Matza for a Widow's Seder

One year, shortly before Purim, a talmid chacham in Bnei Brak passed away. Some time later, one of the Steipler's close talmidim came to discuss a matter concerning the almanah (widow).

Partway through, the Steipler turned to a different subject. Pesach was coming, he said, and when the widow sat at her Seder table she would feel her loneliness keenly. She would remember how her husband had always used hand matza on that night, and she had very likely not bought any. He would give her some of his own.

He rose, brought out his package of matza and handed a portion to the talmid, telling him it would last through the Seder. He added one condition. The talmid was not to say the matza came from the Steipler, since one may not give a gift to a woman; he should say only that the Steipler had handed him matza to pass on to someone in need.

Afterwards the talmid said that no words could describe the excitement and the tears in the widow's home when he walked in and told her he had matza for her Seder from the Steipler.