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Who Needs Seforim?

Tzedakah & chesed Parnassah

A story ofRav Chaim Halberstamהרב חיים בן אריה לייבוש הלברשטאםProfile ›

A pauper once came to the Divrei Chaim and said he had to marry off his daughter but lacked the money. The Divrei Chaim did not hesitate. “Look, I have no cash left,” he said, “but I have a house full of seforim. Surely you can sell them or pawn them for what you need. I have no real need of seforim when I can learn in the beis medrash.”

The pauper did not need to be told twice, and he did not wait for the Sanzer Rav to change his mind. He quickly hired a wagon and loaded the Divrei Chaim’s entire library onto it. He drove the cartload of seforim into town, sold them all for a large sum, and married off his daughter.

From then on the Sanzer Rav simply went to the beis medrash to learn. “Who needs seforim when there are plenty in the beis medrash?” he explained to his astonished gabbai and family.

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