סנהדרין פג

When ר׳ אייזל חריף was visiting a Polish town for שבת, to the surprise of many of the מתפללים, an עשיר, rather than the רב, was called up for שלישי.  When the תפילה was over, ר׳ אייזל heard one of the מתפללים reprimand the גבאי for giving the כבוד to the עשיר, rather than to the רב.  The גבאי apologized, saying “It’s not an ענין of כבוד.  It’s an ענין of fear.  The עשיר asked that he be given the עליה and he has a daughter who has powerful government connections.   I was afraid.  So I gave it to him.”  A few moments later, when ר׳ אייזל met the עשיר, he said with a smile: “It was על פי רש״י that you got שלישי today.”  The עשיר asked the רב to explain what he meant.   “In פרשת פנחס, the תורה says ושם האשה המכה המדינית כזבי בת צור and רש״י explains that צור was the most important of all the kings of מדין because he brought בזיון בעצמו להפקיר בתו, מנאו שלישי.”

06/10/2021