A special gathering marking the opening of a new kollel devoted to in-depth study of the Chofetz Chaim was held at the home of Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein, a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah and rov of Ramat Elchanan, featuring remarkable stories about shemiras halashon and the ability to see the good in every Jew.
The new kollel was established at the Chanichei Hayeshivos–Kerem Yisroel shul in the Kiryat Herzog neighborhood, under the leadership of the local rov, Rav Eliezer Roth, a son-in-law of Rav Zilberstein.
Among the prominent rabbonim participating were Rav Mordechai Shmuel Edelstein, nosi of the kollel network; Rav Itamar Garbuz, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Orchos Torah; and Rav Yisroel Menachem Alter, a son of the Gerer Rebbe and rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Beis Nechemia in Bnei Brak.
The gathering included an extraordinary account from Rav Zilberstein’s childhood in Bendin, Poland, as well as a striking revelation from his son-in-law about the secret behind Rav Zilberstein’s teeth remaining intact.
‘If You Love Every Jew, It’s Impossible to Speak Lashon Hara About Him’
Rav Eliezer Roth opened the event by relating a story he had heard several years earlier.
“There is a precious Jew who is close to my father-in-law, named Rav Yitzchok Geller. He used to live here in the neighborhood, and he lectures in various places. Before every lecture, he comes to our kollel — ‘Nesivos Hamishpat’ — and prepares his speeches. A few years ago, he came to the kollel, so I asked him to tell the avreichim what he was planning to say.
“So he related the following: ‘There is a Chareidi dentist, Dr. Zohar Assur, who lived nearby for eight years and is also a great talmid of my father-in-law, the rov. He related that Rav Zilberstein once came to him for dental treatment. The doctor turned to the rov and asked him: “I have a question. I see that, bli ayin hara, all of the rov’s teeth are intact, but according to the birth date on the identification card, it doesn’t add up”… So Rav Zilberstein answered him that these teeth had never spoken lashon hara!’
“That is what Rav Geller related in his speech. I told him that it was a beautiful story, and indeed I have never heard lashon hara from my shver, but I would ask him personally whether it was true. On Leil Shabbos Kodesh, I said to my father-in-law: ‘I feel uncomfortable asking this question. Rav Geller relates in the name of Dr. Assur that the rov testified about himself that he had never spoken lashon hara, so I have two questions. First: Is it true? And second: How can it be true?’
“My father-in-law grabbed his teeth and said to me: ‘These teeth have never spoken lashon hara, but I don’t understand your question. If you love every Jew, it is impossible to speak lashon hara about him. I love every Jew, no matter who he is. If I love every Jew, then it is impossible to speak lashon hara about him.’”
Shemiras Halashon Means Looking for the Good
Rav Zilberstein then delivered the main address, sharing a remarkable story from his childhood in Poland.
“I was born in the town of Bendin in Poland, and my parents were very close to him. The mara d’asra there was the Bendiner Rov, Rav Chanoch Tzvi Hakohen Levin zt”l. There was a terrible incident in the town: A chossid came in to daven and removed his jacket, and inside it was the entire dowry he had prepared for his daughter’s marriage. He left, finished davening, and saw that all of the money had been stolen from him, and he immediately fainted.
“They revived him, and he fainted again, and then fainted yet again. So they called the Bendiner Rov, and he said the following: ‘I will place a small box here, and I want to announce publicly: If the thief returns it, I will bless him. But if he does not return it, I will curse him and say to him, “May your name and memory be erased.”’
“This was something that the Bendiner Rov had never done — to say about a Jew, ‘May his name be erased.’ And, of course, within an hour everything was returned. The Bendiner Rov then went and said the following: ‘He fulfilled the positive Torah commandment of “and he shall return the stolen item that he stole,” which is a mitzvah that not everyone merits to fulfill, and also the mitzvah of “and you shall live by them,” because the owner of the money was in grave danger. And I want to bless him that he should have everything good, that his name should be blessed, and that he should become renowned and glorious among Yisroel. And I have one request: Do not investigate who the thief was.’
“And all the people answered amen. Five thousand people shouted ‘amen,’ an amen that pierced the heavens. That is the story I wanted to tell. What is the story here? I do not believe that the Bendiner Rov, who was a holy man of G-d, ever cursed a Jew even once in his life. I do not believe it. More accurately, I do believe that he never cursed anyone except that one time. He was an oheiv Yisroel on the highest level that we can comprehend, and his seforim, ‘Yechahen Pe’er,’ are truly wonderful. Here, he did what he did in order to save the person whose money had been stolen, and there are many lessons to learn from this incident.”
Rav Zilberstein explained that he deliberately chose the story because it contains a profound lesson for the laws and spirit of shemiras halashon: A person should train himself to look at others favorably and judge them l’chaf zechus.
The Bendiner Rov’s insistence that no one investigate the identity of the thief offered another lesson. Even after the money had been returned, he refused to allow natural curiosity to lead to the culprit being exposed and publicly humiliated.
The story also demonstrates the importance of looking at someone who has done something wrong and recognizing the positive step he is taking now. The thief had returned the dowry and, in doing so, may have saved a life. Instead of pursuing and shaming him, the Bendiner Rov chose to focus on his act of correction and even bless him.
The message, Rav Zilberstein explained, is not to define a person permanently by his failure, but rather to recognize and encourage the positive step he takes to repair what he has done.
Imrei Emes: ‘The Chofetz Chaim’s Seforim Had a Positive Effect on Me’
Rav Yisroel Menachem Alter, son of the Gerer Rebbe and rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Beis Nechemia in Bnei Brak, then addressed the gathering.
During his remarks, Rav Alter revealed that his great-grandfather, the Imrei Emes of Ger zt”l, had called upon Gerer chassidim to establish regular learning sessions in the seforim Chofetz Chaim and Shemiras Halashon. The Imrei Emes also testified about himself that studying the Chofetz Chaim’s works had personally changed him for the better.
Rav Mordechai Shmuel Edelstein and Rav Itamar Garbuz also delivered remarks at the gathering.
The event concluded with those assembled singing “Tehei hasha’ah hazos she’as rachamim v’eis ratzon milfanecha,” after which Rav Zilberstein offered a bracha to all those present.
“Baruch Hashem, some of the great talmidei chachamim of the generation are here now. Let us ask HaKadosh Baruch Hu to have mercy upon us and save us, that we should merit to increase Torah and glorify it. And chas v’shalom, now that we face great dangers from the Arabs, that they should not rule over us, but rather the opposite — that the Jews should rule over their enemies, amen.”
{Matzav.com}
