[1]
My uncle, the gaon Reb Zelmele, was born in Stutzk, a rural Jewish settlement about ten miles from Minsk. Until his thirteenth birthday he studied in the village; then, he went away to the yeshivah in Minsk. There, he studied with tremendous diligence for five years, after which he was admitted to the yeshivah of the Chief Rabbi, the gaon Reb Yechiel, author of Seder HaDoros.
In Reb Yechiel's yeshivah there were three classes, each taught by its own rosh yeshivah. The first class was taught by the gaon Reb Betzalel "the Kohen Gadol"; the second class was taught by the gaon Reb Pesach Uriah "the Saintly"; the third class was taught by the Rosh Yeshivah and gaon Reb Shalom Yehudah, "the Illuy of Semilia."
Once a week, Reb Yechiel would deliver - to each class separately- an incisive pilpul, featuring his amazingly broad knowledge. Whenever the rav delivered his pilpul, the greatest geonim of Minsk, and the most outstanding ones of the whole generation, would come to listen.
It was only after an exhaustive examination that I was admitted to the second class - the class taught by the incisive and erudite Reb Pesach Uriah "the Saintly." There, I studied with great diligence.
Reb Pesach Uriah's conduct was beyond description. He never raised his voice when speaking of worldly matters. Regardless of whom he was addressing, he would never look at (or even see) anything outside of his immediate vicinity. He often fasted, and was very careful with what he did eat. He even avoided onions for fear that they might contain maggots. He would recite the confession of Al Cheit three times a day. The experience of observing him recite Selichos or the liturgy of Yom Kippur Katan was enough to pierce one's heart to the core.
I spent a full year in Reb Pesach Uriah's class, studying very diligently. With G-d's help, I gained a thorough knowledge of the two orders, Nashim[3] and Nezikin.[4] I also composed novel insights that gave Reb Pesach Uriah much satisfaction. Once, I even managed to find solutions for two difficulties raised by the Chief Rabbi, the gaon Reb Yechiel, concerning the topic of a woman who undertakes a vow of nezirus,[5] in the first chapter of the tractate Nedarim.[6]
One day, I was summoned to Reb Pesach Uriah's office. When he noticed my arrival, he asked, "Who is it?" It was always his habit to avoid looking into people's faces. Therefore, whenever he noticed that someone had entered his office, he would ask, "Who is it?"
"It is I - Zelmele, the bochur from Stutzk," I replied.
"Welcome, my sage pupil who is so adept at discovering novel insights," exclaimed Reb Pesach Uriah. When I came closer, I noticed that he sat all bent over, peering intently into a volume of Shaarei Teshuvah[7] by Rabbeinu Yonah.[8] Tears flowed from his eyes, which frightened me.
"Dearest son, most precious pupil!" said Reb Pesach Uriah in a tearful voice. "I know, my son; I know that a sin has been committed. It is I who am guilty of the terrible sin (here, he wept aloud). I am responsible for the curse I have brought upon you. But I (he said, crying even harder) did not act wilfully or negligently. It was done unwittingly. I was completely unaware that you - my dearest pupil - are already over eighteen years old, and have transgressed the ruling of the Sages,[9] 'At eighteen [it is time for] marriage.'"
When I saw how deeply distressed my master, Rebbe, and rosh yeshivah was, I replied: "Yes, it's true. Today is my nineteenth birthday. But my soul longs for Torah study."[10] My master and Rebbe refused to listen, and commanded me to return to my parents' home. He gave me a letter of reference, full of praises about my knowledge of the Torah.
I had been home for about a month, when one day a letter arrived from Reb Elia Feivish, one of the local rabbinic magistrates. It was written to my father in the name of the Chief Rabbi, Reb Yechiel, and stated that one of the local residents - who loved and respected Torah scholars - wished to arrange a match with the tzaddik, my father. He wished to have me as a husband for his daughter, and obligated himself to support me - and any resulting children - for a period of ten years, so that I could continue studying Torah.
Father and Mother then traveled with me to Minsk, and on the very day of our arrival, the engagement contract was drawn up. The wedding took place three months later.
After the wedding, I was readmitted to the yeshivah of Reb Yechiel. But now I entered the third class, taught by the Rosh Yeshivah and gaon Reb Shalom Yehudah, "the Illuy of Semilia." This Reb Shalom Yehudah had been a disciple of the awesome gaon and tzaddik, the kabbalist Reb Ephraim Fishel Kadosh ["the Saintly"], the Chief Rabbi of Minsk. The gaon Reb Yechiel was also Reb Ephraim Fishel's disciple and his successor.
Notes:
- (Back to text) From the Previous Rebbe's essay, "Fathers of Chassidus," HaTamim Vol. 4, pp. 362-364.
- (Back to text) Reb Yitzchak Aizik later repeated all this to my saintly grandfather, the Rebbe Maharash.
- (Back to text) [Lit., "Women": a major subdivision of the Mishnah, dealing primarily with the laws of marriage and divorce, and forbidden relationships.]
- (Back to text) [Lit., "Damages": a major subdivision of the Mishnah, dealing primarily with Jewish civil law, torts, and judicial procedure.]
- (Back to text) [A vow to refrain from cutting one's hair, consuming any product of the grape, or defiling oneself by contact with the dead.]
- (Back to text) [The Talmudic tractate dealing with vows and oaths, and how one may be released from them.]
- (Back to text) [Lit., "Gates of Repentance," one of the earliest works on mussar.]
- (Back to text) [Rabbeinu Yonah ben Avraham Geirundi, one of the Rishonim of the 13th century.]
- (Back to text) [Mishnah, Avos 5:22; Siddur, p. 229.]
- (Back to text) [In such a case, it is permitted to postpone marriage beyond the age of eighteen. (Shulchan Aruch, Even HaEzer 1:3-4).]
Reb Yitzchak Aizik