“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)”
12 Nissan Adar 5783/April 3, 2023
Yahrtzeit of Rav Shimshon Dovid Pincus zt”l
לזכר נשמת נטע יצחק בן אלכסנדר ז"ל
MY BIOGRAPHY
In some Gedolim biographies, it’s noted that the children of those
great individuals recounted that in their youth they never realized their
father was a tzaddik. This includes children of Rav Chaim Kanievsky, Rav
Avrohom Pam, Rav Yaakov Kamnetzsky, and Rav Moshe Feinstein, among others.
When they were children, the children of those Torah leaders had no way
of knowing that their fathers were men of extreme piety that others looked up
to with tremendous reverence. They thought every father learned Torah
endlessly, was extremely pious and selfless with their time, and did all
mitzvos with precision, alacrity, and love.
I often tell my children that they too think I’m just a regular guy and
a normal father. How could they know that I’m an extraordinary person? But how
should they know that most fathers are not as great as I am.[1]
In this article I’m going to share with you the secret of how I became
such a great person by first sharing a story.
At the beginning of the Haggadah Tiferes Shimshon containing the insights
of Rav Shimshon Pincus zt”l it recounts a powerful personal anecdote that gives
us a glimpse into the greatness of Rav Pincus[2]:
“When
I was a Yeshiva student learning in the famous Brisker Yeshiva of Yerushalayim,
I shared a dirah (apartment) with a group of yeshiva boys. On the night
of Erev Pesach I was alone in the apartment[3],
and I realized that I would have to perform the difficult task of bedikas
chametz by myself. It was an exhausting task, but after a few hours I finally
finished and wearily sank onto the couch to rest.
“Just
then, to my chagrin, I realized that at the top of the building there was an
attic shared by all the tenants in the building. Halacha clearly states that
one is obligated to check an attic for chometz, Although the other neighbors
had an equal share in the attic and therefore had an equal obligation to
perform the bedikah, I realized that if I didn’t do it, it wouldn’t get done.
So, despite my fatigue I mustered up the strength and went upstairs to do the
bedikah.
“When
I arrived at the attic and flipped on the light, it was apparent that it hadn’t
been cleaned in years. If I had any hope of doing a bedikah I knew I would have
to clean the entire attic first. At that moment I had a terrible inner
struggle. My body ached with exhaustion, and I needed sleep so that I would
have strength for the Seder. But I knew this was my obligation at that moment. I
decided to fulfill this mitzvah with every last ounce of energy that I had. I
went downstairs, gathered a mop and some rags, and went back up to start
cleaning. The whole time I kept questioning myself if I really had to be
working so hard. But then I reminded myself that I was performing a mitzvah
d’rabbanon[4] and pushed
on.
“It
was close to daybreak before I finished. I settled into bed to grab a little
bit of sleep, knowing that I would have no time to sleep Erev Pesach and would
come to the Seder fighting to stay awake.
“However,
when the Seder arrived, I felt a tremendous wave of inspiration. I wasn’t the
least bit tired. In fact, I felt an inexplicable charge of enthusiasm and
emotion. When I ate the matzah, I felt like I was ready to be moser nefesh (give my soul) for it. I
felt such closeness to Hashem that whole night that I felt like a different person.
When the Seder was over, I couldn’t sleep. I remained awake that whole night
delving and studying Sippur Yetzias Mitzrayim. At first, I thought this
special feeling was a gift that would only last that night. But then throughout
the next day, through shacharis, Hallel, and the seudah I continued to feel
that ‘spiritual embrace’.
“To
my surprise throughout Chol Hamo’ed I continued to feel a spiritual sweetness,
so much so that I could not pull myself away from my Gemarah. When Yom Tov was
over, I literally cried because I didn’t want to let go of the sublime
experience. But then Shabbos came, and I realized that the sanctity of Shabbos
surpasses the sanctity of Yom Tov. On that Shabbos, for the first time in my
life, I truly felt the sweetness of Shabbos and why Chazal refer to it as
“Shabbos Kodesh”.
“At
that moment my life changed. If I have become anything in life it is all
because of the power of that one mitzvah d’rabbanon that I performed with mesiras
nefesh that one time!”
---------------------------------
For
over a decade I had the privilege of being the rabbi at Kehillat New Hempstead.
One year, on the night of Bedikas Chometz, close to midnight, I finally
finished taking care of everything that needed to be done in our house and lay
down in bed for some much-needed sleep.
Just
as my head hit the pillow, it dawned on me that I had forgotten to perform
bedikas chometz in the shul. Although the shul had been cleaned, the official
bedikah fell on my tired shoulders. I began to rationalize why it could wait until
the morning. But, remembering the story of Rav Pincus, I pulled myself out of
bed, got dressed and drove over to the dark shul.
It
was a bit eerie going through the shul at that late hour looking for chometz.
The shul was indeed cleaned well. But I did find a complete chocolate danish on
top of one of the seforim shranks. Although I have no idea how it got up
there, being that there was a yeshiva that used the shul premises, it wasn’t
too surprising.
I
finally finished, closed up the shul and headed home.
When
Artscroll prints my biography – Reb Dani – I hope they will include Rav Pincus’
story followed by my story.
On
a more serious note, great people don’t teach only with words, but more
significantly through their example. We want and strive to be like our heroes.
Although
I didn’t transform into a Gadol that night, the fact remains that I was inspired
by Rav Pincus’ example. He has inspired me in many other ways as well.
There
is incredible value in telling stories, particularly when we can picture
ourselves as part of that story and/or can relate to the people or events within
the story.
On
the night of Pesach, we tell the story of our ancestors who left the comforts
of their Egyptian homes[5]
to proceed into an inhospitable and ominous desert. Our goal is to view ourselves
in that story and realize that we have it within ourselves to adhere to the
Will of Hashem through thick and thin.
Indeed,
we are all great people, far greater than we give ourselves credit for. I don’t
know if we will merit our own printed biographies in this world. But in heaven
our story may very well be a bestseller.
Chag Kasher V’sameiach & Freilichen Yom Tov,
R’
Dani and Chani Staum
[1]
For those who are not regular readers of my columns (for whatever inexplicable
reason) and are unfamiliar with my style, I assume this will be the last
article of mine that you will be reading. Best wishes for continued hatzlachah.
[2] 12 Nissan is the yahrtzeit of Harav Shimshon Dovid
Pincus zt’l, who, along with his Rebbitzin and daughter Miriam, were niftar in
a fatal car accident in April 2001, just two days before Pesach. Rav Pincus,
the Rav of the community of Ofakim, is now renown throughout the Torah world
through his sefarim on holidays, education, prayer, and Torah, (to date over 25
sefarim). Through reading his speeches or hearing bis lectures one can feel his
passion and emotion for Avodas Hashem. Rav Pincus was a dynamite charge of
spirituality with a contagious love for Torah and mitzvos. Though I never had
the opportunity to personally meet him, I consider myself a disciple through
his writings and recordings.
On a personal note, the fact
that his yahrtzeit coincides with my birthday, makes me feel even more
connected to him. My family is blessed that our son Shimshon Dovid carries his
name.
[3] Rav
Pincus noted that his roommates had gone home for Pesach.
[4]
Rabbinic decree
[5]
At the time of the exodus, the servitude had ended months earlier. The Egyptian
land and economy had been ravaged and the Jews had become wealthy. Undoubtedly,
by then they had built yeshivos and mikvaos, and had comfortable homes.