Danny Schoemann, an Areivim Chaver posted the following story. With his permission, I am repeating it here since it illustrates much better than I can, what should be… rather than what is. It relates to the travesty that occurred on bus number 2 where a Dati woman was beat up by a Charedi thug because she dared to challenge the status quo seating arrangements by sitting down in an empty seat in the “men’s section”. Recall that there were no men around her. Her seat was surrounded by empty seats.
Recall, also, that the bus route primarily served the Charedi community and the seating arrangements had evolved into those of a Mehadrin bus. But it was never officially designated as one. The events that ensued on that bus are in stark contrast to the way a Gadol handled a similar situation. That original post generated a near record number of comments. And it illustrated how far the Torah world is from behavior like that of Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach.
It is no wonder that a Centrist Icon like Rav Aaron Lichtenstein used to go to Rav Shlomo Zalman for his own Shailos. Rav Shlomo Zalman’s behavior toward his fellow man is legendary. He is truly a Gadol to emulate. And although I never met him, I miss him terribly.
Here now, the story as told on Areivim:
“Dateline: 1980s. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and Rav Reiner (both of Kol Torah, Bayit Vegan) used to travel by bus to and from the Yeshiva. One day, on the way home, Rav Reiner gets on the bus alone and was surprised to see Rav Shlomo Zalman get on a few stops later.”
”Rav Shlomo Zalman explained that a woman not properly attired sat down next to him. So as not to hurt her feelings, he got up, went to the back door and got off at the next stop - to make it look like he arrived at his destination. He then got back on the next bus.”
”He didn’t merely change places - he got off the bus, wasted time waiting for the next bus and got back on again - which cost him money; those were pre-monthly-pass days. All this so as not to hurt "her" feelings.”
Imagine if those Charedim on bus number 2 had one thousandth of the sensitivity for this Dati woman that Rav Shlomo, Zalman had for a Chiloni woman.
What a difference.
