When the head of the yeshiva, the great gaon Rabbi Aharon Yehuda Leib Steinman ztk"l, arrived at the fortress, he began to weaken slightly.
His many years of asceticism and the lack of sleep he adopted as a way of life left their mark on him, and the rabbi gradually weakened until his strength began to leave him. On the advice of doctors, it was decided that he should undergo daily physiotherapy exercises in order to maintain his strength and cure his weakness.
Only when he reached the age of ninety, and his physical strength was below human norm, did the rabbi agree to physical therapy treatments.
It was agreed that every morning, after the morning prayer, a God-fearing, qualified therapist would come to his home to perform the difficult exercises with him. During this time, which was dedicated to healing, the door to the rabbi's room was closed to visitors, and he would carry out in detail everything the therapist asked of him. Naturally, the exercises were difficult to perform, but the rabbi persevered, despite - and because of - his great weakness, and did not neglect any exercise.
We don't have much evidence of what happened in the closed room during those moments, since, as mentioned, no one was allowed entry, and the therapist, who was God-fearing, never told anyone about what was happening in the room during those glorious moments.
And yet, there was one time when the door opened a narrow crack, and from the sacred room flowed forth sublime testimony to the extent of the rabbi's righteousness.
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Every day, the therapist would ask the yeshiva head to taste something before the physiotherapy exercises. "The exercises are difficult," he would tell him, "and without food the body could collapse, and then instead of benefiting, the exercises would do harm." But Rabbi Steinman would politely refuse the request, which turned into a medical order, and to every such request he would turn the therapist away empty-handed, without giving any substance to his words.
""But the head of the yeshiva is already after the morning prayer," the therapist would try his luck, "why doesn't he put something in his mouth? There's no prohibition on that!" he would state, without understanding the rabbi's approach.
Like this every day, for many months. The therapist urges, warns, and begs. But Rabbi Steinman refuses vehemently. He doesn't eat before the difficult exercises.
Despite the rabbi's stubborn refusal, the therapist did not refrain from repeating the request every morning, even though he knew it would not be fulfilled. His medical duty forbade him from performing the treatment and exercises on someone who was fasting, and therefore he would remind him of the instruction every day.
And then, one day, there was a knock on the door of the room. "This is a matter of pikuach nefesh," came the call from beyond the door. The rabbi gave his approval, and the door to the room opened. At the door stood his grandson, who explained that an avrech close to the rabbi was now standing at the door of the house, claiming that he must now consult with the head of the yeshiva on a matter that could not be delayed, one that involved a pikuach nefesh concern. "We explained to him that at this hour there is no audience reception under any circumstances and the rabbi cannot answer anyone. But he begged because the matter was extremely urgent," the grandson concluded.
""Bring him in here," Rabbi Steinman ordered, and turned to receive the abraham.
The therapist also left the room, giving way to the patient who was hurriedly brought in.
After about two minutes, the young man left the room with tears streaming down his face and headed toward the door of the house. He thanked the rabbi's grandson and said that the head of the yeshiva had dispelled his doubts, and now he was at ease.
The grandson dismissed him, clearing the way for the therapist who wanted to go back into the room. However, in a moment's decision, the therapist turned around and approached the avrach who had not yet left the house. "I understand that you are close to the rabbi," he addressed him, "I must ask for your help." Here the therapist told him about the rabbi's firm refusal to put anything edible into his mouth according to the exercises, while explaining to the avrach how dangerous it was and could affect his health. "I ask you, ifa," said the therapist, "to go back into the Rosh Yeshiva, and you try to influence him to eat before the treatments. Perhaps from you, being close to him, the rabbi will accept the request.".
The young man, filled with gratitude, immediately agreed to the therapist's request and re-entered the room.
""I have another matter of life-saving," he said jokingly. "There is a ninety-year-old Jew who does not accept the doctors' advice and refrains from eating before exhausting treatments. How can we convince him that the matter of eating is an obligation and cannot be waived?" the habrach turned to Rabbi Steinman.
A slight smile appeared on the face of the yeshiva head, who understood well who the question was addressed to, and he rejected the abrach with both hands. "He may have a good reason, it's better to let him go," he replied.
The rabbi did not give up, he understood very well from the therapist how necessary the tasting was before the treatments, and he asked the rabbi again, this time directly, that he eat before the treatments.
Now a cloud of sadness came over the rabbi's face, and he asked the abbot to sit.
""Every morning at eight o'clock," Rabbi Steinman began his remarks, "there is immense joy in heaven. At this hour, hundreds of thousands of pure souls enter the schools of Beit Yaakov and the Torah talmuds, and they begin with prayer and the recitation of the Shema. The peace of mind that exists in these moments in the entourage of Ma'ale is indescribable.
""However," the rabbi continued, "at that exact moment, about a million children enter state schools, also pure Jewish souls, who do not know who created the world, and do not know how to pray and recite the Shema. At that moment, the Holy One, blessed be He, sits and grieves greatly over those babies who were taken.
""For more than forty years," Rabbi Steinman told the arbrecher, sobbing, "I have taken it upon myself to share in the sorrow of the Blessed One, and I refrain from eating between eight and nine in the morning. Believe me, if I had the strength to do so, I would fast the entire day.".
There was complete silence in the room at that moment. The young man felt his breath catch, he was now witnessing one of the most sacred moments in creation. He now stands before an angel of God, the Holy of Holies, who refrained from eating in the hours before a physiotherapy treatment, despite the danger involved, and despite the great weakness that fasting can cause him, all in order to participate in the sorrow of the Divine Presence.
Without saying anything, he left the room and turned to the therapist: "Believe me, there will be a greater danger if Rabbi Steinman eats at these hours. Leave things at that.".
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This coming Sunday will be the anniversary of the death of the head of the yeshiva, the great gaon Rabbi Aharon Yehuda Leib Steinman ztzu"l. Many stories about the extent of the rabbi's asceticism circulated during his lifetime, comparing him to the figure of the angel of God, the tsabakot. This story describes Rabbi Steinman as a man, a man whose head is laid here on earth and whose head reaches to heaven. "In order to fast and give up lust," one of the rebbes once said, "one cannot be an angel. In order to fast and purify oneself, one must first be a man.".
Rabbi Steinman was a man.
The complete person.
Menachem Man is an ultra-Orthodox writer and publicist: [email protected]
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