והדבר אשר יקשה מכם תקרבון אלי ושמעתיו (דברים א:יז)

When the holy Gaon Reb Meshulem Igra zt”l served as Rav in Tismenitz (Tysmenytsya, Ukraine), two business owners from a nearby city came to him to present an argument in which they wanted the Rav to preside over the Din Torah (court ruling). After Reb Meshulem heard both parties, he realized it was a complex Din Torah and ordered them to return the next day.

The two defendants had no patience to wait until tomorrow, so they returned to their city and presented their arguments to the city’s rabbi. When the Rav heard their arguments, he told them to wait.

The Rav secluded himself in his room and started davening, shedding copious tears that he should be worthy to give a P’sak Halacha (verdict) according to halacha and Torah. Hashem accepted the Rav’s prayers. He took a sefer from his bookshelf and found a question inside similar to the predicament presented to him, together with a brilliant answer. He then presented a p’sak halacha – verdict to the two business people.

When the businesspeople next visited the city of Tismenitz, they thought that even though they had received a verdict, it was only appropriate for them to visit Reb Meshulem to hear his p’sak halacha.

Reb Meshulem answered the same verdict as their Rav. They decided to share the truth with Reb Meshulem: Their Rav quickly gave the same p’sak by peering into a Sefer.

Reb Meshulem was beside himself.  How could a Rav deliver such a complicated verdict by merely looking into a sefer – it must be that the Rav is renowned for his brilliance. Reb Meshulem decided to visit the Rav and accord him his due honor.

When the Rav of Tismenitz arrived in the other town, the Rav wondered why Reb Meshulem accorded him such respect and expressed his wonder to his esteemed guest.  Reb Meshulem told him he was amazed at how fast he delivered a p’sak halacha for such a complicated question.

The Rav replied that he did not know the answer; he davened to Hashem to open his eyes to give the correct answer.

Reb Meshulam exclaimed: “Crying is something I can do too. But the true way to pasken – to render a verdict – is by toiling in the Torah. That is the only way one can obtain “כתרה של תורה” – the crown of Torah!”