The Boy Who Knew It All: A Jerusalem Legend

A captivating story from Jerusalem tells of an extraordinary young boy, born without the angel's silencing touch. As he began to speak, even before knowing how to read or write, his family was astonished to discover that he knew the entire Torah. Word of this wonder spread, and Torah scholars as well as curious Jews came from all around to witness the spectacle: a young child fluent in Torah, Mishnah, and Talmud, and knowledgeable in complex halakhic discussions, much like an experienced sage. Truly a marvel.

According to this tale, the four-year-old boy was brought to Rabbi Aharon of Belz, who supposedly offered a gentle slap, after which the child returned to being an ordinary boy like all others.

For decades, this story has been passed down through generations, with variations and countless retellings stirring the imaginations of children and even piquing the interest of folklore researchers. Some have gone to great lengths to uncover the identity of this child and question if he is still alive today; their findings, though temporary, are presented here.

So the story goes, the boy, named Yisrael Moshe, was born in 1950 to a Chassidic Belz family. By age four, when he entered cheder, his teacher noticed the boy didn't need a Chumash; he recited verses by heart. Intrigued, his Jerusalem teacher then tested him on various Torah texts. To his surprise, the child quoted entire pages of Gemara, intricate teachings of Rishonim, and even full sections of the Zohar.

The astonishing tale quickly spread, drawing in many who wanted to witness the boy themselves. People would linger by his home, offering sweets and toys just to catch a glimpse of this living miracle.

A journalist from 'Maariv' heard of the story and decided to investigate. He met with the boy's teacher at the cheder, who shared the narrative with excitement. The reporter also visited the boy's home but was met with refusal from the parents, who claimed it was all the teacher's imagination, and under the Rebbe's guidance, they kept the boy isolated. Puzzled, the journalist wondered why, if the child indeed did not know the entire Torah, was speaking with him forbidden? He was left conflicted and wrote, "I don't know whom to believe, the teacher or the boy's parents."

From this point, different versions emerge: one says the boy was sent to the Rebbe of Belz, who instructed him "to forget everything." Another version claims the boy was brought to Baba Sali, who passed his hand over the child's lips, erasing his memories. The great Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky mentioned the story in his book 'Chayei Olam' to illustrate the concept of reincarnations, and several other distinguished rabbis discussed this account.

In the introduction to the book 'Yadot Efraim', Rabbi Chaim Aryeh Spitz, a prominent American rabbi, described reading the story in newspapers and decided to travel to Israel to examine the boy himself. He indeed arrived and, according to his account, not only did the boy recite Talmudic passages and teachings of the Rishonim, but he even quoted insights from Rabbi Spitz's own book, 'Yadot Efraim'. To the editor of the book, Rabbi Mordechai Feldman of the 'Pri HaEtz' Kollel in Jerusalem, this was proof of the book's significance.

On the other hand, the esteemed Rabbi Yehuda Leib Levinstein remained skeptical. In the introduction to a Torah booklet published during Passover 2004, Rabbi Leib Bakst quotes him saying, "Could it truly be that an angel of Hashem forgot to silence a Jewish child?" If the story were indeed true, Rabbi Chatzkel stated, it would be a great mitzvah to make it known to everyone.

The boy, known by many, is now a Belz Chassid living in Israel, working as a bank clerk.