Rabbi Seraya Deblitzky’s Fear of the SHULCHAN ARUCH
My very favorite Jewish stories are those which show Yir’as Ha’onesh. Or better yet, a specific form thereof: being awake and aware of the halachic import of unnoticed details. As these are about as common as moon rocks on planet earth, I try to reproduce them whenever possible.
Here is such a beautiful story about Rabbi Seraya Deblitzky, a man after my own heart:
The rabbi, accompanied by a relative, visited a Jewish childhood friend who was no longer Torah observant. As they departed, Rabbi Deblitzky’s company tried to close the apartment door after them. Whereupon, the rabbi lunged onto the breach and prevented the door closing with a foot in the door.
When asked why, the rabbi explained their host had a female Philippino nurse, and closing the door all the way would have meant placing the man into a Yichud situation. The facts of the man’s flagrant non-observance, and old age were wholly irrelevant.
Judaism is about Fear of Heaven. Fear of Heaven is all about fear of violating halacha. Therefore, the ultimate Jewish mindset is being observant (and therefore “observant”) of the smallest “מצוה קלה”. And, yes, the title is meant to reference that horrible phrase by the Kotzker Rebbe…
These are the kind of stories which warm my heart and make me so jealous.
(Found in Ikvesa Demeshicha #350)