The Honest Businessman Who Danced Through His Loss

Rabbi Aryeh Schachter was known throughout Israel as a powerful speaker and a leader in the teshuva movement — helping many return to their Jewish roots. But behind the strong presence stood a man shaped by a deeply honest and faithful father.

In his book "Aryeh Roared", Rabbi Schachter shared a story that left a deep impression on all who heard it — a story about his father’s emunah (faith in Hashem) and his unwavering commitment to truth, no matter the cost.

“We lived in Tel Aviv, near Mosheva Square,” Rabbi Schachter recounted. “We were twelve children, and somehow our home always had room for guests. Rabbis and travelers would come stay with us because my father, aside from being kind, was deeply God-fearing and honest. He didn’t wait for guests to show up — he would go out to the shared taxi station where people arrived from Jerusalem and invite them into our home.”

His father was also a businessman. Together with a relative and another partner, they invested in a new building material called “Ytong,” a Swedish invention. For a long time, there were no returns, only expenses. Eventually, his father began to suspect the business wasn’t going anywhere. He wanted to resolve things honestly and fairly.

So, he went to speak with the Chazon Ish, one of the great Torah sages of that generation, and requested that he oversee a din Torah (a religious court case in Jewish law) between him and his partners. But the Chazon Ish advised him not to go to court — instead, to try and compromise.

His father was stunned. “Does that mean I’m not right?” he asked. “If I’m not right — then Hashem forbid — I don’t want a single shekel that’s not mine! I don’t want a compromise. I want the truth, even if it costs me everything. If I’m wrong, I’ll return every penny with joy.”

The Chazon Ish agreed to hold the case. In the end, the verdict ruled against Rabbi Schachter’s father. He lost 50,000 lira — a staggering amount at the time, nearly half his total assets.

But what did he do next?

“I remember him dancing for two whole weeks!” Rabbi Schachter recalled, his eyes lighting up. “He kept saying, ‘Baruch Hashem’ — blessed is Hashem — over and over. ‘Blessed is Hashem for not letting me fail by keeping money that doesn’t belong to me.’ He was truly happy. Not a word of complaint crossed his lips.”

His father’s joy didn’t come from winning, but from doing the right thing — from living with truth. He taught his children the same values.

“He was a loving father,” said Rabbi Schachter, “but he never compromised on truth. He told us, ‘With the first lie I catch, I’ll punish you very, very seriously.’ Why? He explained: ‘A murderer doesn’t start by murdering. He starts by lying… then stealing… then who knows where it ends. I will stop you at the first lie, so you never get to that place.’”

He also told them, “If you make a mistake — tell me. You’re human. Children make mistakes. Even adults make silly choices. I’ll do everything to help you. But lies? No lies. If you lie, I won’t be able to help you.”

Rabbi Schachter said, “I’ve been all over the world — on hundreds of flights and missions. Many times, it seemed like telling the truth would ruin everything. And yet, I always told the truth. And every time, the situation turned out okay — better than I expected. My father used to say, ‘If you walk with the truth, you can pass through walls of steel.’ He was right.”

To emphasize the point, Rabbi Schachter shared a beautiful Midrash (a story from our oral tradition): When Hashem told Noah to bring animals into the ark, each pair entered together. But when Sheker (the spirit of Falsehood) wanted to enter, Noah refused him. “You need a partner,” he said.

So Sheker went looking and found Heiseid — Loss. “Be my partner,” he said. “Everything I earn, you can have.” Loss agreed. Together they entered the ark. But when they left and Sheker began to earn and create, Loss took it all. “Where’s everything I made?” Sheker cried. Loss reminded him: “Didn’t we agree? Everything you earn is mine.”

Rabbi Schachter would finish the story with a smile and say, “That agreement is still in effect today. People who lie and steal might think they’re gaining… but they always lose in the end. That’s what the prophet Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) meant when he said, ‘One who gathers wealth unjustly will leave it in the middle of his days.’”

And so, the story of Rabbi Schachter’s father lives on — a quiet hero who taught his family, and all of us, that the greatest gain comes from living with truth, integrity, and deep faith in Hashem.