The Human Side of the Story

For the week ending 15 November 2003 / 20 Heshvan 5764

A Tzaddik in Our Time

by Rabbi Mendel Weinbach zt'l
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Anyone who ever attended a wedding in Bnei Brak up until a year or two ago was familiar with Reb Dovid Leib Schwartz, of blessed memory, who solicited money for tzedaka and profusely blessed the donors.

This Tzaddik endured the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps and heroically maintained his observance of mitzvot, even managing to fulfill the obligations of three meals on Shabbat. In one camp the inmates were called together before Shabbat and each of them was given a loaf of bread which was to last them during an exhausting three-day march which they would be forced to make after Shabbat. Everyone except for Reb Dovid Leib cautiously saved the loaf for the long march. He insisted on consuming it for the three Shabbat meals.

At the end of the day there came a surprise announcement that the march had been cancelled and that all unconsumed loaves must be returned to the camp kitchen. This Tzaddik had no need to return anything. Instead he received a Heavenly return for his self-sacrificing heroism and his faith in G-d which was so dramatically vindicated.

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