The Right Approach to Negativity

by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Home

The incident happened a number of years before Rav Elyashiv zt”l was niftar.  There was some negativity on the part of some members of the right wing community r”l against Rav Elyashiv zt”l because they disagreed with one or two of his rulings.  Some engaged in name calling r”l against the Gadol HaDor.  Others even did worse.

Once, Rav Elyashiv was walking with someone speaking in learning.  Across the street, someone was engaged in vociferous name-calling. Rav Elyashive suggested that they cross the street and give him brachos and engage in Ahavas Yisroel.

They did.  Rav Elyashiv zt”l asked if he had children.  He responded that he did not.  Rav Elyashiv gave him a shefa of brachos that he should very soon merit yiddishe kinder and that he raise them al pi derech yisroel saba and that he should fulfill the Mitzvah of veshinantam levanecha in the greatest of hiddur and that he should be so busy with these that he will not have time for narishkeit.

Within a year of this incident, the person’s wife gave birth to triplets.  Within the next year, his wife had twins.  The entire city of Yerushalayim was nishtomem from this remarkable incident.

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