"To be the rebbi of a generation requires more than genius, depth, and clarity. It requires equal parts of ahavas Yisrael and ahavas haTorah"
The piece on Rabbi Sholem Fishbane and the kashrus industry was very important and informative. However, I would like to point out a couple of simple solutions to some of the pitfalls the article alerts us to.
Regarding parlor meetings and other institutional venues, we can take a lesson from the unforgettable askan Shlomie Gross a”h (whose tenth yahrtzeit is on 22 Adar) and his distinguished eishes chayil, tichyeh. As related in ArtScroll’s biography on Shlomie:
To the Grosses, “low-key” was the approach in any public venue. When Shlomie made a parlor meeting, his wife served salads, chocolates, cakes, and candies. Even if the organization wanted a lavish affair, Shlomie and his wife would not allow an elaborate menu of hot dishes to be served. It was simply not their style.
Shlomie was upset when a mossad he supported delivered a very expensive bottle of wine to his door on Purim. He felt that offering extravagant gashmiyus was not the way to raise money for ruchniyus.
Create a free account to keep reading.
