Some are familiar with the story of one mother who called to her young son, “Moshe Moshe,” while in the presence of Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l. When he heard her call he immediately assumed that she was calling him, so he turned around and asked her what she wished. It is less well known that Rav Moshe’s reaction could be considered the rule regarding the gedolim, not the exception to the rule.
Once, the secretary of the prestigious Kollel Hod in Batei Machse in Yesrushalayim called to his shamash and said, “We have received money for Mrs. Rosenfeld. Please call her to come for the money right away.”
The shamash was preoccupied with a personal matter so he completely misheard his boss’ instructions. Instead of Mrs. Rosenfeld, he thought his boss had said, “Rav Sonnenfeld.” Understandably, he went to the venerable Rav of Yerushalayim, Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, zt”l, who immediately answered the summons and climbed the many steps to the office of the Kollel.
The moment the shocked secretary saw Rav of Yerushalayim at his door he blurted out, “I don’t understand. If the Rav had need of me, why didn’t he summon me?”
“Actually I am answering your shamash’s summons to come for money left for me.”
At this point the secretary figured out what had transpired and furiously exclaimed that he would give the shamash a piece of his mind.
“But why?” asked Rav Sonnenfeld. “This kind of mistake could happen to anyone.”
At the Rav’s insistence the secretary agreed not to mention the mistake to the shamash.
But what is truly mind-boggling is what transpired immediately afterwards. A short time later, Mrs. Rosenfeld entered the Kollel to collect her money.
“But how did you hear?’ asked the puzzled secretary who in the heat of the moment had completely forgotten to summon the woman.
“What do you mean how? A few minutes ago the Rav of Yerushalayim knocked on my door and told me about it!”
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