The Price of a Shroud
In a deadly epidemic, Rav Shlomo would not allow the poor of Brod to be buried without dignity, and a wealthy man learned what his rebuke meant.
It is told that a terrible sickness once swept through Brod and the surrounding villages. So many people died that burial shrouds grew scarce, and their price soared. The leaders of the community met and reached a grim conclusion: the poor would simply have to be buried in the clothes they wore.
When the news reached Rav Shlomo, he could not rest. He went straight to one of the wealthiest men in town, who had shut himself in his home and refused all visitors in order to avoid catching the illness. Rav Shlomo walked in without warning and spoke plainly. How could it be, he asked, that a Jew should be shamed even in death? He asked the man to take part in paying for the tachrichin.
The rich man was angry at the intrusion and shouted back at the Rav. A Torah scholar whom he supported took his side, saying that the man's generosity kept Torah alive and that Rav Shlomo had no right to disturb him. Rav Shlomo did not give way until he was shown out.
That night the wealthy man became ill. He understood at once that the Rav's words had been more than anger, and he sent the scholar he supported to ask Rav Shlomo's forgiveness. He promised to cover the burial costs of every poor person in the town and sent eighteen silver rubles as a first payment and as an atonement for his soul. Rav Shlomo took the offering and wished him a complete recovery. By the next day the man felt better, and he sent two thousand more rubles for the work. He was healed.
Source: Luach HaHillula (yahrzeit anecdotes for 30 Sivan)
Most of us feel uneasy about confronting someone more powerful than we are, especially over a matter that is not our own. This week, think of one person whose dignity depends on someone speaking for them: a neighbor, a coworker, a relative who is overlooked. Decide on one small, respectful step you can take, such as making a phone call, giving tzedakah, or raising the matter privately with the person who has the means. Do it kindly, and then let go of the outcome.