HaGaon HaRav Chaim Feinstein, Rosh Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo, has a long-standing mesorah of delivering a Yom Tov drasha on the first day of Sukkos, which is attended by hundreds of marbeitzei Torah, Roshei Mesivta and avreichim.
The drasha, which takes place at the Nachlas Moshe shul in Bnei Brak, normally begins a half hour before shekiah and lasts until Maariv.
However, this year, HaRav Feinstein was late and only arrived at the shul at shekiah.
According to a B’Chadrei Chareidim report, the reason for the delay was related to the crowds of bnei Torah who come to HaRav Feinstein’s home every year to be mekayeim the mitzvah of arba minim.
As is known, in Brisk, they put great emphasis on hiddur mitvah for the arba minim, and therefore on the first day of Sukkos, when taking the lulav and esrog is a mitzvas aseh d’oraisa, many are noheig to go to the home of HaRav Feinstein [the grandson of the Brisker Rav, z’tl] to take his mehudar arba minim.
Since on the first day, the arba minim must be ‘לכם’, the Rosh Yeshivah gives the arba minim as a gift to each person who shows up at his house, and he specifies the details of the “purchase” with each person, that he’s giving it to them with a double tanai, saying: “If you return it to me, then it belongs to you, and if you don’t return it to me, then I’m not giving it to you” – according to the shita of the Brisker Rav.
Since so many people showed up at his home this year, and the Rosh Yeshivah was makpid to clarify the “purchase” with each person, he was late to his drasha.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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One Response
a halachic question: if someone does not his own funds to buy an esrog and uses tzedokah or government funds – is this considered לכם or is the zechus going to the baal tzedokah and taxpayer?