He Asked Me Two Questions and Gave Me Strength for Life

Aryeh Leib was a poor Jewish boy from Lithuania with a deep dream to study Torah at the renowned Grodno Yeshiva. After many heartfelt pleas, his parents finally agreed to send him. They gave him a bit of bread and water for the journey, and with that, he set off on the long road to Grodno, a trip that would take an entire week on foot.

The journey was not easy. The boy had to rely on the kindness of strangers, sleep in various synagogues, and find whatever help he could along the way. But his spirit was strong, and when he finally arrived at the Grodno Yeshiva, he was filled with joy. He immediately began reviewing his studies, hoping he would do well on the entrance exam that would be given by the Rosh Yeshiva (Head of the Yeshiva), the great Torah scholar, Rabbi Shimon Shkop.

With his heart pounding, Aryeh Leib gathered his courage and knocked on the door of Rabbi Shimon’s home. The elderly rabbi opened the door with a warm smile and welcomed the boy inside.

“I want to be accepted to the yeshiva. I’ve come all the way from Lithuania,” Aryeh Leib said, his voice low and uncertain.

“In that case, I’ll ask you two questions,” said the Rosh Yeshiva.

Aryeh Leib immediately became tense. This is it, he thought. This is the moment that will decide my future.

Rabbi Shimon asked his first question: “When was the last time you ate a hot meal?”

Aryeh Leib was taken aback. That wasn’t what he expected. He paused and then quietly replied that it had been several days since he had eaten anything warm.

Without another word, Rabbi Shimon stood up. “I’m not much of a cook,” he said, but the Rebbetzin’s not here, so I’ll make you whatever I can.”

Before the astonished eyes of the young boy, this elderly Torah scholar already in his seventies, went to the kitchen, prepared food, and served it to him. When Aryeh Leib finished the plate, the Rosh Yeshiva quickly filled it again with more.

Embarrassed but full, the boy thanked him and said the blessing after the meal. Then Rabbi Shimon smiled and said, “And now for the second question.”

Now it begins, thought Aryeh Leib. This must be the real test I studied so hard for. He sat up straight and prepared to answer whatever Talmudic question the Rosh Yeshiva would ask.

Rabbi Shimon looked him in the eye and asked gently, “When was the last time you slept in a real bed?”

Again, the boy was stunned. He answered that he honestly didn’t remember.

The rabbi went to his room, arranged the bed with a soft pillow and blanket, and turned to the boy with kindness in his voice: “Go ahead. Rest from your long and difficult journey.”

Rabbi Shimon personally adjusted the blanket and straightened the pillow for the young traveler.

Too shy to protest, Aryeh Leib lay down on Rabbi Shimon’s own bed. He was so exhausted from the week-long journey that he slept straight through until morning.

The next day, Rabbi Shimon saw him and said simply, “You’ve passed both questions. You’re accepted into the yeshiva!”

Decades later, Aryeh Leib would recall this story with tears streaming down his face.

“Many years have passed,” he said, “and I’ve gone through many sorrows including losing my entire family in the terrible Holocaust and many other hardships. But what preserved my connection to Judaism, what kept my soul alive through it all, were those two questions I was asked at the entrance to the Grodno Yeshiva.”

Rabbi Shimon Yehuda HaKohen Shkop was the head of the Shaar HaTorah Yeshiva in Grodno. His unique approach to Torah learning is expressed in his sefer (Torah book) Shaarei Yosher, a classic work of deep ethical and legal insight.

He passed away on the 9th of Cheshvan 5700 (1939), during the Mincha prayer at a rabbinic gathering held in his home. His legacy continues to inspire generations of Torah scholars and seekers of kindness.