Rabbi Simcha Mitnick, eighth grade rebbi at Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin in Flatbush, once encouraged his talmidim to arrange to learn with a chavrusa each night in a local shul. Most of the boys were able to pair up easily. One particular boy didn’t have it as easy.
“Rebbi,” the boy said, “I don’t have anyone to learn with. No one in the class lives near me.”
“Why? Where do you live?”
“I live in Seagate.”
“Seagate?” the rebbi repeated. “You’re right. None of the boys live near you.”
Rabbi Mitnick tried to think of someone in Seagate. He could only come up with one person. “How about Mordechai Ben David? Maybe you can learn with him,” said Rabbi Mitnick, half in jest.
The next day, the talmid approached his rebbi. “Rebbi, I have a chavrusa to learn with at night.”
“Really? Who?”
“Mordechai Ben David.”
“Are you kidding?”
“No. Mordechai Ben David is my chavrusa. Rebbi told me to ask him, so I went to his house and knocked on his door. When he opened it, I said, ‘My rebbi told me to ask you if you would learn with me,’ and he said, ‘Sure. What do you want to learn?’ I told him that we’re learning Maseches Sanhedrin in yeshivah. ‘Sanhedrin?’ he said, ‘That’s my favorite masechta!’” [Maybe because his name "Ben David"...]
It was a chavrusa that lasted throughout the year, creating a beautiful melody formed by the timeless words of Gemara.
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Mussar Haskel - Don't be shy. ASK!!