Meeting The Rebbetzin

Rav Chaim Kreiswurth, the late Chief Rabbi of Antwerp, was truly one of the gedolei hador and there are many legendary stories about him [many recorded in the sefer מי"ם חיים]. Rabbi Chaim Shifrut Hy"D [he was killed in a terrorist attack in Emanuel] related the following story:

Rav Chaim was once giving a shiur klali in a kollel in Bnei Brak. When he got to the high point of the shiur and was just about to convey the central idea, he peered at his watch and said apologetically: "I am sorry. I told my wife that I would meet her at 1:30 and she is waiting for me outside." He then left the Beis Medrash to meet his wife.

The Rosh Kollel stood up and told the avreichim that they now witnessed true greatness in Torah. He set a time to meet his wife and let nothing get in the way of keeping his word.

[קובץ מוריה תשס"ב]

On a personal note I want to tell you what I would have done. I would not have been able to contain myself and given over the rest of the shiur, with plans in the back of my head to apologize to my wife and believe that she'd understand. If she wouldn't I would wait patiently for it to blow over , all the while congratulating myself on the great shiur. After reading this story I hope I will act as the Rav did and be less self-centered. I could try to claim that it has NOTHING to do with me personally and it's ALL about spreading Torah but I don't know if that would be the truth. Actually, I DO KNOW that it WOULDN'T be the truth. May I do tshuva shleima bi-karov. There is hope, say the holy books - even for a guy like me!

I also hope people that invite me to give shiurim klaliim or otherwise:-).....