Several months ago a festive gathering was held at the Palm Tree nursing home in Boro Park. The occasion was the celebration of the hundredth birthday of one of the residents, Mr. Elias (affectionately called Ike) Goldstein.
Mr. Goldstein was born in Timkovicz, White Russa, and came to this country in the beginning of the century. He worked hard for a living, but always had time to help his fellow men.
The speaker at the gathering was Rabbi David Singer, the spiritual leader of First Congregation Anshe Sfard. This is the major Shul of Boro Park. Numerous Minyanim are held there daily one after the other, one beside the other. Mr. Goldstein had been a member of this synagogue and for many years was Zedaka Gabbai.
A presentation to Goldstein was made by Mr. Joseph Bodner exectuive director of Bikkur Holim, an organization which was especially close to Ike’s heart and for which he had raised large sums of money.
One morning after prayers, Rav Joseph Fischman of Congregation Anshe Sfard came up to me and said, “Today I am going to visit Ike. Do you want to come along?”
I gladly accepted the invitation.
“Let me tell you a story about Ike,” Rev. Fishman said to me. It happened about ten years ago. Ike developed gangrene in one of his legs. The doctors all agreed that the leg should be amputated, but Ike refused to sign the necessary permission.”‘All attempts to convince him to agree to the amputation were to no avail. “This leg has served me for ninety years, and now I should get rid of it? I will not do this! If I have to die– so be it, but I want to keep my leg.
After some time another physician, Dr. Sidney Plotkin, examined Mr. Goldstein. He decided that there would have to be an operation, but that the leg could be saved.
“This is not a Bobe Maisa” Rev. Fischman continued. “I was witness to it. I was present when Ike’s friends and acquaintances sought to prevail upon him to agree to the amputation.”
This is one story about Ike, and there is another. The other one I wanted to hear from Ike personally.
We were standing in his room. He was stretched out on his bed and was speaking slowly, his voice barely audible.
He spoke about the Hafetz Hayyim. In his youth he had seen the Hafetz Hayyim several times, when the great sage was visiting Jewish towns and villages in White Russia to sell his books or to enlist support for his Yeshiva in Radin.
One day he saw the Hafetz Hayyim in a Shul in Slutzk He positioned himself near him and waited for the Hafetz Hayyim to finish his prayers As soon as the Hafetz Hayyim had taken off the Tefillin, Goldstein took them quickly from the table and began to fold them. The Hafetz Hayyim protested. He did not want to impose upon anyone, but the boy would not give up the Mitzvah of serving the Hafetz Hayyim.
“I have taken hold of the Tefillin and I will give them back to you only after I have folded them,” Ike said. When later he returned the Tefillin to the Hafetz Hayyim, the sage patted him on the shoulder and said to him: “May you have a long life.”
“I also grabbed the leather bag of the Hafetz Hayyim in which he carried the books he offered for sale.” Mr. Goldstein said. Again the Hafetz Hayyim protested. He said that the bag was too heavy for me. He did not want to be served or aided. I did not leave go of the bag and carried it to the house where the Haffetz Haim was staying.”
The Talmud (Megillah 28A) records the replies of various sages to the question as to what good deed they had done to earn their advanced age.
When Ike Goldstein is asked to what he attributes his longevity. he answers: “There is no doubt about it. It is the blessing of the Hafetz Hayyim.
The Jewish Press, Friday, Sep. 1, 1978