0134 - R' Avraham Yitzchak Wolfson Didn't Lose his Zechus

00:01 Harav Moshe Wolfson, who's the Mashgiach Ruchni in Torah Vedaas in the Yeshivas Chiddush, Shemeil, Chiddush, and Seferis. He's one of the Gedolei Yisroel in America. He's very close to the Rebbe, so he would come many times for dollars. And if he ever gave out a Sefer or a kuntres, he would bring it to the Rebbe. The Rebbe even sometimes would ask him, "It's already a long time since I didn't see any Chiddush Torah from you, et cetera, et cetera, any Sefer from you." And the one that used to be the one to bring it and give it to the Rebbe was Rav Wolfson's son, Rav Avraham Yitzchak. So Rav Aaron Kotz, who was one of the Mashmshei by Harav Wolfson, and whenever Rav Wolfson went to the Rebbe for dollars, Harav Ko-Kotz, Rav Aaron Kotz was the one that would drive him, and he would be there, and he would also get a dollar from the Rebbe, told me that one time when he gave out a new Sefer or a new kevetz, a new kuntres, I don't know exactly, and he was going to dollars, punk then, his son, Rav Avraham Yitzchak, wasn't able to go. For whatever reason, he wasn't able to go. So he told Rav Aaron Kotz, "Please don't give the Sefer to the Rebbe because I always give it, and the Rebbe gives me a dollar for it, so I have that zechus. I don't wanna lose the zechus. And since today I can't go, please don't give it, and

01:22 next time I'll be the one to give it." So he said, "Okay, I'll keep... I'll do that. I won't give it." When they were getting ready to go, Harav Wolfson tells Rav Aaron Kotz that, "Since I just gave out this new Sefer, so let's take the new Sefer to the Rebbe to give it by dollars." So he says to him, "I really would rather not do it because I promised your son that I will not give it, and next time he will go, he will give it 'cause he doesn't wanna lose the zechus." So Rav Wolfson says to him, "You know what? The Rebbe might ask for it, so take it. Let's take it along, and let's not give it. If the Rebbe asks, then we'll have to give it. We have no choice." So he said okay. So they took it along, and they were waiting by dollars. They didn't give it. But then the Rebbe says to him, "It's already a long time I didn't see a Sefer from you. Where is your next Sefer?" So he had no choice. So Rav Aaron Kotz, who was holding the Sefer, gave it to the Rebbe. But he says to me that when he gave it, in his mind, he was thinking the whole time, "Chaval, I promised him I wouldn't give it. He's going to lose the zechus that he always had, that he gave it, the Rebbe would give a dollar f- special for this, and now I have to give it. So

02:32 that's the whole thing that went to my machshava while I was giving it to the Rebbe." So after the Rebbe took the Sefer and gave a dollar, then he gives another dollar to Rav Wolfson, and he says, "Dos is far eyer zun. This is for your son because he's the one that always brings me the Sefer. So this time, this is a dollar for him for this Sefer." So Rav Kotz tells me he saw that the Rebbe Posher read his machshava, and the Rebbe gave him a dollar so he shouldn't lose the zechus.