Not Dazzled by Glitter

Rav Ben Tzion Mutzafi described his years as Rav Ben Tzion's student. Each day a different student had to explain the sugya, laying out the whole peshat precisely and carefully, with every question and answer, the reasoning of the one who asked and of the one who answered, and why no other resolution was possible. He had to know Rashi thoroughly, since no word in Rashi is superfluous, and to understand why Tosafos disagree and how Rashi would stand against their questions. Every question has an answer, Rav Ben Tzion would say, and you must find it. The Maharsha was a central part of each lesson, and sometimes the Rebbe would not give his own opinion until the Maharsha had been studied.

Once he put an explosive question to the class, and the students sat with their mouths open. Then he offered two brilliant answers and a plain one. After a pause he told them the third answer was the only true one. The first two merely glittered, and he gave them so that the students would learn to be impressed only by peshat, which must be completely true, and never by mere sparkle.

Although he was known for his brilliance, he kept out of the limelight and did not hurry to give rulings. Until Chacham Ezra Attiah passed away, out of respect for his Rebbe, he would not give halachic rulings even to students or close acquaintances. Afterwards he shared his halachic views only privately. Then Rav Yehuda Tzadka, Rosh Yeshiva of Porat Yosef, began sending people to him, telling them that Rav Ben Tzion was a great authority whose rulings they should follow, and that when he refused they should not give in. Rav Ben Tzion asked Rav Tzadka how he should respond to questions, and Rav Tzadka answered that he was well versed in halacha and there was no reason he should not rule. That is how his greatness as a posek came to light.