Page 28 - HaMizrachi Pesach 5783 USA

When the

Aruch HaShulchan Could

Not Begin his Seder

Rav Meir Bar Ilan ל״צז

The youngest son of the great Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehudah Berlin (the Netziv), Rabbi Meir Bar Ilan was also the
grandson of Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein, the legendary rabbi of Novardok and author of the Aruch HaShulchan. A
prolific and powerful writer, Rav Bar Ilan wrote movingly and honestly about both his father and grandfather.
The following story about Rabbi Epstein is a translation of a passage from Rav Meir Bar Ilan’s autobiography,
From Volozhin to Jerusalem, in honor of Rav Bar Ilan’s 74th yahrzeit, on the 18th of Nissan.

hen the family asked which would render all of the food she A little more time passed, and Saba finally
Saba how it is possible had prepared for Pesach forbidden as walked into the room – the table was all
to be a posek, when there chametz. This occurred as we returned set, everything was decorated beautifully,
Ware shivim panim l’Torah, from davening ma’ariv and were preparing only awaiting his arrival – and his face
seventy ways to understand every law, the table for the Seder. My grandfather was aglow as he turned to the woman and
when you can always find a flaw in every listened to her question, and instead of said: “It’s kosher, go home to prepare your
proof, when every law can be interpreted answering immediately as he normally Seder. Next time, just be careful to avoid
in many ways, and a posek is likely to did, he took a candle and walked into the questionable situations.”
stumble and forbid the permissible or room with all of the sefarim. The woman
permit the prohibited, he answered: who came to ask the question stood wait- He then turned to the family and said:
“How could I sit down to begin the Seder
ing. Ten minutes went by, fifteen minutes,
“A person must focus his heart on pasken- twenty minutes and more. Everyone was as long as this woman could not return
ing correctly, and beyond that – well, home and celebrate the Seder with her
‘the Torah was not given to angels,’ and waiting to begin the Seder, and one of the own family?”
grandchildren was sent to the room to
if everyone is always worried that his call Saba to the table. Saba was immersed,
understanding is incorrect, to whom,
then, has the Torah been given to? A looking through various books, and
said “just a minute, just
person must have good intentions and
seek the truth, and the rest? ‘He is com- a minute, I’m
coming.”
passionate, He forgives iniquity.’”
His strength and self-confidence enabled
him to not only become the greatest posek
of his generation, but also of generations to
follow. And when he sought to be lenient,
he would do so with awe of heaven and
confidence that his approach was correct,
even as others ruled strictly in order to
remove themselves from doubt.
One year, on the night of the second Seder,
a woman came to ask my grandfather a
question – a serious question that, if my
grandfather ruled strictly, would have
a dire impact not only on the Seder but

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