Even Five Minutes Is a Treasure: The Steipler’s Kind Wisdom

Rabbi Yaakov Galinsky shared a touching story about the Steipler, Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky, one of the great Torah sages of the previous generation. A young man once came to him and said, “It’s hard for me to learn. I try, but I just can’t sit and study.”

The Steipler didn’t criticize him. He didn’t even look surprised. Instead, he leaned in with warmth and asked, “Can you learn for five minutes?”

The young man thought for a moment and said, “Yes, five minutes I can do.”

The Steipler’s face lit up with joy. “Five minutes? That’s a treasure! Learn for five minutes, then take a break. Walk around. Then sit for another five minutes—and another treasure! Hashem doesn’t ask for more than what we can give. Each person according to what they can do.”

In Hebrew, there’s a saying from our sages: “Ish kefi achilato”—“each person according to how much they can eat.” The Steipler used this to explain that we’re not expected to do more than we’re able. Even five minutes of Torah learning, when done sincerely, is precious in the eyes of Hashem.

This kind and practical advice reflected how the Steipler viewed people—with love, understanding, and deep yirat Shamayim, awe of Heaven.

That awe stayed with him throughout his life, even in his final years, when his body was frail and filled with pain. His son, Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky zt”l, once shared that during those last years, walking just a few meters from his home on Rashbam Street to the Lederman shul (synagogue) was almost impossible for him. Every step was difficult. Small benches were placed along the street so he could rest often.

On Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year, he insisted on fasting and praying with all his strength. Though his body was weak, his soul burned with devotion. His family tried to make it easier by finding him a small room upstairs in the Lederman shul where he could rest after the prayers. This room had only been created during renovations—it hadn’t existed in the old building.

When the Steipler entered the room, a question came to his mind: “Was this room once part of the original synagogue area? If so, is it allowed to sleep in it?” According to halacha (Jewish law), it’s not proper to sleep in a space that was used for prayer. His fear of doing the wrong thing was so strong that, not knowing the answer, he didn’t sleep at all that night.

That wasn’t the only test of his devotion. During Yom Kippur day, he felt that his sock had become wet. Now, in Jewish law, squeezing water out of fabric on Shabbat or Yom Kippur is forbidden. He was afraid that even stepping on it might squeeze water out. He couldn’t remove the sock, and he wouldn’t let his foot touch the ground. So he kept his leg raised—for two hours—until the sock dried.

All this, during the final year of his life, when he was already sick and weak. After a night with no sleep, he still didn’t let himself relax if it meant even a small chance of breaking Hashem’s law.

Yet this same man, who held himself to the highest spiritual standards, looked at a struggling young man with nothing but gentleness and encouragement.

His message to us is simple and powerful: start where you are. Even five minutes is a treasure. Even one small step is beloved by Hashem. The path to greatness isn’t made of giant leaps—it’s built from honest effort, one moment at a time.