in all of its depth. Step by step, he would predict what HaRav Aharon would say next: what he would ask, how he would reply, refute and justify. His accuracy was good.
With HaRav Harari-Raful
After the shiur, some went to the home of HaRav Aharon's father-in-law, HaRav Isser Zalman Meltzer. They highly praised the brilliant shiur they had just heard and one person spoke up and said, "He is an illui, a genius. What can I do, I'm not such a genius..."
HaRav Isser Zalman turned to the group and said: "What would you say is the difference between an iluy and one who is not an iluy?"
This opened a lively discussion where each one had his version of what constitutes a real genius. HaRav Isser Zalman dismissed them all. After everyone had expressed a view, he said, "I'll tell you the difference between one who is an illui and one who is not an illui."
Everyone leaned forward to hear his definition.
"Half an hour!" The difference is no more than half an hour!
"One who is not a genius, needs an extra half hour to grasp what the genius understood right away. But on second thought, there is one more difference. After delving into the subject for an additional half hour, one who is not a gifted genius may even understand it better than the iluy!"
After this pronouncement, HaRav Meltzer turned to the speaker and said encouragingly, "But besides this, you are very talented!"
The message is remarkable, awesome!
Each and every one must know that if he holds himself in lower esteem and that he is less than he believes, he should realize that the only difference is half an hour! In the end, he will have even greater understanding. Each one should be convinced one hundred percent, absolutely, that if he perseveres, he can reach the highest level possible.
