A Rebbi Gives Away His Position

Rav Mordechai’s first position as Rav was in Meza-Telegd, near Grossvarden, and it came to him through his rebbi. In 5632 (1872), when Rav Mordechai was only twenty-eight, Rav Yitzchak Aharon walked through the gates of Meza-Telegd together with him. The townspeople were under his jurisdiction as Rav of Grossvarden, and he said to them: “I come to you twice a year to deliver a derashah; this time my derashah to you is: ‘A young rabbi stands before you, who is fit to serve as the head of your community. I ask that you hire him, placing the crown of the rabbinate on his head.’” The community accepted the Rav’s words wholeheartedly and appointed Rav Mordechai.

Before he took up the post, Rav Mordechai turned to his rebbi in his humility and protested: “They want me to move there and assume the rabbinate in two weeks, but how can I be worthy of doing so when I have not yet even received semicha ordination for hora’ah?” Rav Yitzchak Aharon answered that his having learned all of Chullin, Niddah and Mikvaos with all their commentaries by heart was enough. He would write up the semichah himself and have his fellow dayanim sign it without delay.

Rav Meir Perels, Av Beis Din of Kruli, once visited Rav Yitzchak Aharon, who proudly told him how he had given Rav Mordechai the position in Meza-Telegd. Rav Perels put Rav Mordechai to the test, and the two discussed many shailos and intricate sugyos of Shas. He was so impressed that he granted Rav Mordechai semichah on the spot.

This story is a tribute not only to Rav Mordechai’s ability but to the fine middos of Rav Yitzchak Aharon. In those times it was the custom for a rav to keep such coveted appointments for his own sons and sons-in-law. Rav Yitzchak Aharon gave his position to his talmid instead. He did not simply hand him a letter of recommendation for a search of his own. He gave him a portion of his own salary-paying communities.