Too Frum

Once, certain Yerushalmi Yid known to be an unusually pious talmid chacham, was discovered to uphold a very unusual stringency: he was so frum that he wouldn’t even speak to his own wife! At first, the poor woman didn’t tell anyone about this habit of her husband’s, but eventually it bothered her so much that she revealed her hidden sorrow to her mother. Both women eventually decided to go to Rav Yehoshua Leib Diskin, zt”l, the Rav of Yerushalayim, for advice. When they told him about the husband’s behavior, he was very upset. He sent a messenger to this man requesting that the man come to him at the time during the day when the Rav normally took a break for lunch at home.

The man arrived at the appointed time, entered the house and said, “Shalom Aleichem, Rabi u’Mori!”

Rav Yehoshua Leib ignored him and rudely left him standing there foolishly all the while that the Rav ate his lunch. Understandably, the avreich was very embarrassed to be marooned there for the course of the Rav’s meal without the slightest bit of attention paid to his presence. When the Rav finished eating, he said perfunctorily, “You may go.”

The avreich, who was no fool, immediately understood the lesson. Naturally, he began to speak to his wife at home as everyone understands is only right and fitting!”