My son was turning three
years old and it was time for his upsherin. Since I learned
occasionally in the Bais Medrash of Rav Shmuel Auerbach's Yeshiva and
saw him once a week, with some nudging from wife I garnered the courage
to ask him to do the honors and cut the first snips. When I managed to
ask him, he told me that he is not the best barber but if I want I
could come to him after Shachris.
So we got all ready for the
big event. We made sure to bring everything we needed for the
occasion; scissors, candies, and a camera. When we arrived, Rav Shmuel
was learning Chumash with a few talmidim huddled around his shtender.
Wrapped in talis and tefilin with his face shining, it looked like a
scene from the past. Finally the group dispersed and one of the
talmidim came to tell us that Rav Shmuel was ready for us.
Nervously
we approached. I think my boys were more terrified then I was. He
wished us Sholom Aleichem and asked my son his name. As I started
fumbling with the scissors he asked, "where is the camera". Of course,
the camera! I took it out and he called one of his talmidim to take a
picture.
He held up the scissors and took a snip. He then
turned to his talmid and asked if the flash went off. His talmid said
yes. Rav Shmuel said he didn't see it and he should take another
picture. He then held up the piece of hair that he had snipped off,
together with the scissors, as if he was cutting it for the first time,
and posed for the camera. I couldn't believe my eyes.
It may be
a fake pose, but it was one of the most genuine and thoughtful displays
of kindness that we are fortunate to have hanging on the wall of our
home. Our gedolim don't waste their time with fulfilling mundane
requests. They go from the epitome of the world with their torah and
tefila to the height of chesed with their incredible care for every
simple Jewish adult and child alike.
RS, Gateshead UK, 2009-01-21 01:30:52 What an amazing story! I wonder though, why Rav Shmuel chose to hold the ORIGINAL piece AS IF he was about to cut it - rather than a simpler pose of holding ANOTHER piece actually still attached! There would be no knowing from the photo that it wasn't the first piece. There must have been a cheshbon...
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