Monday, April 3, 2023

Pesach 5783

 “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!”

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            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.