We continue to share lessons from the Brisker Rav’s Ben Adam L’Havero, specifically in dealing with yatomim and almanot/orphans and widows. When the Brisker Rav was living in Yerushalayim, a widow whose husband had been the Rav of Alita, a city in Europe, came to see him one afternoon while he was resting. She wanted to ask him a question, but since he had already gone to his room to rest, his students told her to come back later. The Brisker Rav overheard what was going on and left his room to see who had been there. They told him who it was, and he ran out of the house and down the street calling, “ Alita, Rebitzen.. Alita, Rebitzen..” He did this because even though he was resting, if an almana came, he felt he should go running to bring her back. There is an Avot D’Rabi Natan (chapter 38, mishna מא ) that relates to this story, and is really shocking. With the Three Weeks upon us, we know we are supposed to be working on Sinat Hinam/Baseless Hatred, which weighs in like the three cardinal sins. When the great Tanna, Rav Shimon Ben Gamliel, who was a Nasi, and Rav Yishmael, who was the Kohen Gadol, were taken to be killed as part of the Ten Martyrs , Rav Shimon Ben Gamliel told Rav Yishmael Ben Alisha, “ Woe unto us, that we are being killed like people that are Mechalel Shabbat/ Desecrators of Shabbat, Idol worshippers, Adulterers and Murderers ( these are the three cardinal sins, plus Shabbat). And Rav Yishmael told him, “ Can I tell you something…You think this is for nothing? Has it never happen ed that a lady came to ask you a question, or a man came to a nnul a vow, and you were busy - eating or sleeping, so you r Gabbai didn’t let them in? That is enough of a reason.“ Obviously , they were very high-level, but that is what this Kohen Gadol was telling t he Nasi , as to why these things were coming upon them. It is not a simple matter to keep somebody waiting for you. Great people do not have specific office hours or meeting times. Think of R av Chaim Kanievsky , or any Gadol . They don’t have appointments booked six weeks in advance, with 15 minute slots arranged on their calendars. They don’t live that way. There is no calendar. The y are , like the car service, Always A vailable. Have a wonderful day .