Sunday, April 13, 2008

"Not Looking For Other Adventures"


Excerpt from The Soloveitchik Heritage:

A very moody man, Reb Yoshe Ber Soloveitchik was prone to introspection and self-doubt, mainly in the execution of halachic precepts. He always submitted his own actions to close censure.

Even after Reb Yoshe Ber had left Volozhin, he and the Neziv habitually baked matzos together for Passover. On Passover eve, immediately after they finished, Reb Yoshe Ber, in a very festive and jolly mood because of the approaching holiday, said to the Neziv, "This year we have fulfilled the commandment of baking matzos. I hope that next year we will not only be able to bake matzos together in Jerusalem, but also that we will have the privilege of participating in the ceremony of the Korban Pesach."

The Neziv gave Reb Yoshe Ber an amazed look and, unable to contain himself, cried out, "What did you say, Reb Yoshe Ber? Did I hear you correctly? You want me to join you in performing the paschal lamb commandment? You must be joking. I won't deny your greatness in Talmud scholarship, but your abnormal fears with regard to the discharge of religious rules are very disturbing to me. Your anxiety that you missed some minute details upset everyone here today. Tell me, Reb Yoshe Ber, how many times did you ask the young girls who were rolling out the dough, 'Did you wash your hands?' Believe me, the matzo baking is enough of an experience for me. I am not looking for other adventures."

1 Comments:

At April 13, 2008 at 1:04:00 PM EDT, Blogger Alex Shen said...

lmao.... such a great story...

 

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