As a 14 yr old bochur (from Antwerp in Belgium) I was learning in a Litvish-Yekish Yeshiva in S. Louis France, a small city close the Swiss border and the city of Basel.
Having a strong bond and identification with lubavitch I used to go on my off shabosim to Zurich and stay by local lubavitch families.
Pretty soon I became acquainted with Reb Levi Itschok Shmerling z"l and his family and eventually his house became my home away from home.
One Shabbes Reb Levi Itschok asked me if I was learning Chassidus. I wasn't really.
Out of the blue he asked me: "Do you have a break during the day? " I did have an hour and a half midday break. "How long would it take you to come to Basel?". "I have a bike so barely a quarter of an hour" I answered him. "That's perfect. I happen to come to Basel for business once a week and I have to wait for my train back just during those hours, so let's meet up every Tuesday for an hour of learning Chasdidus!". I was very happy and eager to learn Chassidus so of course I agreed. And so, for the next three years every Tuesday Reb Levy Itshak learned Chassidus with me.
Eventually I left that Yeshiva to finally join a Lubavitcher Yeshiva (also with his help and contribution).
On the day of our last learning together Reb Levy Itschak gave me a Tanya that he had received from the Rebbe asking me to continue not only to learn Chassidus but also to now teach it on my own.
His dedication to my Chassidik education was total!
Over the following years my contact with Reb Levy Itshak slowly diminished.
I later married and settled in the suburbs of Paris.
With great sadness I learned one somber day of his early demise. My heart cried the loss of a teacher and mentor.
Memories of his generosity and commitment flooded my mind and have profoundly inspired me ever since in my shlichus.
Years later I attended a family wedding in Zurich.
During the evening my mother called me over and told me that Mrs Schmerling was present and would like to say hello.
I was very happy and emotional to see her again, more than 15 years since I was almost a household member in their house.
After catching up on personal news I said to Mrs Schmerling:" You know, my gratitude towards your late husband is incommensurable. I have a tremendous debt towards him and everything I do in Shlichus and in Chinuch is thanks to him. I still can't realize how lucky I was that behasgocho protis he had that spare time when he travelled weekly for his business to Basel."
There was a pause and a short but weird silence on her part. She finally said on a very soft tone and with a mild smile:" Is that what he told you?... He never had any business ventures in Basel. You're were his only business. "
My knees almost buckled under me and I became white agash.
I stummered "no... he had to way for his train back..." but the enormity of what I just grasped was cristal clear.
Reb Levi Itschak while running a business had given a very young bochur almost half a business day every week for 3 years!
Truth be told that at first after realizing this I was actually upset with him. It was overwhelming and I couldn't understand why he did that!? Had I known I never would have agreed.
Of course that's why he didn't want me to know.
I don't know if I will ever be able to repay him some way to this extent but I regularly tell students this story inspiring them to the bone and hoping that it will emulate similar acts of total sacrifice for Chassidus and Ahavas Yisroel
Elisha Schapira
