MOVING VIDEO: Two Years Since The Petira Of Maran Hagaon HaRav Shteinman, ZATZAL

It’s been two years since the passing of Maran Hagaon HaRav Aryeh Leib Shteinman, z’tl, whose second yahrtzeit was on Sunday.

In honor of the yahrtzeit, Kikar Shabbos published a moving story about Harav Shteinman rescuing a bochur from assimilation, as told recently by the HaRav Shmuel Zakai, a Rav and Moreh Tzedek in Yerushalayim.

A Chareidi yeshivah bochur from Bnei Brak had begun to veer from the Torah path and gradually severed his connection with Yiddishkeit completely. He cut ties with his family and rented an apartment in Tel Aviv.

After two years of being disconnected from his family, the bochur called his parents and asked to come for Shabbos since he had something to tell them. His parents were overjoyed, thinking that he was returning to Yiddishkeit and welcomed him with open arms on Friday.

Unfortunately, the parents’ hopes were completely shattered when the bochur informed his parents during the Friday night Shabbos meal that he was marrying a non-Jew in two weeks. His parents’ shock, tears and pleas did nothing to move him. His decision was definite.

As Mincha time approached, his father asked him to accompany him to shul and a shiur by Harav Shteinman, z’tl. To the father’s surprise, the bochur agreed to join him. While there, the father slipped away and hinted to the shamash that it would be helpful if the Rosh Yeshivah would speak words of chizuk to his son after davening.

After davening, Harav Shteinman said to the son: “Are you shomer Shabbos?”

“No,” the bochur answered.

“How long aren’t you shomer Shabbos?”

“Two years.”

“Have you had thoughts of teshuvah in these two years?”

“Yes.”

“How many times?”

“Four times.”

“For how long [each time]?”

“For ten minutes each time.”

The Rosh Yeshivah then said to him: “I’m jealous of you. You thought about teshuvah for 40 minutes. You should know that during these 40 minutes, you were greater than me, because in the place that ba’alei teshuvah stand, even great tzaddikim can’t stand. Shabbat Shalom.”

“The bochur left the shul crying and said to his father: ‘I’m telling her already this evening that we’re not getting married. Please Abba, register me tomorrow for yeshivah. I’m taking upon myself the yoke of Torah and mitzvos.”

Later, his father asked him why he agreed to come to Mincha by Harav Shteinman, z’tl, and he answered: “I have a special love for him because of an incident that happened when I was a boy. When I learned in cheder, we had a mishnayos bechina by Harav Shteinman and the Rav gave a candy to each boy who answered a question.”

“And I, because I was so excited, didn’t know the answer. And then the Rav tried to ask me an easier question and I couldn’t answer that one either, nor a third question he asked me. I felt terrible that all the boy got candies except me.”

“But then the Rav said to me: ‘Hakadosh Baruch Hu doesn’t count the pages – only the hours. Hashem seeks our effort and toil and not the results. All your friends made an effort once and received one candy. You, on the other hand, made an effort three times so you get three candies.'”

“I left there happy and satisfied. The Rav, with his deep understanding, turned something bitter to sweet. Since then I have a special love for Harav Shteinman and that’s why I was happy to come daven with him today.”

The bochur fulfilled his promise and today is an avreich completely immersed in the Torah world.