I Am Not a Talmid Chochom

Rav Ben Tzion Mutzafi, Rosh Yeshiva of Bnei Tzion, shared several stories about his Rebbe's humility. His father was the mekubol Rav Suleiman Mutzafi. In 5723 Yeshivas Porat Yosef ruled that every one of its Rabbonim and teachers had to put on a long rabbinical coat, and Rav Ben Tzion was deeply troubled. His colleagues told him that he would get used to it, but he said that was not the point. How could he wear a rabbinical coat when he was not a talmid chochom?

On one Purim, when wine makes secrets slip out, he told his guests what he truly wanted. “Pray for me,” he said, “that I should merit to know one halacha perfectly.”

One evening someone accidentally locked the yeshiva kitchen, and a hundred and twenty students were about to go hungry, with great loss of learning. Rav Mutzafi asked what to do. Rav Ben Tzion took money from his pocket and told him to send one student for pitas and another for falafel and tomatoes. Soon he was seen in a side room, quickly cutting the pitas and filling them, and then he served each student himself and wished him to enjoy it. The students were stunned. He hurried back to his learning, and that night they learned with extra enthusiasm.

Even after recovering from his stroke he kept attending his students' weddings. At one of them the students formed circles and sang a song to the king, wishing him added days of life, to honor him. He felt uncomfortable at being honored in this way, pointed to the chosson and said that a groom is like a king, and the song was in his honor.