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There was a serious question that they could not resolve, so they decided to send the question to the Toras Chessed, who was also at the resort at that time. The Rabbis were shocked when the messenger returned from the Toras Chessed after a very short time, with a long booklet on the subject full of direct quotes from Rishonim and Acharonim. When they returned home, they found that all of the quotes where precise to the letter - and this was all written by heart! He had thousands of Seforim lining the walls of his room. They were organised on wooden beams, one on top of the other. He was so fluent in each Sefer and exactly where it was kept, that when he needed a Sefer, he could locate it in one second.
He was exceptional in his humility and Derech Eretz towards others. He would refer to everyone, even a yungerman, using the honourable plural “atem” and not the singular “atah”. When someone would come to speak with him in Divrei Torah, he would stand the entire time and look at him face-to-face. When he wanted to end the meeting, he would not turn his back towards them or motion with his hands for them to leave. Rather, he would start waking backwards slowly. If the person got the hint, they would also step backwards and leave. If they didn’t get the hint, the Rav would continue walking back until his back was against the wall and had no more room to move. Still, he would not embarrass the person and waited until his gabbai would notice and hint to the person to leave. He passed away on Erev Shabbos, the fifth of Nissan 1902. Rav Shmuel Salant said “shema mina nach nafshei of Rav Shneur Zalman! Just as Torah was given so to it is taken away with kolos u’vrokim (thunder and lightning).” The great Posek, Rav Ovadia Yosef, said that every Avrech should own the Sefer Toras Chessed and learn from it.
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He said that his own writing style and fluency in halachic writing was learned from the Toras Chessed. When asked what he found so special in the Sefer, he related the following; When he was 17, he once spoke with Rabbi Chaim Naeh, who told him that his father, Rav Mendel Naeh was once learning a famous Ran in Chullin that spans 3 pages and is known to be very difficult. The Toras Chessed asked him what he was learning and repeated the entire Ran virtually word for word. He then said “I have not looked at this Ran for 40 years.” Rav Ovadia decided he must follow in his footsteps and adopted much of his writing style. He would tell young torah scholars that in order to become accustom to writing Chiddushei Torah properly, one should learn the Toras Chessed and Rav Paalim (of the Ben Ish Chai).
The Sefer Toras Chessed
When Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Diskin wanted to convince his son Rabbi Yitzchok Yerucham to come join him in Eretz Yisroel, he wrote to him “I will show you someone whom all the words of the Beis Yosef are running freely upon his tongue”. Rav Diskin himself went to greet the Toras Chessed wearing his Shabbos clothing. Many of the great Torah sages of the later generation in Eretz Yisroel used his Pesokim and studied the Toras Chessed in great depth: this includes the Tchebiner Rov, Rav Tzi Pesach Frank, Rav Yisroel Zev Mitnzberg, Rav Pinchas Epshtein, Rav Chaim Naeh, Rav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach, Rav Elyashiv, and Rav Ovadia Yosef. There was even a minhag in Yerushalayim that the Bar Mitzva bochur would deliver
over a teshuva of the Toras Chessed as his pilpul. The first volume of Toras Chessed was printed 1883 in Lublin. The Second volume was printed in Yerushalayim after his passing. In the hakdama he writes that for years although asked by many, he did not want to write a Sefer, explaining “at this time so many Sefarim are being written and most of them are not only of no help but are a stumbling block. The only Heter to write down Torah sh’bal peh is to act for Hashem’s sake. For authors who are only writing for fame, the prohibition still stands. Rabbi Chaim Vital compares them to the Dor Hafloga who want to make a name for themselves. “They don’t realize this will sever them from their source”.
He then wrote “over the years I have changed my mind and taken to heart what Chazal say that anyone who learns Torah and does not teach others there is no “hevel” greater than that! Since I am weak and occupied with community matters and do not have the time to teach Talmidim, I have decided to write a Sefer and I hope that Hashem should consider it as if I have taught many students”. He continues “In addition, I have seen that when a Mechaber does not print the Sefer in his lifetime, his children print it after his passing, and since it was never edited by the author, there are things printed that shouldn’t have been included”
“I have named the Sefer Toras Chessed for three reasons: To thank Hashem for his kindness to me. Additionally, the gemara says that Torah which is taught to others is Torah shel Chessed. And that is my intent with this work. It also hints to my name Shneur ben Shlomo from Liadi”.
While he was placed upon the ground before his burial, his wife related that he told here that every year on the night of Kol Nidrei the Tzemach Tzedik would learn with him. This was even after the Tzemach Tzedek passed away. May we merit to emulate the unique combination of humility and Chochma of the Toras Chessed possessed.
Presented by
Rabbi Yossi Moshel
Riddle me this
The Ben Ish Chai writes about the value of riddles: “Around the dinner table I used to test my families knowledge of Torah by asking them enigmas and trivia questions from across Torah, as well as riddles of general knowledge. These teasers sharpen the brain and broaden the mind. I am writing them here in order that whoever learns this sefer will be able to utilise these riddles as a resource to test their students or friends, enabling them to sharpen their minds and aid them in their study of
Torah.”
Q. Which country in the world would you find yourself doing ‘Kaporos’ at the seder?
Q. When is it a mitzvah to wash, yet at the same time not to wash?
Q. What is something that you really like and enjoy but very soon after you despise and throw away, even though nothing overtly bad happens to it?
Q. How can you eat a loaf of bread and be exempt from bentching, but eat just three slices of bread and be obligated to bentch?
Bonus Riddles
Q.Where do we first find contact tracing in the Torah ( Hint: Shemos)
Q.Where do we find the first lockdown in the Torah ( Hint: Shemos)
- the Mitzrim were immobilised and couldn’t move for 3 days. Yosef traced the brothers’ entry at the gates of Mitzraim when they had tried to split up to avoid suspicion. Makas Choshech ate the 3 slices within k’dei achilas pras(KAP)but took time to eat the loaf, having less than a kzais within KAP at a time. Shabbos Rosh Chodesh we wash for bread at the Melava Malkah but we can’t wash laundry Chametz on Erev Pesach You participating at the Seder in order to make the children ask questions. They was a segulah for hatzlachah On Motzei Answers: The minhag of the community in Tunisia was to circle the Kaarah (seder plate) over the heads of the people
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