Amazing Story About Rabbi Schwadron ZTL

1:41In a previous generation, there were a few tzaddikim who were zealous for Hashem. One of them was Rav Shalom Shvadron. Rav Shalom Shvadron, z'chuto yagen aleinu, was not only a gadol baTorah, but also a powerhouse when it came to helping Am Yisrael do teshuva. He had a very, very unique style of speaking and telling people, making fun of himself, and scaring you to death, all at the same time. He was a very big person, very strong. And he and another tzaddik, by the name of Rav Shabtai Yehuda Levin, were also very big, strong people. And both of them were chachamim, talmidei chachamim, serious talmidei chachamim. Not like today, where some people are considered talmidei chachamim without the same level of scholarship. Now, they were zealous for Hashem. What does it mean to be zealous for Hashem? They would go beyond the basics. So, on Friday night, they wanted to ensure that everyone in the neighborhood kept Shabbat. How do you make sure everybody keeps Shabbat? On Friday, they'd go to every store.

3:00Shabbat, Shabbat is coming in two or three hours. Okay, Shabbat is coming. Let's go, close the shop, remind everybody: every Shabbat, close the shop, close the shop, close the shop. Now, if you have somebody coming to your store to remind you, even if you don't keep Shabbat, but every Friday someone comes to your store and tells you to close the shop and not open on Shabbat, after a while, just from the embarrassment, you would stop—unless you're the exact opposite of them. You're zealous for sin. And there was such a person. There was one rasha (wicked person) that hated Judaism. Not only did he hate Judaism, but he was also zealous for sin. He hated when they came. He'd come to a store, and they'd tell him "Shabbat, Shabbat," but he'd continue working, careless about what they were saying. Now Rav Shwadron and Rav Yudelowitz Weren't just somebody you can pick on. They wanted to make sure if they needed you to close the store, you were going to close the store. So one day, this guy decides, I'm going to get my revenge. What does he do? He goes and buys a huge pit bull. A vicious pit bull. Raised.

4:22in one of these backyards, places where they fight dogs and stuff. Dogs just can't wait to kill somebody. Now, pit bulls in general, they're very lovely animals. I had one for 16 years. But if you train them to do the opposite of their nature, they'll do it because they think that they're protecting you. So he had this vicious pit bull, bought it, and hid it in the basement. Now, anyone who's ever been in a retail store knows that many times the stores put all of their merchandise stock in the basement. They have a door leading down to the basement, like a gate that opens with stairs you walk down. So what did this person do? He had the dog right behind the gate. As soon as he opens it, the dog lunges out at whoever is in front. That was his plan. have the dog sit there, starving, waiting. Whoever's in front of him, as soon as he opens that gate, it's finished. Who's the lucky candidate? He's going to go against these religious people. So this Rasha waited the whole day, licking his lips, waiting for the opportunity to hurt some religious people. Only today, he tried hurting the wrong ones. But the right ones. So,

5:47As you would have it, a couple of hours before Shabbat, Avraham Shpadron comes to the street. Start, Shabbat Shalom, Shabbat Shalom, it's time to go. Shabbat Shalom, everybody, one store after another, one store after another. Eventually, they get to this man's store. And they come together, one on this side, one on that side. Shabbat Shalom, Shabbat Shalom, Mr. Rubin, Shabbat Shalom. Shabbat Shalom. He opens the gate, and the pit bull lunges out. Rav Shwadron looks at Rav Yehudah Leibowitz; they look at each other as the dog — this was like instant, people saw this, instant. The dog lunged at them, one caught him from the front, the other one caught him from the back, and they ripped the dog in half. They were so powerful; they ripped the dog in half. They put it on his table, said "Shabbat Shalom," and left. He kept Shabbat from that point on. Why? He understood this is not human power. This is Kedusha power. It's Kedusha power. We have a hard time ripping a steak, even with a fork and a knife.

7:15But when you have two giants in Torah, HaKadosh Baruch Hu will not let them get scratched. True story. You see, Rabotai Hekarim, HaKadosh Baruch Hu sends different messages to different people in their own way. The more specific you need it, the more it's going to shock you and maybe hurt you. That guy was not going to do teshuva any other way. He thought he was going to get revenge against the Torah. yet something coming to you, you got a personal message; but that's the message that he needed.

8:36Thank you for joining the shiur Torah today. We will delve into the teachings of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, zt"l. In his sefer, Igrot Moshe, he discusses the halachot of Shabbat in great detail. It's important to understand the context of his responsa. Similarly, we'll look into the writings of the Chazon Ish, zt"l, on the nuances of eruvin. Please turn to the text in the Sefer Chofetz Chaim, as we explore the laws of shemirat halashon. Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan, also known as the Chofetz Chaim, provides us with profound insights into the power of speech and its impact on the soul. Let's also not forget the Rambam's Mishneh Torah, where he elucidates the principles of teshuvah. It's crucial to connect with these foundational texts to enhance our understanding and appreciation of Torah learning. I encourage you all to bring questions and insights to the table, as our learning is enriched by the contributions of every participant. Thank you for your dedication and commitment.