כבד את אביך ואת אמך…(ואתחנן ה:טז)

The first year following his wedding, Maran Rebbe Aharon of Belz zt’’l was ill, and the doctor forbade him from immersing in a mikvah. His father, Maran Rebbe Yissocher Dov of Belz, worried about his holy son, who might not obey the doctors instructions. So he warned him that due to Kibbud Av, he couldn’t use the mikvah until he was healed.

One wintry day, Rebbe Pinyele of Ostilla zt’’’l witnessed Maran Rebbe Aharon heading to the mikvah at sunrise and was out fifteen minutes later. Rebbe Pinyele wondered how Maran would disobey his father. So the next day, he hid inside the mikvah, and to his surprise, he saw Rebbe Aharon enter the mikvah area, remove his clothes, and go down the steps to the mikvah until he reached the last step, and say: “I’m prepared to do the mitzvah of Kibbud Av and not immerse in the mikvah!” Then Maran went up the steps, got dressed, and went home.

Filed under Parshas Va’eschanan | Reb Aharon of Belz | The Frierdige Rov