Heartfelt Stories of Rabbi Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg zt"l

This Thursday marks the 13th yahrzeit of Rabbi Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg zt"l, a revered Rosh Yeshiva of Torah Ohr, halachic authority, and prominent rabbi in Yerushalayim. In his later years, he was affectionately called "The Elder of Yeshiva Heads." Here are some compelling stories that capture his compassionate spirit.

1. Ensuring Halachic Rulings Cause No Distress: Rabbi Scheinberg often emphasized sensitivity in his halachic rulings, ensuring no distress was caused to others. Rabbi Rozengarten from Belz shared an instance where Rabbi Scheinberg provided a halachic answer, explicitly stating that the action was only permissible if it caused no pain to others; otherwise, the ruling might change.

2. Apologizing to the Waiter: In a situation where a waiter accidentally spilled sauce on his clothing, Rabbi Scheinberg turned the incident around by expressing that he was at fault for causing the waiter’s mistake, repeatedly asking for the waiter's forgiveness throughout the event.

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3. Soothing Those Who Hurt Him: Toward the end of his life, when students accidentally hurt his fingers while lifting him in a chair, instead of showing discomfort, he calmly assured them with a smile that nothing happened, although it was clear he was in pain once they left.

4. Avoiding a Haircut to Prevent Embarrassment: After falling due to a student moving a chair, Rabbi Scheinberg chose not to get a haircut, fearing it would reveal his bruise and embarrass the student. This decision puzzled many until they understood his thoughtful reason.

5. Special Sensitivity to Others' Pain: Rabbi Scheinberg showed incredible awareness even for minor discomfort in others. Before serving as a sandak, he chose to remove a band-aid from his finger, worrying it might be off-putting to the baal brit.

6. Tucking in His Tie as a Gesture of Respect: When attending weddings of chassidic families, Rabbi Scheinberg would tuck his tie beneath his shirt to respect their customs, trying not to stand out.

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7. Sacrificing Personal Routine Not to Offend: Once, when someone mistakenly led prayers in his place, Rabbi Scheinberg didn’t interfere, not wanting to embarrass him, despite it being a long-standing personal commitment to lead the prayers.

8. "My Vision Isn't What It Used to Be:": Once, when an old student visited and Rabbi Scheinberg didn’t recognize him, he diplomatically attributed it to changes in his glasses and vision, ensuring the student wasn't hurt by the lapse in memory.

May his memory be a blessing.

Courtesy of 'Dirshu' website.