Q:
Should I seek the company of somebody who is a great man even though I risk becoming an encumbrance to him?
A:
Question: Should a person seek the company of a great man even though the seeker risks becoming an encumbrance to the Satmerer Rav? He doesn’t say the Satmerer Rav; he just states somebody. I’m saying the Satmerer. A very fine man, the Satmerer Rav, by the way. I know him personally. A very fine man. He’s a busy man; he’s learning all the time, he has sha’alos too. But suppose you heard – “I heard Rabbi Miller speak so I want to get close to you.”
So he says, “I don’t have much time.”
So you say, “Can I carry your tallis to your beis hamedrash with you?”
He says, “I don’t need. I carry it myself.”
So you beg him, “Please rebbe, do me a favor. Let me carry your tallis.”
So you’re walking behind him. You know what you’re doing? You’re accomplishing a great achievement for yourself.
I’m not a chossid, but I’m telling you – if you’ll get that privilege to carry his tallis, so now you’re coming closer to Hakodosh Boruch Hu. No question about it.
I picked one person. The rosh yeshivas too – get close to them. They don’t have time to talk to you, but if you become useful to them in some way, if you’re meshamesh talmidei chachamim, hang around, after a while, maybe you’ll be zocheh.
And you have to know, that’s a big achievement. So don’t worry about becoming an encumbrance. Let them tell you, “Get away from here.” You try your best to get close to them.
October 1988
