A Soulful Journey

The Brisker Rav, Reb Yoshe Baer, looked out the window and noticed three wagons filled with hay drawn by three horses, one directly behind the other. Two horses ate the hay from the wagons in front of their own.  The Brisker Rav turned to a man along side and asked, “Which horse do you think is more fortunate than the others?” The man looked puzzled and did not know what to say.   “The center one,” the rabbi replied.  “Not only does he eat, but his load also becomes lighter.” Maybe this is the meaning of life.  Be full of joy.  Lighten your load.

In the middle of the last century, a leading European rabbi, the Brisker Rav, told his congregants on Kol Nidre night to bring money the next morning.   As you can imagine, the congregants were dumbfounded but trusting their rabbi absolutely, they came his money to synagogue Yom Kippur day.  He explained to them that, “I asked you to violate the sanctity of the holiest day of the year because I received word before Kol Nidre that a socialist, Bundist, was going to be shot this afternoon unless we come up with a ransom.”  Many in the congregation angry that they were asked to violate the sanctity of Yom Kippur for a non-observant Jew who stood against everything they believed.  But the rabbi said to them, "Doesn’t the Torah demand that we love our neighbor as yourself?  He’s a Jew.” What does this story say to us at this moment?

Two Jews died in Brisk on the same day.   A poor shoemaker passed away in the morning, followed at no onetime by a wealthy, prominent member of the Jewish community.    Although halacha teaches that the one who dies first must be buried first, the burial society, which received a handsome sum of money from the heirs of the wealthy man, decided to attend to him first.   When Reb Chayim was informed of the decision of the society, he sent word to attend to the shoemaker first.   The members of the Chevra Kaddisha did not listen.   When Reb Chayim learned of their refusal, he left his study, went to the house of the wealthy man, and chased the members of the burial society away.   He then saw to it that the poor man, who had died first, was buried before the rich man. Reb Chayim’s actions and the halacha reflect the Torah’s statement that every person ins created in God’s image and thus deserves equal treatment, regardless of his or her standing in the...

Rav Chaim Brisker once said, “Why are the wicked successful and the righteous not?   Because the wicked pursue evil with   a true effort, and the righteous pursue truth with a false effort.” What could the famous rabbi mean?   Perhaps he understood that evil does not look sideways to determine if it is on the correct path.   It forges ahead because it knows it is right.   The righteous, on the other hand, are always full of self-doubt.

Reb Yoshe Ber, the Brisker Rav, was asked why large cities have only one rabbi and smaller cities have two.   “It’s very simple,” Reb Yoshe Ber replied.   “When a wealthy man buys one fat cow, it supplies him with plenty of milk.   A poor man, on the other hand, buys two goats and has nothing from both of them.” It is an oddity of human nature how we fight for things most vigorously when they have the least import.

A young rabbi, envious of his colleagues who had become authors decided to write a book.  When he completed the work he went to see his rabbi, the Brisker Rav, and ask for his commendation. The Brisker Rav looked over his work and said, “I am sorry young man but I cannot endorse your work.” “Why not?” “It seems your ideas are contrary to the rest of the world.” The idea which motivates can often make all the difference between success and failure, good and bad.