Just Plain Chutzpah  

He and his wife were having great difficulty with their teenage daughter. They were at a loss as how to guide her back on track. After seeking advice from many authorities, both professional and rabbinic, they were having no luck. Someone suggested he present his problem to the gadol hador, Rav Aharon Leib Steinman, in Bnei Brak.

This was the reason he had come to Eretz Yisrael, but he was struggling to find someone who could help him arrange an appointment with Rav Steinman. He had walked all the way from Ramat Eshkol to the Kosel on Leil Shabbos, davening that Hashem would send him help. He was overjoyed when he saw us, as he knew that I was a frequent visitor to the Rosh Yeshivah’s home. I told him I considered it a zechus to see Rav Steinman, and to do this chesed for another Yid would be a win-win situation.

I made sure to apprise the Rosh Yeshivah of the purpose of this person’s visit and the nature of his question. As we entered the humble apartment on Rechov Chazon Ish, the Rosh Yeshivah greeted us with his warm smile. I introduced my guest, and the Rosh Yeshivah gave him much-needed chizuk and some suggestions on how to move forward with his daughter. After a few minutes , the Rosh Yeshivah gave him a warm brachah, and I tapped my guest on the shoulder, indicating it was time for us to leave.

But before we turned to go, my guest did something absolutely horrifying. I was totally blindsided and was never so embarrassed in front of the aged gadol hador. My guest took it upon himself to mention an ongoing conflict in the yeshivah world between two schools of thought, one side following the Rosh Yeshivah’s opinion and the other adhering to the opinion of another adam gadol. My guest went so far as to softly criticize the Rosh Yeshivah’s position by contrasting it with the positions of gedolim in the previous generation.