In Jerusalem at the beginning of the 20th century, an unusual custom developed: people in distress would leave babies and young children outside the home of the Chief Rabbi, Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook, and leave the place. The knowledge that the Rav's house was a safe haven and that the Rav would take care of every child turned his doorstep into the last resort for the helpless.
In the book 'במחיצתו', which published memories of Rav Kook by his personal attendant, several stories were brought about children who were placed at the entrance to the Rav's house.
As part of the research, I was exposed to an archival document that provides direct testimony to one of these cases. This is a letter from 1926, written by the Rav's secretary and brother-in-law, Rav Avraham Moshe Rabinovitch Taumim, to the management of 'Zion Orphanage' (an institution that Rav Kook presided over).
And this is what was written in the letter:
"To the Honorable Management of the Zion Orphanage... One who gives a gift to his friend does not need to inform him, and we are sending you in the name of our master, the Gaon, may he be well, a good, proper, and beloved gift, two children, Aharon and Moshe, who were rescued from the missionary house and brought to our master, may he be well. The one who brought them home left them there and immediately ran outside."
I am left with an open question: what became of these two orphaned children, Aharon and Moshe? What became of them?
I would be happy if you would share. Maybe together we can discover more details about this special affair.
Here is one of the stories brought in the book 'במחיצתו':
Once upon a time, a little girl, whose father abandoned her in Rav Kook's house, for lack of means to take care of her. And the Rav at that time had only one granddaughter, Tzipora (Rabbanit Frum, may she live and be well), who was most beloved to him. The Rav said at the sight of the girl: "We must hold her like our Tziporali, without any discrimination for the worse, God forbid."
The girl would cry at night and would not let the Rebbetzin sleep. The Rebbetzin said to the Rav that she was tired and could no longer take care of the girl.
The Rav replied to her: You are very right, and it is right to hire a nanny for her, but since we cannot afford to do so, I am willing to help you at night, to hold her in my lap when I am learning and to lull her to sleep with the melodies of the Gemara..."
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