A Knock at Midnight and a Rabbi’s Quiet Kindness

In the book Pillar of the World, touching stories are told about the great Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, zt"l. These stories aren’t about dramatic miracles or public speeches—but about something more rare: deep patience and quiet kindness, shown day after day, even in the smallest moments.

1. A Knock in the Night

One night at 1:00 a.m., during the few short hours when Rabbi Elyashiv would allow himself to rest, loud knocking echoed through his courtyard. The noise went on for ten minutes. Without complaint, the elderly rabbi got up, dressed, and went to the gate.

A young man stood outside. “I need to speak with the Rabbi—urgently,” he said.

The Rabbi gently invited him in.

The question?
“How should we name our baby?”

Assuming the brit would take place early in the morning and understanding how sensitive naming a child can be for parents, Rabbi Elyashiv calmly gave thoughtful answers and guidance.

Then came the follow-up: “And if it’s a girl—what should we name her?”

The Rabbi responded with the same peace and presence as before. No irritation. No dismissal. Just quiet respect.

2. A Lifetime of Patience

His son-in-law, Rabbi Azriel Auerbach, once said:
“We lived in my father-in-law’s home for decades. In nearly 50 years, we never saw him raise his voice—not once. His patience was limitless.”

Even when asked the simplest questions, Rabbi Elyashiv responded with full attention. People would come to him with questions as small as whether an egg with a blood spot could be eaten. He would examine it carefully, following the ways of King David, who humbly said before God: “While others sit in honor, my hands are soiled with law and care for the people.”

As his reputation grew, people felt it would be almost wasteful not to ask the Rabbi something when seeing him. He once joked gently that people might think it’s a sin of bal tashchit—wasting a moment—if they didn’t ask him a question on the spot.

Still, he answered everyone. With kindness. With patience. Always.

3. The Question Asked Three Times

During one of his lessons, a young man asked a question about interest: “If I lend someone many coins, and he returns it with a single bill—is that interest?”

The Rabbi answered: no, it’s not interest.

A few minutes later, someone else asked the same question. The Rabbi answered it again, clearly and without frustration.

Then a third man raised the very same question—but explained it with more detail, trying to show the value of the paper bill over coins. The audience chuckled. The question had already been answered twice.

But Rabbi Elyashiv simply smiled warmly and answered a third time, with full seriousness:
“Here, even the merchants agree—there is no difference between coins and bills. It is not interest.”

His patience wasn’t just about not getting upset. It was about respecting each person. Each question. Each moment.

4. Torah with a Kind Heart

Once, while walking with his grandson, the Rabbi pointed to a construction site. Workers were pouring concrete into pillars reinforced with steel rods.

“Do you know why the steel is there?” he asked.

“To keep the concrete from cracking,” his grandson replied.

“Exactly,” said the Rabbi. “Torah without kindness is like concrete without steel—it may look strong, but it won’t last.”

His grandson asked: “But you spend all your time learning—when do you have time for kindness?”

The Rabbi smiled. “When people ask me questions—especially about Torah and halacha—and I have to shift my focus and think deeply for their sake, that is Torah kindness. And it lasts.”

5. The Book with the Golden Letters

One day, a dedicated scholar prepared a book of Rabbi Elyashiv’s rulings. Without asking the Rabbi first, the book went to print with a fancy gold-embossed title: The Responsa of Rabbi Y.S. Elyashiv.

Rabbi Elyashiv was distressed. He had never wanted his rulings published that way, especially without his review.

Instead of protesting, he quietly paid from his own pocket to repurchase the glossy covers. He asked the author, gently and respectfully, to reprint the book under a different name that wouldn’t suggest the Rabbi had approved it.

One family member suggested a way to prevent the book’s release entirely. But the Rabbi refused.

“God forbid,” he said. “This man worked hard. He just wants to share his work. In this world, our job is to be quiet and to let things go.”

Rabbi Elyashiv showed us that even great wisdom means little if it’s not carried with gentleness, humility, and heart.