THE BATTLE FOR "SHALOM" - part 2

SAVLONUS

THE BATTLE FOR HARMONY can be fought on more than one level. Firstly there is the struggle, primarily with oneself, to maintain peace, love and harmony on the practical level-even with difficult people. Rav Schneur would often quote a Godol who said “M’darf kennen duchkumen mit alemen, afilu mit ah Shed!” “One has to be able to get along with anyone-even with a shaid (demon)! This requires a goodly measure of seichel (good sense) of anovoh (self-effacement) and all the more so of on the spot savlonus (patience, endurance, self control).

THE SON

Rav Schneur himself was a master of both-he needed and used them constantly in very great measure. As a young Rosh Yeshiva and leader of Klal Yisroel he was often the object of criticism; even abuse and bizyonos; yet his reaction was always totally controlled, planned so as to achieve maximum benefit for all; maximum Kiddush Hashem and ultimately.... true Sholom (see chapter on the “ways of a Talmid Chochom” in Rambam, Dei’os 5- a chapter which was constantly on Rav Schneur’s lips).

When Rav Schneur zt'l was in Eretz Yisroel he became involved in a project which aroused the anger of a certain Rosh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak. The man went into a tirade against Rav Schneur, lashing into him full force for a long time.

Months later Rav Schneur was walking in New York and saw the fellow on the other side of the street. He immediately crossed over and gave him a warm welcome and inquired about his reason for being here. The answer was that he is here to raise funds for his yeshiva. Reb Schneur then insisted that the man be his guest in Lakewood for Shabbos and he agreed.

That Shabbos Reb Schneur could not do enough for the man. He treated him royally in his home. He sat him at the Mizrach wall of the Yeshiva; he had him called shlishi to the Torah; he shmuessed (conversed) with him in full friendship; in short he did everything he could to make him feel as welcome and as comfortable as possible. Finally, after Shabbos Reb Schneur sent two talmidim throughout Lakewood to raise money for his Yeshiva. (Rav Dovid Schustal shlita)

There is an interesting postscript to the above story which this writer heard from a reliable source. But first a brief introduction is necessary. Without going into specifics the issue which raised the ire of the Israeli Rosh Yeshiva pertained to something in which elderly Gedolei Eretz Yisroel were already involved. The Rosh Yeshiva Rav Schneur zt'l, although much younger, felt he had an important contribution to make pertaining to Sholom and girded himself to do his part; in fact his contribution was well received due to his pure intentions, personal status and so on. The Israeli Rosh Yeshiva probably did not know how welcome and well received Rav Schneur’s input actually was; in short he was probably not aware of Rav Schneur’s great status in the eyes of the Gedolei Eretz Yisroel altogether....

After Shabbos, when Rav Schneur’s guest was ready to leave he turned to Rav Schneur and asked forgiveness for the entire incident. Rav Schneur immediately responded with probably the single most “calming-effective” (and self effacing) response possible: “Vos heist- What do you mean- ir zent givenn girecht- you were right!”

And, in Noam Siach, Yom Hazikoron P. 36 Rav Schneur zt'l says: “The way my father zt'l treated people who were not deserving was just amazing!

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