Philosophizing Is Not Enough
Reb Mordechai of Nadnorna once sent his regards through a messenger to the Liska Rav. "When you visit the Rav," he told the messenger, "tell him the following words: In the Shulchan Aruch of Rabbi Joseph Caro, when he begins his discussion of Passover, he writes, 'Thirty days before the festival begins, one should start to learn all the laws which relate to it.' Rabbi Moshe Isserles comments on that passage that it is customary to buy wheat to distribute to the needy so that they will also have matzo to eat.
His comment presents a problem, for a sage never introduces an unrelated topic to a discussion of the law. So, now I will explain what he meant: He was telling us that it doesn't matter how much you expound and discuss the philosophical concepts of Passover, just make sure that you buy wheat for the needy amongst you."
When the messenger arrived at the home of the Liska Rav he immediately told him what Reb Mordechai had said. The Rav was dumbfounded. "Every year when I prepare my Passover sermon I come to the words of Rabbi Moshe Isserles and I am puzzled. Now I understand the apparent difficulty."
That same year, just hours before the holiday was to commence, a poor woman came to the Liska Rav weeping profusely because she had no matzos for the festival.
Everyone was busily engaged in the last efforts to prepare for the holiday, and so the Rav himself took his sons-in-law and daughters and began to bake matzos for the poor woman. Of course, when the townspeople saw their rabbi and his family engaged in baking, they also pitched in to help. In less than an hour, the woman had all the matzos she needed for the holiday.
