Closeup tales of greatness

MY rebbi, the rosh yeshivah of Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim, Rav Henoch Leibowitz ztz”l, had a famous saying that I heard from him often over the years. He would quote a famous general who said that he wanted to leave This World “with his boots on.”

Like the general, who expressed his hope to continue fighting until his last moment, the Rosh Yeshivah would often say that he wanted to be able to continue being marbitz Torah and teaching his talmidim until his very last day.  My father ztz”l, his talmid and assistant for more then 60 years, developed the same mindset as well. This attitude of pushing through until one’s very last breath is something I saw displayed by many of the gedolim I interacted with over the years.

One prime example is the incredible perseverance and inner strength exhibited by the rosh yeshivah Rav Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg ztz”l who lived until past the age of 100 and continued exerting himself for Torah until his last breath. He traveled across the ocean multiple times a year on behalf of the yeshivah, while never missing tefillah at a neitz minyan and never changing any of his hanhagos and personal chumras until his last day. I was zocheh to host the Rosh Yeshivah multiple times in my home for a week at a time and was always amazed at his incredible stamina despite him being close to a century old.

Reb Yussie and Ruchie Stern also hosted the Rosh Yeshivah in their Edison, NJ home many times, and Reb Yussie, who was very close to the Rosh Yeshivah, shared with me an incredible story. On one of his last trips, when the Rosh Yeshivah was already over 90 years old, his son noticed that his father’s passport needed to be renewed before leaving back to Eretz Yisrael.

They went to a nearby office and the woman behind the desk asked Reb Yussie if the rabbi would like a two-year renewal or a ten-year renewal. He responded that a two-year renewal would be sufficient.

But when the Rosh Yeshivah heard about the conversation, he told Yussie to please go back and request the ten-year renewal.

The Rosh Yeshivah, who was already over 90 years old, envisioned coming back to America to fundraise for his yeshivah for another ten years.

Whenever I’m asked to participate in yet another  community project that I feel is beyond my kochos, I think of Rav Scheinberg at that passport office, and of my rebbi with his incredibly warm smile and twinkle in his eye, saying, “ I want to go with my boots on.” And I feel renewed strength.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 1943)