The Sweetness of Trust: The Brisker Rav’s Powerful Faith

The late Rabbi Reuven Karlinstein shared two powerful stories about the deep trust in Hashem that guided every moment of the Brisker Rav’s life.

“The Brisker Rav ran a kollel, a study program for married Torah scholars. Every month, just before Rosh Chodesh (the start of the new Jewish month), he would make sure to pay their stipends on time, without delay,” Rabbi Karlinstein recounted.

“There was one Erev Rosh Chodesh (the day before the new month) when he had no money to pay them. He couldn’t think of anyone to borrow from and sat quietly in his place, deep in thought,” Rabbi Karlinstein continued.

“One of the people passing by noticed the Rav’s silence and said, half-dreaming out loud: ‘Ah! How amazing it would be if a wealthy man from London came right now and donated a hundred thousand dollars that would support the kollel for half a year! Wouldn’t that be incredible?’”

The Brisker Rav gently responded, “If a rich man from London walks in right now and offers me a hundred thousand dollars I won’t take it. I won’t trade the sweetness of trusting in Hashem for a hundred thousand dollars.

“Each month, I lift my eyes to the heavens and say, ‘Master of the World, my eyes are upon You, please send me what I need in Your kindness.’ And each month, Hashem helps me. I get to see His kindness with my own eyes. If I already had a hundred thousand dollars in the bank, I would lose this sweet feeling of relying completely on Hashem. Would it really be worth trading that sweetness for money?”

Rabbi Karlinstein concluded: “For the Brisker Rav, the verse ‘Cast your burden upon Hashem, and He will sustain you’ wasn’t just a quote but it was how he lived, every single day.”

In another story, Rabbi Karlinstein shared how the Brisker Rav received several buildings in Warsaw as a gift when he got married, something worth a great deal. But something terrible happened. A dishonest man, pretending to help, claimed he would find tenants for the apartments. With deception and lies, he managed to take it all from the Rav, every last property.

What did the Brisker Rav do? He took out the sefer Chovot HaLevavot (Duties of the Heart), a classic Jewish book on personal growth, and began studying the section called Sha’ar HaBitachon, the Gate of Trust.

He learned it once. Then again. Then a third time.

Finally, he said: “Until now, I used to think, ‘Who is rich? Someone who owns buildings in Warsaw!’ But now I know the real answer: ‘Who is rich? Someone who knows the Gate of Trust by heart!’”

Adapted from Yechi Reuven on Parshat Beshalach, courtesy of the Dirshu website.