The Short Vort
Good Morning!
Today is Thursday the 25
th
of Shevat 5780 and February 20
th
2020
The Crown of Krohn
Everyone needs a friend.
Often, our family and our “Chevra” fill the void.
What happens when you cannot go to either?
Imagine you are a rabbi and you have an minor run-in with a congregant.
You don’t want to share this with your family as why ruin your wife’s relationship with his wife?
You certainly cannot go to another congregant as how can you speak behind the back of one congregant to another?
Your only outlet is to speak to an older and wiser rabbi.
He can be the correct address as he understands what you’re going through.
A while ago, a young rabbi from an out-of-town community was caught in a delicate situation.
He had a small shul with one daily Shacharis Minyan and everyone in the shul knew each other.
As the shul is not located in Brooklyn or Lakewood or any other large Jewish neighborhood, his congregants are securely anchored to him. Most of the men come to the daily Shacharis Minyan to daven.
The young rabbi was involved in what he considered to be a minor tiff with one of his BaaleBatim.
The cause of the squabble is not important.
Suffice to say, the BaaleBus, was indignant if not outright livid at the rav for the position he took.
The man continued to daven in the shul, however, he did his best to avoid speaking or even greeting the rav.
Both were present daily at davening and no one except the two of them knew that there was a strain on their relationship.
One day, this congregant was blessed with his first grandson.
It was his daughter’s first boy after seven girls!
The congregant was bursting with joy.
His daughter and son-in-law came to stay with him and he was planning a gala Bris.
As he was well off, he hired a high-end caterer and made sure that everyone in the shul was invited.
His resentment to the rabbi had not ebbed.
The night before the bris, the young rabbi called his Rebbe for advice.
“What should I do? Tomorrow ploni is making a bris for his grandson and the entire shul will be present.”
“What’s the problem?” the Rebbe asked.
“I am sure that the fellow is going to snub me by very openly and publicly preclude me from receiving any kibud at the Bris. There has never been a bris where I have not gotten some sort of kibud.
I don’t care about the kavod, however, I feel it will damage the entire synergy of the shul if this dispute becomes public. Perhaps I should absent myself from davening tomorrow?”
The seasoned Rav did not think that was the answer.
His younger protégé asked, “What would the Rebbe do in my shoes?
“I would go to shul and remember that all is in Hashem’s hands and no one will suffer in this world more than they have to.”
The next evening the young rabbi called his Rebbe all excited.
“You won’t believe it!
The BaaleBus brought in a well know mohel from New York.
As the mohel was going over the kibbudim with the man, he asked, “Wait, what kibbud are you giving the rav?” (The mohel and the Baalebus did not realize that the young rabbi was able to hear the entire conversation.) The BaaleBus said confidently, “The rav is not getting any kibbud!” The mohel looked at him and sternly rebuked him. “If you don’t give the rav a kibbud, I am walking out now and you can do the bris yourself. You must show Kavod HaTorah!”
At this point the man reluctantly gave the young Rav a Kibud and there was Shalom in the Shul.
I can vouch for the truth of this incident.
The mohel was Rabbi Paysach Krohn.
And the young rabbi was me.
“If Not Now, Then When?”- Hillel
Ron Yitzchok Eisenman
Rabbi
Congregation Ahavas Israel
Passaic, NJ
