Chapter 16

On that day I experienced further anguish and suffering and wore out my feet, going several times from the city to the area outside the city and from outside the city back into the city. This was because it was then my practice, on Thursday, to obtain for Shabbos small intestines called kishke, to use them in the pashtidas [savory puddings], for they imparted much flavor and richness to the pashtida and constituted a true oneg Shabbos [Shabbos delight]. On that Thursday as well, I obtained intestines and brought them home. They salted the intestines together with the meat and other things, such as a piece of lung or spleen. Then, on Friday, when my wife, may she live, took the intestines to clean them and turned them inside out, she found in one section what appeared to be a lesion, with a perforation within it. This raised a grave halachic question, for a perforation in the intestines renders the animal a tereifah [non-kosher because of a fatal defect].

We immediately consulted our neighbor, the halachic authority. He said that, in his opinion, the intestines were forbidden, as was the meat, because it had been salted together with them and had absorbed forbidden taste from the tereifah. At any rate, I was compelled to go out to Meah Shearim, to the butcher, and obtain other meat for Shabbos, for it was already midday on Erev Shabbos Kodesh. I did so, went to the butcher, and related the matter to him. He expressed astonishment, for this was a milsa delo shechicha [an uncommon occurrence]. I again obtained meat from him and ran home to the Old City, so that my wife would have sufficient time to kasher the meat by soaking and salting it and then cook it for Shabbos; and so she did.

Nevertheless, she did not throw the former meat into the refuse, for we were still waiting to clarify the halachah conclusively. When I came home, our aforementioned neighbor impressed upon me that the intestines were certainly tereifah; if so, that entire large animal was a tereifah. All the people who had purchased meat from it would have to throw away the meat; if they had cooked it, they would have to kasher the utensils or break them; and if that animal had become mixed among other animals, then, unless there were sixty against it, all the animals belonging to that butcher would have to be forbidden.

If so, this was a matter affecting the entire community of Israel. I therefore hastened to go outside the city to the butcher, to alert him so that he would notify everyone who had purchased from that animal, as stated above. Although I had no strength, I bestirred myself for this, because it was a matter of tikkun harabim [safeguarding the public]. I did not take with me the section of intestine upon which the question had arisen, for it was clear to me, as the authority had said, that it was certainly tereifah and there was no room for doubt.

I went outside the city once more and told the butcher to see to it that the animal was declared forbidden and that the people who had purchased from it were warned. He replied that it had already become mixed together with everything else, that he did not know who had purchased from that animal, and he laughed the entire question off.

He said that I should bring him the specimen under question and that he would establish that it was kosher and not tereifah, and that the halachic authority had forbidden it only because he lacked practical experience and expertise in such matters. Thus, unless I brought the specimen, there was no way to know. I was compelled to run back into the city once more to fetch the specimen, and I took it with me. My wife told me that the aforementioned halachic authority had been unable to remain inactive over the matter, because it was a grave issue affecting very many people. He too had therefore run outside the city to consult their av beis din [head of the rabbinical court], Rabbi Bengis, as to what should be done.

I neither rested nor sat down, but immediately ran outside the city once more with all my strength. (Meanwhile I again obtained meat, taking it on credit from the butcher, because I feared that the former meat might be tereifah, as my neighbor, the aforementioned halachic authority, had said, since this was a grave question, as stated above. Later I might no longer be able to obtain meat, for it was after midday on Erev Shabbos; nor would there be time to kasher the meat by soaking and salting. I therefore brought the meat home, and my wife immediately began to kasher it. She still had not discarded the remainder of the meat from the preceding day that was under question, which had been salted together with the intestines, called kishke, lest the ruling should turn out to be that it was kosher.)

I was already exceedingly weary and fatigued from having gone back and forth so many times, from the city to the area outside the city and from outside the city back into the city, as stated above. Moreover, this was the Tenth of Teves, as stated above, a fast day. Nevertheless, I paid no heed to this, because it was a matter of zechus harabim [merit on behalf of the public], to prevent the public from stumbling in matters of tereifos, as stated above. In sum, I went back carrying the piece of mulyasa [kishke] upon which the question had arisen. I brought it in to my butcher and showed it to him. He began looking at it and examining it from every side, turned it to the other side, and showed me that it was kosher, because it had not been perforated through and through (that is, through both sides). He also summoned another expert butcher, who said the same.

I, however, did not wish to rely upon them. They advised me to go to Batei Naitin, to Rabbi Bengis, the Raavad [head of the rabbinical court], so that he could examine the specimen under question. I went immediately, asked where his home was, and was shown it, but I did not find him at home. They told me that he was in the synagogue praying Minchah. I went immediately to the synagogue and found them standing in the silent Shemoneh Esrei. I waited throughout until they had completed the entire prayer service. I then approached him with the specimen. He asked me whether this was the question that had already been brought before the halachic authority, and he related to everyone present how that aforementioned authority, despite his weakness, had come to him with self-sacrifice concerning so grave a question, one affecting hundreds of people, in order to consult him about it.

They had deliberated together upon this law and sought grounds for permissibility. With great difficulty they had permitted everything, because it was unknown from which animal the mulyasa had come; the animal from which it came had already become mixed among several other animals; and it was likewise unknown who had purchased from that animal. Therefore, because of the great financial loss, they ruled it kosher. They had also permitted my former meat, which had been salted with the mulyasa, since it had not actually been salted together with it, but merely below it on that same board. Only the mulyasa itself was to be thrown into the refuse.

Now that I had come with the specimen itself, he took it before the eyes of the congregation and turned the mulyasa from one side to the other. He immediately said that it was kosher, because it had not been perforated through both sides; hence even the mulyasa itself was kosher. I told him that two butchers had likewise done this and had permitted it. The matter gave him pleasure, and he was especially glad that it was kosher according to all opinions and that there was no longer any question affecting so many people. He asked me to inform the aforementioned halachic authority, so that he too would rejoice over it.

Afterward I went from there to Shimon HaTzadik, particularly since it was the Tenth of Teves, a communal fast, and the anniversary of the passing of our teacher Moharnat, of blessed memory. I remained there a short while and returned to the city with this good news, and we all rejoiced exceedingly over it. We threw the mulyasa into the refuse, for we did not wish to eat something that had been the subject of a halachic question, even though it was kosher. At any rate, I had endured great exertion that day, as stated above, and accepted it as an atonement for sins.

On that day I likewise suffered on account of my eldest son, may he live, who had spent the entire night at the grave of Rachel our Mother, as stated above. He had become ill with a stomach ailment and also had a fever. My wife, may she live, reproached me for having permitted him to remain outside the city throughout the night. He therefore did not go with us to welcome Shabbos at the Western Wall, as was our custom, and he was likewise unable to go to the synagogue on Shabbos morning. I experienced much suffering and anguish on this account and wept before Hashem that He should heal him.

At that time I also endured great suffering on account of my son Aharon, may he live, who suffered from winter sores [chilblains] on his feet. We suffered greatly from the cold because the windowpanes were broken, and my son, may he live, was unable to sleep because of the pain of the sores on his feet. He cried out intensely throughout the night, and the suffering I experienced because of this is beyond measure. At that time there was also added the anguish of the loss of one pound, on account of which we endured suffering and anguish beyond measure, for the situation was already severe and the cost of living had risen. I sought the assistance of Dr. Spiegel. He traveled with me to the Tipas Chalav clinic [infant-welfare clinic] to inspect the records of my children, may they live. When he arrived, the nurse was not there, so he went with me from there to my home and examined the health of my children, may they live. From there he went once more to the Tipas Chalav clinic and examined the records of my children, may they live, to determine how their health was to be restored.

He also instructed me to bring my aforementioned son Aharon to him, so that he could examine him thoroughly. I did so: I came to him with my son, and he examined him at an X-ray institute and performed other examinations as well. (The aforementioned loss of the pound later caused the very severe illness of my youngest son, may he live, because with that money I had been able to care for him and provide him with wholesome foods for his health. Once that money was lacking, however, it was in no way within my power to do this. He therefore grew progressively worse until he became exceedingly weak and fell gravely ill, as is known. Baruch Hashem, he emerged from death to life, but he remains weak and suffers from a severe cough; may Hashem have mercy. At any rate, the principal source of his sustenance is the milk that Dr. Spiegel secured for him, as will be related below. At any rate, he has this with which to sustain himself, although it is insufficient, for he requires additional wholesome foods, such as butter, cream, and meat broth, etc., as the doctor directs; but I am unable to provide these. Still, Baruch Hashem, at any rate there is the milk, and with this alone we sustain him, at any rate; may Hashem have mercy.) At any rate, Dr. Spiegel’s efforts succeeded in obtaining milk for the children, and this is certainly a great salvation for them.