The Promise of the Chazon Ish: The Secret of Intellectual Growth in Torah Study
Lesson No. 115 | Sunday, Parashas Lech Lecha, 2 Cheshvan 5758:
The Gemara in Tractate Avodah Zarah describes the chain of wondrous miracles that saved Rabbi Elazar ben Parta from the hands of the Roman government. From this, the rare promise of the Chazon Ish is brought forth: A person who dedicates his time to learn with students who are weaker than him will merit that his intellect will grow many times more than if he had learned alone.
The Miracles of Rabbi Elazar ben Parta in the Roman Court
The Gemara in Tractate Avodah Zarah (17b) continues to describe the chain of miracles that occurred for Rabbi Elazar ben Parta when he stood trial before the Roman authorities. After being saved from previous accusations, they asked him why he did not go to their theaters. He replied, "There is terrible crowding there, and I am liable to be trampled from the immense crush."
The Romans said to him, "And until now, how many elders have been trampled?" Meaning, when was the last time someone was trampled there? After all, people have never been trampled there, so why do you say that you might be trampled?
At that very moment, a miracle occurred:
"That day, a certain elder was trampled."
An elder was trampled in that place, and a voice went out announcing it. Thus, the fourth accusation also fell away.
Eliyahu HaNavi (Elijah the Prophet) and the Disappearing Witness
Immediately afterward came the fifth accusation. They asked him, "Why did you set your slave free?" For among the Romans, there was a strict prohibition against freeing slaves.
Rabbi Elazar said to them, "These things never happened; I did not free him."
A certain man stood up to testify against him that he had indeed freed his slave. At that moment, Eliyahu HaNavi arrived and appeared as one of the important ministers of the kingdom. He turned to that witness and said to him, "It is not worthwhile for you to testify against him. If you testify against him, a disaster will happen to you. Look at how many miracles he has had until now; a miracle occurred for him in all of them, and in this too a miracle will occur for him, and you will only be harmed by it."
But the witness paid no attention to him. He refused to listen and said, "You will not tell me what to do; I am not afraid of anything. I have clear testimony that he freed a slave."
When the witness stood up to give his testimony, at that exact moment, an important letter was written that needed to be sent urgently to Rome, to the Emperor's house. The Romans were looking for an important and trustworthy person to send the letter with.
They entered the courthouse and saw this witness there, standing to testify against Rabbi Elazar ben Parta. They recognized that he was an important and trustworthy person, immediately took him down from the witness stand, handed him the letter, and commanded him: "Travel immediately to Rome to deliver the letter to the Emperor's house!"
The moment the man left the courthouse, Eliyahu HaNavi came, threw him a distance of four hundred parasangs, and he never returned.
The Promise of the Chazon Ish: The Secret of Intellectual Growth
After the description of these miracles in the Gemara, one must reflect on the immense importance of a person learning Torah with people who are weaker than him. In this regard, a wondrous promise is brought from the Chazon Ish zt"l.
The Chazon Ish promises that anyone who learns with weaker people—his intellect will grow many times more than if he had learned and succeeded alone.
While a person can certainly learn alone and succeed, a person's intellect truly grows according to the measure that he helps those who know how to learn less than him. When he supports them, assists them, and spends a few hours of his time on them, he is promised that through this his intellect will grow many times over.
May we truly merit to magnify and glorify the Torah, and may we merit the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash (Holy Temple) speedily in our days, Amen.
Part 2 of 2 — Lesson No. 115
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