Some years back, Rav Eliyohu Mann, Rav Chaim Kanievsky’s talmid and gabbai, was interviewed and related the following:
A child living in chutz l’aretz once began exhibiting signs of mental illness. His father, a rebbi, surmised that he may have been the cause. Not long before, he had told his class that one need not be a ba’al kishron to grow great, and Rav Chaim Kanievsky is living proof to that. “Work hard and you will get there…”
Perhaps he was being taken to task from Heaven for speaking disrespectfully about a gadol.
He sent a fax to Rav Mann to request mechilah and a berachah on his behalf from Rav Chaim. Rav Chaim laughed off the notion he was wronged and saw no reason to grant mechilah. He told Rav Mann, “Do you see that book there? It contains stories about the Chazon Ish, and in there, the author writes that he was not intellectually inclined as a child. When my father [the Steipler Gaon] saw that, he annotated, ‘This is motzi shem ra and a lie.’ That author erred to one extreme. The writer of this fax erred to the other extreme. Not only was I not a baal kishron as a child, but I am not yet one today!”
Rav Mann repeated Rav Chaim’s remarks to Rav Michel Yehuda, asking for advice on what to do next. Rav Michel Yehuda was adamant. “The gentleman is certainly in need of mechilah. I taught Rav Chaim as a young bachur – and he surely was a baal kishron, as well as being very beloved.”
Rav Mann then asked, “Can I tell Rav Chaim that his rebbi asked that he be mochel the fellow?”
“Yes, you may.”
Rav Mann returned to Rav Chaim, reminded him of the fax, and added that he had been to his rebbi Rav Michel Yehudah, who insisted he was a baal kishron even at a young age. Before he could finish, Rav Chaim grasped what he was driving at and preempted him with, “I am mochel the man completely.”
Not surprisingly, the fellow’s son had a complete recovery.
Rav Chaim’s grandson, Rav Gedalia Honigsburg, confirmed that that which people say that Rav Chaim wasn’t a baal kishron is “sheker v’chazav” (a total lie).
{Matzav.com Israel}
His grandson was around when he was young?
What difference does it make what he says?
If he’s quoting someone let him quote it .
Thank you
And when I say krias Shma and state that I KNOW that HaShem is One, do I quote from whom I learned that?
And when I make a berachah and say He is the Eternal Master of all and was m’kadeish us with His Mitzvos, do I quote from who I know that?
And when YOU say your great-grandfather is from Ukraine (or wherever), do we ask you, “and who told you that? You likely never met your great-grandfather. How do we know you are telling the truth?”
If you want to be mivateil the Sar HaTorah, just do so without justifying it by saying his grandson doesn’t know if he was a ba’al kishron when he was young/
Um, kishron doesnt change with age. You either got it or you dont
Oh, okay.