The Power of Letting Go: When Rav Shach Chose to Forgive

Rabbi Yitzchak Zilberstein, rabbi of the Ramat Elchanan neighborhood and a member of the Council of Torah Sages, once shared a remarkable story about Maran, the gaon Rabbi Elazar Menachem Shach zt"l. The account was told to him by Rabbi Avraham Tzvi Toib.

There was once a man who had spoken very disrespectfully about Rabbi Shach. Years later, tragedy struck his family.

The man urgently called Rabbi Toib and pleaded: “Please help me. My child swallowed bleach, and his digestive system has been severely damaged. He is hospitalized in serious condition. I am afraid this happened because I spoke against Rabbi Shach. Please go to him immediately and ask for forgiveness on my behalf.”

Rabbi Toib agreed and went to see Rabbi Shach.

A Surprising Response

When Rabbi Toib explained the situation, Rabbi Shach responded calmly.

“What does that have to do with it?” he said. “It is not because of that.”

Rabbi Toib insisted. “The father is deeply distressed and cannot calm down. Please help him.”

Rabbi Shach paused and then said: “Bring me a piece of paper and a pen. Tell me what you would like me to write so the man will feel reassured.”

Rabbi Toib dictated the words, and Rabbi Shach wrote them in his own handwriting:

“I forgive this person completely and, Heaven forbid, hold no grudge against him. May the child have a full recovery.”

A Remarkable Turnaround

The moment Rabbi Shach finished writing the note, Rabbi Toib received a phone call. It was the child’s father.

“Were you just with the rabbi?” he asked anxiously.

“Yes,” Rabbi Toib replied.

“Just now?”

“Yes.”

The father’s voice trembled with excitement.

“A huge turnaround just happened. They just took my child out of intensive care.”

From that moment on, the child’s condition steadily improved, and after a short time he recovered completely.

Not Only Forgiving but Helping

Several months later, as Pesach approached, Rabbi Shach was distributing envelopes of charity to families in need so they could prepare for the holiday.

Suddenly he turned to Rabbi Toib and asked, “Do you remember the man whose child was ill, the one whose wife could not work?”

“Yes,” Rabbi Toib answered.

Rabbi Shach continued, “It must be very difficult for them to prepare for Pesach.”

He handed Rabbi Toib an envelope and said, “Take this and give it to him.”

Rabbi Toib was astonished. Rabbi Shach not only forgave the man who had spoken against him. He also helped support his family.

The Secret of Letting Go

Rabbi Shach then opened a passage in the Zohar that tells about a man who experienced great miracles and was saved from certain death.

When people asked him why he merited such extraordinary miracles, he explained that he never went to sleep without forgiving anyone who had hurt him.

Not only that, he made a special effort to do kindness for those who had wronged him.

Rabbi Elazar Menachem Man Shach (1899–2001) served for fifty years as the head of the Ponevezh Yeshiva and was one of the greatest Torah leaders of his generation. Many in the Lithuanian Torah world looked to him for guidance and leadership.