“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)”
Erev Shabbos
Kodesh parshas Lech Lecha
10 MarCheshvan
5783/November 4, 2022
INHERITANCE FUND
One morning this week, I opened my email to
find the following message: “Good morning. There is an inheritance fund left in
your name. Thank you.”
I was very excited. I felt honored that
some anonymous person would think to leave me an inheritance. I am expecting
the money transfer any day now.
Although that email was clearly a scam,
there is some truth to it.
Rabbi Chaim Kreisworth, Chief Rabbi of Antwerp and Rosh Yeshiva of
Merkaz HaTorah in Yerushalayim, related that at the beginning of World War II, a Jew approached him and conifded that
he had money in a bank account in Switzerland. He shared the numbers and then asked
Rabbi Kreisworth that if Rabbi Kreisworth survived and he died, he please share
the bank account numbers with one of his children.
The fellow died during the war and for years afterwards
Rabbi Kreisworth searched unsuccessfully for one of his children. Over two decades later, while traveling, Rabbi Kreisworth was
sitting in the subway when a clearly impoverished Jewish man sat down next to
him. They began to converse, and the man related his financial woes to the
Rabbi. He noted that he had arrived in that country as a refugee with nothing. When
he told Rabbi Kreisworth his name, the Rabbi immediately recognized it, and
excitedly asked him his father’s name and where he was from. It was clear that
this was the son of the man who had shared the bank account information years
earlier.
When Rabbi Kreisworth told the
man about the inheritance waiting for him in Switzerland, the man sadly replied
that he didn’t have money to travel to Switzerland to retrieve the money. Rabbi
Kreisworth lent him money for the trip, and he discovered that he was a wealthy
man.
When relating this story, Rabbi
Kreisworth would ask, “During the 25 post-war years, before I met this man, was
he rich or poor?” Most would argue that he had been rich all along., but Rabbi
Kreisworth disagreed. If he didn’t know that he had the money, he was
poor.
Rabbi Krewisorth would conclude
that every Jew is extremely wealthy because of his rich heritage. But if one
is not aware of it he is, in fact, poor. What can possibly be greater
than being considered Hashem’s children? But we have to be aware of it!
Rabbi Noach Weinberg zt’l, the legendary founder and
Rosh Yeshiva of Aish HaTorah, related: “Years ago my father taught me the
Mishna in Avos (2:5) which states, “In a place where there is no man, strive to
be a man.” In 1966 I opened a yeshiva for kiruv. People would point at me and
say, ‘There goes Noach the crack pot, the meshuganah. He thinks he can teach
Torah to secular Jews. At that time the concept was so foreign.
“Before I opened the yeshiva, I went to speak with
Rabbi Lazer Yudel Finkel zt’l, the Rosh Yeshiva of the Mirrer Yeshiva in
Yerushalayim. It was common courtesy to ask his permission to start a new
yeshiva in Yerushalayim. When he asked me what I wanted to accomplish, I
explained that I wanted to teach chilonim (secular Jews) the beauty of
Torah. We had a lively debate with him explaining why they would never be
interested and me countering with arguments of how it could be accomplished. Finally,
he said, “I understand what you want to do. You want to make a factory that
produces Baa’lei Teshuva. Du bist meshiguh givurin –
You’re crazy!” I replied, “Rebbe, the Torah states, “Torah
tzeevah lanu Moshe miorasha kehillas Ya’akov – The Torah was commanded to
us by Moshe; an inheritance to the congregation of Ya’akov” (Devorim 33:4) On
that pasuk the gemara (Pesachim 49b) states, “Don’t read it miorasha (an
inheritance) but miorasa (betrothed).” If I introduce a secular Jew to
his fiancé, will he walk away from me?”
“He looked at me and said, “If you really believe that
you’ll succeed”.”[1]
No one appreciates when someone pushes their agenda
on him. Even if that commodity/program is wonderful and meaningful, when it’s
stuffed down someone’s throat, he feels resentful and negative towards it. But
everyone appreciates when someone shares something exciting.
If we push our Judaism upon others in an overbearing
and insensitive manner (including our own children), it will likely have
negative results.
A noted Rav would relate that he had a hard time
saying Tehillim all his life because in his youth when he misbehaved, he was
forced to say Tehillim for long periods of time.
On the other hand, when we feel Torah living is a
treasured privilege and genuinely want to share that gift with others it is far
more likely for others to be receptive.
My rebbe, Rabbi Berel Wein, relates that when he was in
eighth grade, before opening his Gemara each morning, his rebbe would begin to
sing with the students, “ashreinu mah tov chelkeinu – Praiseworthy are
we; how good is out portion, how pleasant is our lot and how beautiful is our inheritance.”
Only then, with a feeling of privilege and honor to be able to learn Torah and
be part of the Chosen Nation, did they delve into the ancient holy words of the
gemara.
Rabbi Wein notes that at the time he
didn’t understand what the song had to do with the gemara and why they sang it
each morning. But now, many decades later, he still remembers it fondly. It
made a tremendous impression about the great privilege of being a Torah Jew.
Perhaps the email I received about
the inheritance fund wasn’t referring to it. But the truth is that there is
indeed an inheritance fund in my name. All I need to do is realize it and
invest the effort to retrieve it.
Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos,
R’ Dani and Chani Staum
[1] The quote from Rabbi
Weinberg is from the Project Inspire video “Inspired Too”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2bfXINdEQk.