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kept his factory open on Shabbos. Many Jews worked there. The Chofetz Chaim asked him toclose his factory on Shabbos. The replied "I earn 4,000 rubles a day! I cant give up that moneyfor Shabbos?!"

The Chofetz Chaim told him he was making a mistake. Observing Shabbos wouldnt make himlose any money. If he was mechalel Shabbos, he would lose a lot more than 4,000 ruble. The

Chofetz Chaim said that the Torah says we work sixth days and rest on the seventh. This teachesus that if you dont rest on Shabbos, we wont have work the other six days. The man scornfullyreplied, "Does the Rabbi think that a possuk (verse) from the Torah is going to close down myfactory for twenty four hours a week?!".

Soon after, the Bolsheviks took over Russia. They took the factory and all the mans money. Theowner managed to escape. He wrote a letter to the Chofetz Chaim: "I now see that your words

were correct. A single possuk of the Torah certainly has the strength to close an entire factory."

H o w t o g i ve M u s s a r

A rabbi was speaking about the Chofetz Chaim. He told a story about a boy in the ChofetzChaim's yeshiva who was found smoking on Shabbos. Everyone wa shocked, and some of theteachers wanted him kicked out of yeshiva. When the Chofetz Chaim heard the story, he asked

that the boy be brought to his home. The speaker said "I don't know what the Chofetz Chaimsaid to the boy. I only know that they were together for a few minutes; and the boy neverdesecrated the Shabbos again.

After the talk, the hall emptied of everyone except for one elderly man. The rabbi asked theelderly man, "Is anything wrong?"

The man responded, " I was that boy." He told the rabbi the following story:

"It was in the 1920's and the Chofetz Chaim was over 80. I was terrified to go to his house andface him. When I went to his home, I was shocked at the poverty in which he lived. Such animportant man would be satisfied to live in such surroundings. Suddenly he was in the room

where I was waiting. He was remarkably short and only came up to my shoulders.

He took my hand and clasped it tenderly in both of his. He brought my hand up to his face. Hiseyes were closed for a moment. When he opened them, they were filled with tears. He then saidin a soft voice full of pain 'Shabbos!' And he started to cry. He was still holding both my hands inhis, and while he was crying he repeated with astonishment, 'Shabbos, heliger Shabbos!'

Tears streamed down his face and one of them rolled onto my hand. I thought it would bore ahole right through my skin. When I think of those tears today, I can still feel their heat. I can'tdescribe how awful it felt to know that I had made the great tzadik cry. But in his rebuke - whichconsisted only of those few words - I felt that he was not angry, but rather sad and disappointed

with me. I always kept Shabbos from that day on.

F o cu s o n To r a h

A wealthy businessman who was passing through Radin and took advantage of the opportunity

to visit the Chofetz Chaim. He was astounded by the lack of furniture in the Chofetz Chaim'shome. Unable to contain himself, he asked, "Where is your furniture?" The Chofetz Chaimresponded by asking him where was his furniture. The man, a bit surprised by the question,explained that he was only passing through. The Chofetz Chaim smiled and explained that inthis world, he too, was only passing through. The Chofetz Chaim was extremely frugal when itcame to spending money on sefarim and hiddur mitzvah as well. He lived his entire lifeaccording to the same rule money is time, time is life and life is for Torah, mitzvos andmaasim tovim.