Rav Meir Chodosh and the Withheld Telegram
In wartime Yerushalayim, Rav Yechezkel Sarna held back news of Rav Meir Chodosh's father's death for 30 days so the Chevron yeshiva would not lose him.
Rav Meir Chodosh, zt’l, was the mashgiach and menahel ruchani of Yeshivas Chevron in Yerushalayim during World War II. The mood in Eretz Yisrael was somber and tense. Italian planes were dropping bombs on Tel Aviv, and there were blackout restrictions in force at night. The economic situation had deteriorated due to the German U-boats patrolling the seas, preventing international commerce. Moreover, people were worried about the fate of their relatives still in Europe. It was against this backdrop that R’ Yechezkel Sarna, zt’l, found out via telegram that Rav Meir Chodosh’s father had died more than seven days previously.
R’ Sarna knew that Rav Meir Chodosh was vitally needed to provide ruach to the yeshiva during those troubled times. If he were to mourn for seven days, there would be a precipitous decline in the level of Torah achievement in the yeshiva. So the news was withheld from him until 30 days had elapsed after his father’s death. When informed of the news, he mourned for over an hour, and the entire yeshiva comforted him during that time. Since 30 days had passed, shivah was not observed. (The Mashgiach, pp. 264–267)