Fearless | Rabbi Eliyohu Meir Schmeltzer

Often a person really, really wants to perform Vayimaen, but there are so many uncomfortable situations, you're worried that maybe the person will be offended. How do we combat that? Let me tell you about the Rosh Yeshiva, HaGaon R’ Avremel Ausband, who was just Niftar. His Midah was a Midah of fearlessness. After he lost his daughter, לא עלינו, he was hosted by a couple in Boca Raton for a week. And he heard that this Balabos was asking his Rav, that there was a big game, the St. Louis Cardinals were going into the 6th game of the World Series, and if they win the 6th game of the World Series, they'll be zoche to the 7th game of the World Series. And he wanted to go and attend the 7th game of the World Series, which was going to take place on a Friday night in St. Louis. I worked out all of Hilchos Shabbos. They're not going to tear my tickets, I have a hotel across the street, I’d even have a Minyan with a Sefer Torah. There will be no Chillul Shabbos. I'll be able to walk in, walk out, no problem. I said: But I can't see a scenario where I'm going to go to St. Louis for game 6 and if they win, how do I not stay for game 7? When R’ Avremel heard that his host, who he didn't even know well, who's doing him Chesed to bring him into the house at the time that he really needed it, he approached him and said: Shabbos. The person said: Yeah, I took care of all the Chillul Shabbos problems. R’ Avremel said: But what's with Shabbos? And R’ Avremel said to him the following. If you don't go to the game, if you don't watch the game, and if you don't listen to the game, I promise you the Cardinals are going to win the 6th game, and they're going to win the World Series. And not only that, I am going to sponsor a Kiddush in Shul on Shabbos for the victory of the St. Louis Cardinals, and I'm going to speak at the Kiddush. So anyway, I shook his hand, לעדות. This person was clenching his nails the entire night, Thursday night, waiting to see if the 6th game they’ll be victorious. It went into the 11th inning and דרך נס, this is what he says, דרך נס they won that game. It was literally a miracle. Anyway, of course, game 7 comes Friday night, I go to Shul, come back home, I'm sitting at the table, I'm shvitzing already by the soup, I have no idea what's going on. My housekeeper comes over to me, Would you like to know the score? I said: No, I can't know the score. I went to sleep that night. I thought for sure we lost. By Shabbos morning, he woke up very early and he couldn't halt zich ein, and he went outside, and he found a way to find out that the St. Louis Cardinals won the game. And Rav Ausband sees me, and the first thing he says to me, What time am I speaking? He didn't even ask me who won, he just said: What time am I speaking? This is a man who was fearless. He's a guest in somebody's house, but he knew that the right thing is that this person should not attend a baseball game on Shabbos. And he was not afraid. Fearlessness is the Midah that someone needs to meet the Nisyonos. But it has to be fearlessness with respect. Vayimaen tells us that sometimes we have to refuse. Sometimes when we're refusing, we're facing difficult, uncomfortable situations. Be fearless to be fearful of the Aibishter. May the Aibishter give us the Kochos to continue to fight the war and win the war called Vayimaen.