“What a shame that the world will never know of all the things he accomplished for Klal Yisrael by not doing, by not speaking, by not publicizing”
Just a month ago, we lost a great man: Rabbi Moshe Hauer, a talmid chacham, rav, and leader who excelled in Torah, leadership, ahavas Yisrael, and many personal qualities. Yet there is another quality that Reb Moshe excelled in — a quality that seems increasingly rare, and increasingly necessary, in this age where everyone feels justified going public with their opinions, however ill-informed.
The quality I refer to is Reb Moshe’s middah of shtikah — the herculean strength he harnessed to remain silent even when his mind had sure knowledge or his heart screamed out in pain.
Allow me to explain.
I first became acquainted with Reb Moshe back in the days of the Jewish Observer. He had just begun his rabbinic career, and he called me from time to time with either a compliment or his own personal thoughts regarding articles I had written.
Several years ago, our relationship became much deeper and stronger after a Shavuos morning in Yerushalayim. My wife and I were graciously invited to an early-morning kiddush at the beautiful home of Jerry and Sora Wolasky in the Rova. There we met Rabbi Hauer, the Wolaskys’ rav back in Baltimore, who was also spending Shavuos in Yerushalayim and had just concluded a shiur that had lasted through the night.
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