Remaining Silent when Humiliated — The Torah's Reward

It was just a regular day in the yeshivah of Vizhnitz chassidim in London, England. Pairs of students were learning the Talmud while toward the front of the study hall, the yeshivah's dean, Rabbi Pinchas Schneebalg, sat and learned Torah.

Suddenly, a man burst into the large room and headed right over to where Rabbi Schneebalg was sitting. He was shouting so loudly and emotionally that he was almost incoherent. But after a few moments it became clear that he blamed Rabbi Schneebalg for the fact that his son had not been accepted to learn in the yeshivah. He used terrible, insulting language and the rabbi was mortified.

The students sat in shock; no one spoke a word. The man's outburst continued and Rabbi Schneebalg sat in silence, listening to every word and feeling the humiliation to his bones. Finally, the man ended his furious tirade and turned on his heel to leave.

A moment later, Rabbi Schneebalg got to his feet and left the study hall.

***

That night, the rabbi could not sleep. The shame he felt at having such dreadful accusations leveled at him in front of his students was immense. He tossed and turned for hours, not knowing what to make of the entire incident. He knew the man's anger was unwarranted, that his case had been dealt with fairly and with sensitivity. He could understand his pain, but the humiliation he felt was overwhelming.

Then, suddenly, an idea flashed into his head.

He thought of Rabbi Gefner.

Rabbi Gefner had been married for almost ten years and he and his wife had not been blessed with children. As soon as morning dawned, Rabbi Schneebalg picked up the phone.

"I am transferring to you my merits from the insults I suffered last night. I bless you that these merits will be sufficient to give you the brachah of children," he blessed him.

***

Nine months passed, and Rabbi Gefner held a Kiddush to celebrate the birth of his first daughter.

The Gaon of Vilna wrote: "For every moment that a person restrains himself from speaking in this world, he merits the Hidden Light that no angel or creature can imagine."

The Gemara quotes Rabbi Elazar: "The world exists only because of those who restrain themselves during a quarrel, as it says: 'He hangs the earth upon nothing.'"

The word "nothing" is "blimah" which can also be read as "swallowing," as in, one swallows one's retort when another person is verbally abusive or speaks mockingly. Rabbi Schneebalg earned tremendous reward for not responding to the man who so humiliated him, and through this, he brought Heavenly blessing to a fellow Jew.

As related by Rabbi Mordechai Malka, the rabbi of the city of Elad