The Tears That Shaped a Torah Giant: The Childhood Story of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach

Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (23 Tammuz 5670 – 20 Adar I 5755) served as the head of the Kol Torah Yeshiva and was one of the foremost halachic authorities of the twentieth century. Beyond his brilliance and refined character, his diligence and extraordinary dedication to Torah study were unmatched.

One of the most remarkable stories about him reveals that this great Torah leader grew to greatness thanks to the tears of his righteous mother.

A Childhood Marked by Poverty

During Rabbi Shlomo Zalman’s childhood, his family lived in severe poverty. His mother would divide a single egg among three children. His father, Rabbi Chaim Yehuda Leib Auerbach, struggled tirelessly to obtain loans just to provide the family with basic necessities.

Eventually, when creditors came to collect their money, the family had nothing with which to repay the debts. With no alternative, Rabbi Auerbach’s father would give away one of the few household items they possessed as collateral.

After several such visits, the house was nearly empty of anything valuable.

The Day That Changed Everything

Rabbi Auerbach later testified that one particular Tuesday remained engraved in his memory forever. On that day, the creditors arrived once again, asking for payment or collateral, yet almost nothing remained in the home.

“My mother brought all her jewelry and the few silver items she owned,” Rabbi Auerbach later recounted. “But the creditors entered the house and even took the many holy books that my father used to learn with us.”

At that moment, his mother burst into tears, and the children cried along with her. As tears streamed down their faces, they heard her cry out:

“Master of the Universe, I am prepared to give up everything. I do not need possessions that make life easier. But the sacred books through which my great husband studies with our children and raises them on the path of Torah - this I cannot give up under any circumstance.”

She pleaded with Heaven through bitter tears.

Tears That Built Greatness

Those heartfelt tears left a deep and lasting impression on the young Shlomo Zalman.

“The burning tears that came from my mother’s heart taught me more than anything else the true value of Torah study,” he later said.

Her tears showed the children what boundless love for Torah looks like and what truly matters in life compared to material possessions that seem important but are ultimately secondary.

From that moment on, the young boy resolved to devote all his time and strength to the study of Torah. And thus, through the tears of a devoted Jewish mother, a future giant of Torah began to emerge.