ויצא אל אחיו וירא בסבלותם (שמות ב:יא)

The Gaon Reb Chaim Ozer Grodzinski zt”l of Vilna once visited the city of Lodz, where he met the Lodzer Rav, the Gaon Reb Elya Chaim Meisel zt”l.  The Lodzer Rav was renowned for his brilliance in Torah, but mainly for being a great Gabbai tzedakah – he went round to the houses of the industrialists and merchants of Lodz, soliciting charity and with this money bestowed help and succor upon the poor and broken Yidden in the city.

Reb Chaim Ozer brought his famous sefer “Achiezer,” which he authored and presented as a gift to the Lodzer Rav. He then fondly asked the Lodzer Rav: “When will I be worthy to see the Rav’s sefer?” – as if to say, “Why the Rav of Lodz does not publish his chiddushim – Torah insights.”

The Lodzer Rav replied to Reb Chaim Ozer, “The Rav should come into one of my rooms where I keep my Seforim.”  They went into a room and the Lodzer Rav showed Reb Chaim Ozer a bookshelf laden with ledgers, which were filled with notes, accounts, and documents stating all the amounts of charity he handed out to support talmidei chachamim – Torah scholars, almanos – widows, Yesomim – orphans, as well as all other accounts where was documented all the money he gave for other charitable causes.  “These are my Seforim and Chiddushim,” proclaimed the Lodzer Rav.