The Netziv Solves the Rashash's Question
The Rashash, a wealthy banker, could not explain a difficult Tosfos until the younger, poorer Netziv solved it, and explained why toil in Torah made the difference.
Rav Shmuel Shtrashun (1819–1885), better known as the Rashash, was struggling to understand the Tosfos. At the time, the Netziv came to visit him. The Netziv offered a brilliant but simple solution to which the Rashash readily agreed. Yet, the Rashash was bothered as to why this rosh yeshiva, who was 23 years younger than him, was able to figure out the solution and he was not.
The Netziv offered his explanation: “You are a wealthy banker and are able to learn Torah in relative comfort. I am a poor man and am forced to exert more effort to learn Torah in my circumstances. We know that the more toil one exerts in Torah study, the greater he will become.”