Altared State

As I write these lines, I’m still wearing the suit and tie I put on early this morning in preparation to serve as sandek at a grandson’s bris.

The story is told of the great Rav Ephraim Zalman Margolios, author of Sh’eilos u’Teshuvos Beis Ephraim, who received a request from Rabi Akiva Eiger to take his place and preside over a simchas tena’im in Brod, where Reb Ephraim Zalman lived — Rabi Akiva Eiger was unable to travel from Posen, where he was rav. Reb Ephraim Zalman happily responded in the affirmative, and when the day came, he made his way to the hall where the tena’im was to take place and saw to it that all was done according to halachah.

But even once the writing and signing of the tena’im was complete, the Beis Ephraim didn’t rush out. Instead, he lingered on until it was all over. Surely an adam gadol like him had other things to do, and his continuing presence piqued the interest of one of the guests.

When asked to explain, Reb Ephraim Zalman said, “I’m here as the personally appointed representative of Rabi Akiva Eiger himself. But the moment I leave this hall, I lose that rare status — so don’t you think I’d want to squeeze every moment I possibly can out of the opportunity?”