The Power of Torah Lishmah     

IN

his book, Habitachon V’hademokratiyah (“Security and Democracy”), Isser Harel, the first director of the Mossad, shared an experience from his childhood that has since been repeated by several gedolei Torah all over the world, including Rav Sholom Schwadron ztz”l, the Maggid of Yerushalayim. (Harel’s last name was originally Halpern, and he was born into a chareidi family. Unfortunately, he did not maintain that lifestyle, and he ultimately became the hero of the Israeli intelligence community.)

Young Isser grew up in Dvinsk when the great Rav Meir Simcha, author of Ohr Sameiach and Meshech Chochmah, served as the rav of the city. The river that ran through the city was on the verge of overflowing its banks, frightening all of the inhabitants, who knew full well the potential danger it presented. They laid sandbags to try to hold back the floodwaters, but to no avail. Rav Meir Simcha was asked by the townsfolk to save the day. (According to one version of the story, even the gentile mayor implored him for help.)

He arose from his Gemara, approached the river, and declared, “River, river! I am the mara d’asra of this city, and I decree with the power of the Torah that you recede immediately!”

The water level returned to normal, causing a great kiddush Hashem among all the inhabitants of Dvinsk, Jew and gentile alike. Scoffers will either call it black magic or deny the story altogether. Others might deem it a litvishe mofes. However, we can turn to the writings of the Ohr HaChaim Hakadosh to understand exactly what was at work here.