19 Aug RE’EH: LIKE THE LOVE OF A FATHER TO HIS SON

Reb Eliezer
Eichler zt’l, Rav
of the Boyan
yeshiva in the
United States,
tells the following
story. Before
that, he was the
Rosh yeshiva of
Yeshivas Tosh,
in the Tosh
neighborhood of
Montreal.
There was a bachur in the Tosher
yeshiva that wasn’t acting properly,
to put it mildly, and his bad behavior
was steadily deteriorating. The
Rabbaim of the yeshiva gathered
to decide how to deal with him.
Unanimously, they agreed that
they had no choice but to expel the
bachur from the yeshivah. They
knew that the Tosher Rebbe was
against sending a bachur out of the

yeshiva, but they felt an exception
had to be made this time. How could
this bachur remain in the yeshiva?
The Rosh yeshiva came to the Rebbe
and told him what was happening
and that the Rabbaim unanimously
decided to send the bachur out of the
yeshiva.
The Rebbe listened to everything
the Rosh Yeshiva said but didn’t
respond. The Rosh Yeshiva asked,
“And what does the Rebbe say?”
The Rebbe replied, “If the story
you tell me was about my son,
Elimelech’l, I would tell you that you
can’t send him out of the yeshiva.
What can I do? I feel that this bachur
is my Elimelech’l. How can I agree
with you to send him out?”
The Rosh yeshiva says, “I left the
Rebbe’s room and immediately
called the bachur to tell him
everything that occurred. I told him

about the yeshiva’s staff
meeting and conclusion,
and I told him, “The
Rebbe basically agreed
with us that you should
be sent out, but he said
that you are special to
him like his Elimelech’l,
and he can’t agree to
have you sent out of the
yeshiva.”
This conversation
changed the bachur. In a moment, he
became a new person. If the Rebbe
loves and respects him like his
own precious son, Elimelech’l, and
doesn’t want to see his faults, then
he should improve his ways and be
worthy of this praise.
Every Yid is Hashem’s precious
child, and therefore Hashem doesn’t
want to think about our faults. It
states (Bamidbar 23:21) “He doesn’t
look at the sins of Yaakov… Hashem

His G-d is with him, and he has the
King’s friendship.” When we know
this, we will improve our ways. We
will see to it that we make ourselves
worthy of Hashem’s praise.
Elul is roshei teivos Ani L’dodi
V’dodi Li, “I am my Beloved’s, and
my beloved is mine.” This means
there is immense love between
Hashem and the Jewish nation,
especially in the month of Elul, and
this love spurs us to do teshuvah.