NO STUMBLING BLOCK
"There is abundant peace for the lovers of Your Torah, and
there is no stumbling block for them" (Psalms 119:165).
R' Eliyohu Lopian comments that the title "lovers of Your
Torah" applies particularly to women, who are not obligated
to be students of Torah. It is the wife who demonstrates an
unselfish love of Torah by enabling her husband and sons to
devote themselves to Torah study.
Men, on the other hand, are privileged to be students of
Torah. At the same time, they are obligated not to waste time
from Torah study. If they squander their opportunity to
study, the Torah will become a stumbling block for them.
Women, though, are very fortunate in that they enjoy abundant
peace and security from their Torah activities, without fear
of stumbling. They receive great reward for their love and
support of Torah, but constant Torah study is not inccumbent
upon them, so they do not incur guilt for failing to study
assiduously" (Lev Eliyohu, vol. I, p. 286).
Mrs. Luskavitz waved "good morning" to her neighbor Leiba and
her young sons as they passed her cottage on their way to
cheder. It was already the second week of school yet
Leiba would walk the boys every morning instead of sending
them off on their own.
"Perhaps," Mrs. Luskavitz mused, "the boys are shy. Poor
Leiba. It's not as if she has nothing else to do at home.
Walking them there and picking them up every day is time
consuming. Well," she concluded, "they probably need a bit
longer than most until they can get used to going by
themselves."
But weeks passed and mornings found Leiba still walking the
boys to cheder. Every morning, like clockwork, Leiba
and her sons would wave to Mrs. Luskavitz as they walked past
her house.
After two months of this, Mrs. Luskavitz could no longer
contain her curiosity. Choosing a quiet moment in the middle
of the morning, she knocked on her neighbor's door.
"Please come in," Leiba welcomed her with a smile. "What can
I do for you, Mrs. Luskavitz?"
"Leiba, forgive me for asking, but for goodness sakes, it's
been two whole months! The rains have started and winter will
soon be upon us. I know your boys are sweet and shy but
Leiba, for heaven's sake, send them in the wagon like
everyone else. They'll get used to it!"
Leiba looked thoughtfully at her well-meaning neighbor. She
hesitated for a moment as if trying to decide whether to
share what was really in her heart. "Mrs. Luskavitz, I know
you don't want me to overstrain myself. After all, we mothers
certainly have enough work as it is! But permit me to share
an experience I had when I was a teenager. You know, my
father, of blessed memory, passed away when I was 14. We were
a family of seven sisters and we all took care of our mother
and each other as best we could.
"My uncle and aunt, newly married themselves, became like a
second family to us. When their first son was three years
old, he started cheder. It was a big simcha in
the family. The day before, my aunt and uncle fasted and
prayed. They gave tzedoka and invited relatives,
friends, neighbors, and the poor of the town to a modest
seuda. I went with them to bring little Are'le to his
Rebbe for the first time. My uncle bentched him,
wrapped him up in his big talis and carried him to the
cheder with tears streaming down his face.
"The Rebbe radiated goodwill and happiness. He was like a
father to each of the little boys. He gave them the letters
of the aleph-beis with drops of honey, dates, raisins
and apples, so that their first taste of Torah would be
sweet. It was very beautiful and touching.
"But, Mrs. Luskavitz," continued Leiba, "something else
happened that day, something that made a lasting impression
on me. On the way home, I saw a man rushing through the
street carrying what I thought was a little boy wrapped in a
talis. I assumed the boy was late for his first day of
cheder and that his father was rushing to bring him
there. Suddenly, a gust of wind lifted the edge of the
talis to reveal - a Sefer Torah!
"At that moment, I realized that every single Jewish child is
like a living Sefer Torah.
"I took it upon my heart then and there that if Hashem
blessed me with sons, I would do everything I could to
dedicate them to learning Torah."
"But Leiba," said Mrs. Luskavitz, still puzzled, "how does
that explain your taking the boys to cheder by foot
day in and day out? Let them go learn Torah but send them in
the wagon! They'll love it!"
"You are right, Mrs. Luskavitz," Leibba replied softly,
"children love to ride in the wagon. But I want my sons to
learn," she said, her eyes misted with tears, "that they have
to work to learn Torah. By working for Torah it will
become their own and b'ezras Hashem they will be
successful in their learning."
*
Before the war, in the little town of Grieva on the
Russian-Polish border, a woman could be seen holding her two
little sons by the hand, walking the long road early every
morning and afternoon to cheder.
Both boys grew up to be Torah scholars of renown. One became
a dayan, a Rosh Yeshiva, a Rav and a posek,
while his brother became a famous cheder rebbe, R'
Yitzchok.
Their mother Leiba's daily walk to the cheder and back
again had resulted in the fulfillment of her vision. We can
only imagine the heartfelt prayers that accompanied her
footsteps, paving the way for her sons' success.
[Ed. There are 260 more inspiring pages in this gem of a
book.]
