"The Rabbi Took Out 50,000 NIS and Told Me: 'Go Pay, and It's All Over'"
A Haredi writer and journalist who published an article disrespecting Rabbi Eliyahu zt"l was required to pay a hefty sum. Where did he get it? From the Rabbi himself, of course.
This amazing story from the 1990s became incredibly popular in the Haredi community—and not without reason. Now, just two days before the yahrzeit of Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu zt"l, it has resurfaced and is making waves on social media.
The story was told by a Haredi writer and journalist who, among other things, wrote for one of the community's esteemed newspapers that was distributed on Friday afternoons.
According to him, one of his published articles allegedly contained a tone of disrespect towards Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu zt"l, prompting one of the Rabbi's household members to file a defamation lawsuit against the writer. "The judgment ordered that I apologize to the honorable Rabbi and pay compensation of 50,000 NIS for it," the writer recalls. "I filed an appeal, but it was rejected, and I realized I had no other choice."
"I Apologized and the Rabbi Told Me: 'One Who Confesses and Abandons [Sin] Will Be Shown Mercy', But That's Not All"
Determined, the writer decided to visit Rabbi Eliyahu zt"l's home and personally ask for forgiveness. He hoped that during the meeting, he could somehow persuade the Rabbi to intervene and cancel the 'decree' because of the difficulty he had in paying such a large sum.
When he apologized, the Rabbi looked directly at him with an unusual gaze, a smile of empathy and understanding gracing his face. "The Rabbi explained quietly that he didn't hold a grudge against me, but since people like me have great power at their disposal, this must serve as a lesson for the future—so that no one, Heaven forbid, would be careless with their words and write anything that could be interpreted as disrespectful to others, especially rabbis."
But the writer's predicament did not let the Rabbi remain indifferent. "To my great surprise, the Rabbi suddenly opened one of the drawers in his room, took out a full 50,000 NIS, and approached me, saying: 'Don't reveal our little secret to anyone. Go pay the debt, and the story is over'."
In his supreme humility, the Rabbi never told anyone about the great kindness he had shown to the writer and remained silent when that family member informed him that 'justice had prevailed, and the journalist paid what was due'.
