Reb Shlomo Zalman told his beloved student that the story could not be genuine and must have its origin in the so-called Enlightenment, which sought to ridicule Rabbi Akiva Eiger.
“There is no doubt,” the Gaon asserted, “that Rabbi Akiva Eiger knew precisely who he was and that he was indeed the Rashkebehag; he clearly would not have written such a title to every person with whom he corresponded.
Hearing his teacher’s words enabled Rav Avigdor to draw the same conclusion about Reb Shlomo Zalman. The Rav was indisputably the halachic authority of the generation, and the leader of world Jewry, but nonetheless he could not endure having these titles applied to him or written about him because of his enormous humility and his desire to flee from honor. In addition, he may have felt that the title posek hador belonged to his mechutan, Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, zt”l.
It was known on New York’s lower East Side that if a father would call out to his adolescent son Moishy and Reb Moshe Feinstein zt”l was in earshot, the great Gaon would reply. Reb Shlomo Zalman exhibited the very same anathema for pretentiousness.
There was no doubt in the mind of any of the guests at a particular bris that Reb Shlomo Zalman would be the sandek. As the most prominent personage present, it was only fitting that he receive the highest honor. The youthful father of the newborn, in an effort to distribute the various honors in an orderly fashion, had prepared a detailed list which he relayed to the mohel, who was to call out the names of the honorees and their assigned tasks as the ceremony proceeded.
Among the guests at this affair was Reb Shlomo Zalman’s nephew, whose name is also Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, a bright young man with a promising future ahead of him. The new father intended to honor this friend with “chaika shelishis” – not a particularly lofty assignment, akin in status to the honor of handing the pen to a witness who signs a wedding contract. But when the number of honorees at a bris exceeds the number of genuine honors available for distribution, provision is made to include as many as possible in the ceremony.
When the mohel called out the name “Reb Shlomo Zalman Auerbach,” however, it was not the young nephew who rushed forward to receive this bargain-basement honor, but his illustrious namesake. It never occurred to the humble Gadol that the highest honor, that of sandek, was being reserved for Maran Ha-Rav Ha-Gaon, Reb Shlomo Zalman Auerbach.
In the Torah world, our foremost leaders are not democratically elected by a show of hands or a secret ballot. They are universally acknowledged and recognized by Torah Jewry as the ultimate halachic authorities. They need not make headlines or public appearances to gain our undivided attention. On the contrary; the most illustrious Gedolim are often the most reticent, shunning the limelight in favor of the beis midrash.
To be continued
Chodesh tov – have a pleasant month!