The story is told of Rav Yisrael Salanter, of blessed memory, who was once traveling on a train. In the same compartment with him was a young man who did not recognize the Rav and did not behave toward him with respect. Throughout the journey, he embarrassed Reb Yisrael, treating him contemptuously as if the distinguished Rabbi were some foolish old man. The train finally pulled into Vilna, and the whole town was waiting to meet the great Rav Yisrael Salanter. The young man, who now saw who the “foolish old man” was, didn’t know what to do with himself.
The next morning, with tears streaming down his face, he arrived at the Rabbi’s abode to beg for forgiveness. Reb Yisrael forgave him immediately and then proceeded to question him as to what he was doing in Vilna.
It turned out that this young man had come to Vilna to learn to be a shochet, a ritual slaughterer, but he had no plan for accomplishing his goal. Surprisingly, the Rabbi took a great personal interest in him. He did not rest until he had found a place for him to live; in addition he found a man to teach him shechitah, ritual slaughter, and funds to help support him while in Vilna. Reb Yisrael Salanter went out of his way to treat this young man like a son.
At the end of the year, the young man came to Reb Yisrael and asked: “I understand the fact that the Rav forgave me, but why in addition to this has the Rav gone so far out of his way to treat me with such kindness?”
Reb Yisrael answered him that his forgiving him was only lip service. In order to truly forgive him, Reb Yisrael knew that he had to take a special interest in the young man. In order to feel the love that the Torah demands in the commandment “V’ahavta l’rei’acha kamocha — And you shall love your friend as yourself.” Reb Yisrael had to shower the man with love and kindness and take a personal interest in him. Now Reb Yisrael could say with confidence that he loved the young man and that he truly forgave him.
Excerpt from “Two Halves Of A Whole” by Rabbi Yirmiyohu & Tehilla Abramov. Available at www.jewishfamily.org
