Today we present a story about Rav Chaim Kanievsky’s father, the Steipler ztz’l , as told by our scholar in residence, my father-in-law, Rabbi Nosson Scherman, shlita:
The Steipler Gaon was the Gadol HaDor in his time. He was a brother-in-law of the Chazon Ish, and the father of Rav Chaim.
When the Steipler’s father was a young man, he was a chasid of the Hornosteipel Rebbe (which is where the name Steipler came from). When the time came for Shidduchim, two girls were suggested for him. One was from a very wealthy family, so he’d be able to sit and learn for the rest of his life, but the girl was not so desirable in terms of spirituality and religion. The other girl was a very fine girl, but from a poor family, and he’d have to go to work right away.
He went to his Rebbe to ask what he should do, and the Rebbe said, “You don’t go for the money, you go for the person. Marry the girl who is very good, and don’t worry about the money.“
The Rebbe saw on his face that he was a little bit disappointed, so the Rebbe said, “You will have a son who will light up the whole world with his Torah.“
Later on in life, the Steipler would say, “Why do people buy my sefarim? There are better sefarim.. it’s because the Sadik gave a beracha, and you can’t ask questions about a Sadik’s beracha.”
He attributed his success to the beracha of the Hornosteipel Rebbe.
This story is an an example of the humility of an Adam Gadol, of Emunat Chachamim, and also- of Middot, which is what we have been talking about. Ahavat Yisrael, Ve’Ahavta LeRe’echa Kamocha, are is the foundation of the entire Torah.
The Derashot Haran points out that when Avraham Avinu was looking for a wife for his son Yitzhak, he went to a place where people worshipped idols (so maybe their Hashkafa wasn’t the best), but they had the proper Middot. She had the Middah of Hesed.
When looking for a wife, the future mother of your children, that’s always what you are supposed to look for. You are supposed to look for the proper Middot.
And the ultimate Middah is Ahavat Yisrael, which is what we are working on.
We see from here that the Steipler’s father chose a wife that had proper Middot, and, so to say, sacrificed on his learning, but in the end, he was paid back, with his great son, the Steipler, and his grandson, Rav Chaim Kanievsky.
Have a wonderful day.