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ShiraHochheimer2012 27

learned from Rav Chaim. Rav Chaim awoke and started to correct the complicated

topic he had just taught. Only then did he acknowledge the Ravs visit. Rav Chaim

was able to ignore everything else that was going on because of his quest for theTorah.

This Rav also mentioned how Rav Chaim had many locks on his doors when in

Minsk. The reason was that city had many cruel Jews who were trying to takeJewish children away from Torah and did not do chesed for the poor properly. Helocked the door many times so he would not learn from them. Once, they sent him

special flour so he wouldnt get sick. He returned the flour to be given to otherswho were poorer and in greater need.

Rav HaChe sed

Rav Chaim Brisker changed Torah learning all over the world. Yet, at the time hewas niftar, this was not what was remembered the most. What everyone

remembered was his chesed. On his matzeivawas written the description RavHaChesed

Rav Chaims house was open to all. In Rav Chaims living room, beggars would putnotices up on the wall. They would sleep on his couches. He would always becareful not to disturb them. Sometimes, his wife or children would walk into the

bedroom and find that Rav Chaim had invited some poor people to sleep there andnoone in the family had beds.

There was a huge fire in the town and many homes were destroyed. Rav Chaimdevoted himself to helping the penniless survivors. Rav Chaim insisted in sleeping

in the hallway of the shul. He asked how he could sleep in his bed if there were so

many who didnt even have a roof over their heads.

Rav Chaim was once having an important meeting with the Bais Din in Brisk. A

pauper came into the room, ate Rav Chaims lunch and fell asleep on his couch. Rav

Chaim warned everyone there not to disturb the poor man.

Mothers would leave their babies on his doorstep if they were unable to take care of

them or the babies were too sick. Rav Chaim hired women to feed the babies andcared for them in his home.

The people of town paid Rav Chaim to be their Rav. However, whenever he got apay check, he immediately gave it away to tzeddaka. They had to give the money

to his wife to insure that they would have food.

Rav Chaim had a rule. Anyone could ask for something and the family would needto give it without a complaint. Once someone asked Rav Velvel for his pen. RavVelvel was in the middle of writing some of the chidushei Torah of Rav Chaim. Rav

Velvel asked him to wait a minute. Rav Chaim got very upset and said what isgoing on here that we don't lend our pens..." (Holchei Nesivos - Middos Tovos)

Rav Chaim changed the world of Torah. We are all talmidim of his because of the

Brisker method, the yeshivos that were founded by his talmidim and from learningabout his chesed.