Rabbi Steinman to Clinic Owner: "One Who Compromises for Peace Does Not Lose"

This is the story of an Israeli man living in London, a talented and driven individual who opened a large medical clinic, a sort of doctor’s center in the city. He offered patients good care, fair prices, and warm, personal treatment. His smile and friendly staff made people feel at ease. The English community loved it, and the clinic became a true success story.

Everything looked promising except that another large clinic was already operating in the same area. It belonged to a well-established chain of clinics. Slowly, some of their clients began switching over to his clinic.

The owners of the chain weren’t pleased. They sent him serious warnings, urging him to consider closing. They threatened legal action and more. At first, he brushed it off with classic Israeli confidence: “Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.” He believed in his connections, he had influential friends in Parliament and among other authorities.

But when they saw he wasn’t backing down, the chain escalated the pressure. They filed a lawsuit and launched a negative media campaign against him. The situation started to feel overwhelming.

This clinic owner had a traditional Jewish friend who encouraged him to speak with a great rabbi back in Israel. “What do you have to lose?” his friend said. “He’s a wise man, a tzaddik (a righteous person). It’s worth it.” Eventually, the man agreed.

One day, two Jews wearing clean white kippot arrived at the home of Rabbi Aharon Leib Steinman in Bnei Brak. The man shared the whole story.

Rabbi Steinman listened and then asked: “Why don’t you join their clinic?”

“They don’t want me,” the man replied. “They have enough clinics in the area. They’re just trying to get rid of me.”

“So what do they want?” the Rabbi asked.

“For me to close my clinic,” he answered.

“And why don’t you close it?”

The man was shocked. “What does the Rabbi mean?! I worked so hard to build it. It’s my parnassah, my source of income!”

“There are other ways to make a living,” the Rabbi said calmly.

“But it’s not that simple,” the man insisted. “I have a lease on the building, contracts with doctors... I’d have to pay everyone damages.”

“How much would that cost you?” the Rabbi asked.

The man started calculating. Rabbi Aharon Leib waited patiently.

Finally, he said: “Seventy thousand euros. A huge amount!”

“Does Hashem not have seventy thousand euros to give you?” the Rabbi replied gently.

The man stared in disbelief. “Why would Hashem just give me that kind of money?”

Rabbi Steinman looked at him and said with deep conviction: “One who compromises for peace does not lose. I’ve seen many things in my life. I’ve seen people give in for the sake of peace and come out better for it. You won’t lose.”

The man asked, “Can the Rabbi personally guarantee the money?”

“No,” Rabbi Aharon Leib said honestly. “I don’t even have a tenth of that.”

“So who will give it to me?”

“You need me to give it to you?” the Rabbi smiled. “Does Hashem lack the means to help you? For fifty years, I’ve been advising people, and I’ve never given bad advice. I promise you this is good advice.”

“But if I follow it, I’ll lose my income. Can the Rabbi promise me another one?”

“I can’t promise you a specific job,” Rabbi Steinman replied. “But I promise you won’t lose. Those who compromise, they gain.”

The man sat there, confused and unsure.

Then his friend spoke up: “Don’t be foolish. You came for advice, and the Rabbi gave it. Believe him!”

“Alright,” the man said. “When I return to London, I’ll speak with them and let them know my decision.”

“No,” the Rabbi said, making a gesture like picking up a phone. “Call them now. Let them know right away.”

“But they’ll laugh at me. I’ve been fighting them this whole time and now I’m backing down?”

“What will you lose?” the Rabbi asked. “A little pride? I’m an old man, I don’t need honor. You’re a young man. You don’t need honor either. You need parnassah, a source of income.”

They stepped outside, and the man called his competitors in London. He told them he was closing his clinic. On the other end of the line, they were stunned. Completely shocked. They couldn’t understand what had happened.

“Who is Rabbi Steinman?”

Back in London, he met with the owners of the clinic chain. They were suspicious. “What are you trying to pull?” they asked. “You’re setting us up, right? Some kind of financial trick?”

He explained: “I spoke with a rabbi in Israel. This is what he told me to do. I’m following his advice.”

“A rabbi? What’s a rabbi got to do with any of this?” they asked. “What’s he giving you?”

“This isn’t just any rabbi,” he said. “He’s the Chief Rabbi.”

They didn’t believe him. The whole thing seemed impossible. After all the struggle, why would he suddenly give up? They decided to investigate.

They sent one of the partners to Israel. He first stopped at the British Embassy and asked, “Who is Rabbi Steinman?” They told him: “He’s a very important man. Wise. Balanced. Completely trustworthy.”

The British gentleman was well-dressed, elegant and came to Rabbi Steinman’s simple home. He was shocked. He looked around, taking in the modest walls, the simple furniture. Surely this couldn’t be the home of such a powerful man.

He was shown to a seat, a plastic chair. He looked at it in disbelief. In the waiting rooms of his clinics, people didn’t sit on plastic chairs…

But when he saw that Rabbi Steinman himself sat on the same kind of chair, he understood: this was not an insult. This was simply the way the Rabbi lived.

He introduced himself, and a translator helped with Hebrew.

“I’ve come about the clinics in London. Why did the Rabbi tell him to close? What are you trying to gain from us? Who will cover his losses?”

“Hashem will repay him,” Rabbi Aharon Leib answered.

The man pressed further. “Why would the Rabbi tell someone to do something so foolish? What are you hiding? We’re willing to compromise if we understand what’s really going on.”

“The Torah forbids harming someone’s source of income”

Rabbi Steinman pointed to the Gemara (Talmud) and said: “The Torah teaches that one must not hurt another person’s livelihood. He shouldn’t have opened his clinic so close to yours. He must compromise.”

“But who will pay him back?” the man asked.

“That’s on him,” said the Rabbi. “This is what Hashem asks of him. It’s not about money, it’s about what’s right.”

The man thought for a moment. “Okay. That’s the advice you gave him. But what advice do you have for us? He has influence, powerful friends. This could hurt us in the media. It might look suspicious. No one will believe he stepped down voluntarily.”

The Rabbi paused, then asked: “Where else do you have branches in England?”

“In London.”

“What about Manchester? Open a branch there and make him the manager.”

“He won’t want to work under us,” the man replied.

“So make him a partner. He’s smart and strong and he stood up to your big clinic. You want someone like that with you."

“May I call my partners to discuss?” the man asked. He made the call and they all agreed.

Then the man took three thousand euros from his pocket and placed it on the table.

“What is this?” Rabbi Steinman asked.

“It’s a consultation fee. An hour of advice costs money. I’m paying as is customary.”

“Take it back,” the Rabbi said firmly. “Leave nothing here.”

The man protested. “But it’s only right. You gave me your time and advice.”

Rabbi Steinman answered, “Those who take money for advice studied for it. The money helps them think and advise wisely. But I didn’t study to give advice. I simply say what I understand from the Torah.” He pointed to the Gemara again. “And Torah doesn’t go with money. If I take payment, I’ll lose the clarity to advise.”

The End of the Story

Later, the man reported: “I closed the clinic in London. I paid compensation to all the doctors and to the property owners. Two months later we opened the new clinic in Manchester. The promise came true so quickly!”

From "Ner L’Shulchan Shabbat."