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I know we’re great, we’re the עם הנבחר however a lot of stories probably didn’t happen yet are said to make us feel good, is that correct in doing so?
like which stories?
There is a story about Chofetz Chaim brought as a character witness for an Yid in the Polish or Litvish court. The attorney first introduced the Rav to the judge by quoting some of the stories about him… The judge asked – are you sure these stories actually happened? Attorney responded – no, but for some reason nobody tells such stories about you and me …
Disclaimer: I do not know whether this story is true.
coffee, not always, some stories, even by reliable sources, do not get published or of interest. We read what we want to hear.
There’s a story about a Rebbe who was moiser nefesg to break the ice of a lake to go to the Mikvah one Channukah when he was a slave in the work camps. The story goes that a Nazi Y”Sh saw him and was so nispoel he gave him an extra ration of food.
A friend of mine asked the Rebbe directly and the real story was that a beam fell on the lake and cracked the ice. The Nazis offered food to the man who would jump in and lift it out, so the Rebbe did so with the kavona that going to the Mikvah would save him from hypothermia.
The first version is still what I hear all the time when people talk about that Rebbe.
There is a story of a Rebbi Yonasan Steif ztz’l where one of his talmidim (later my rebbi Rav Holtzer ztz’l at the Wiener Yeshiva ) came to him to avoid being drafted into the army. He gave him a lachash, incantation to say before appearing in front of the doctor. Say, the goats in the slaughter house are fatter than me, עיזי דבי טבחא שמינה ממני. When he uttered it, his hands developed green blotches, like a leper. When the doctor saw him, he threw him out, saying, what are you trying to do? Infect us. When he went outside, it disappeared.
Yserbius > Rebbe did so with the kavona that going to the Mikvah would save him from hypothermia.
Rebbe here is interfering with a good story! Original story teaches us to be moser nefesh and machmir in every situation, while the real one lacks educational capacity other than Rebbe trying to survive. I can see teachers using the first one even if they know the second.
Rav Sholom Svadron once said “I asked a Rav if I can make up stories to inspire people in Yiras Shamyim. He told me yes….and raboisi I just told you the first story I made up….”
Note: I’m very hesitant to write this online because I think that some will now say Rav Sholom Svadron once said that he asked a Rav if he can make up stories to inspire people in Yiras Shamyim. He told him yes….
No I don’t think the narrative that everyone in the shtetl was learning in kollel is living in reality. We’re supposed to learn from the flaws of previous generations, so as not to repeat their mistakes.
As someone very wise once said about belief in apparent miracles and the brochas of tzaddikim: If you believe all the stories are true, then you’re a fool. If you believe that can’t be true, you’re an epikorus (not sure about a transliterated spelling and no Hebrew on my computer).
We are taught every man in Europe was a Talmid Chochem who finished Mishnayos by 8 & a Siyum on Shas at his Bar Mitzvah. The truth is most men could read Hebrew block print & read & write in Yiddish. They could not read Rashi script. They’d have a hard time learning Chumash (without Rashi) bchavrusah. The Ein Yaakov was so beloved especially to the laborers & others who never had the chance to learn Gemarah because they left Cheder before Gemarah was taught to help feed the family.
We are taught every man in Europe was a Talmid Chochem who finished Mishnayos by 8 & a Siyum on Shas at his Bar Mitzvah. The truth is most men could read Hebrew block print & read & write in Yiddish. They could not read Rashi script. They’d have a hard time learning Chumash (without Rashi) bchavrusah. The Ein Yaakov was so beloved especially to the laborers & others who never had the chance to learn Gemarah because they left Cheder before Gemarah was taught to help feed the family.
We love to lie about the past (every culture does it) but every 25 year old in Kollel would be by far the most learned man in most towns back then.>>>We are taught every man in Europe was a Talmid Chochem who finished Mishnayos by 8 & a Siyum on Shas at his Bar Mitzvah.
Who taught you that?
I never heard anything remotely similar
Is this a cliche recital thread?
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