English Translation
The Rabbi of Lublin, the Gaon Rabbi Eliyahu Klatzkin of blessed memory, told me while we were both in the hospital, that the son of the Malbim related to him that his father (the Malbim) wrote his book of sermons “Artzot HaShalom” over the course of fourteen years. It happened that his father went to one of the bathhouses to bathe, and one day a French general appeared at his room wearing official uniform adorned with many medals of distinction, and he fainted upon seeing him. After they revived him, he said: “I fainted from great fear for my life, as this general was my distinguished student who strayed from his path and wrote a book of questions and challenges against the Aggadot [rabbinic narratives]. When I saw his book, I wanted to respond to those questions and resolve those challenges, but out of fear to respond openly, I arranged all the resolutions and answers over fourteen years in a homiletical form, and published them under the name ‘Artzot HaShalom’. Now with his arrival here, I was certain he came to take revenge on me, and therefore I was startled and fainted.”
Finally, the general approached him and told him that he had seen his book “Artzot HaShalom” and recognized its purpose, and he realized that he had erred and regretted what he had written, and asked him for guidance on how to return and correct his misdeeds. He also purchased all the copies of his book that were in his possession, in order to distribute them among those to whom he had distributed his own book, so that they too would recognize the truth and return to the right path, and finally bid him farewell.
[Source:] The Holy Gaon Rabbi Moshe Kliers of blessed memory, “From My Uncle’s Mouth” (Jerusalem 1935) p. 30
Original Hebrew Version
שָׂח לִי הָרַב מִלּוּבְּלִין הַגָּ’ ר’ אֵלִיָּהוּ קְלַאצְקִין זַ”ל, בְּשָׁכְבֵנוּ יַחַד בְּבֵית הַחוֹלִים, שֶׁסִּפֵּר לוֹ בְּנוֹ שֶׁל הַמַּלְבִּי”ם, שֶׁאָבִיו (הַמַּלְבִּי”ם) כָּתַב אֶת סֵפֶר דְּרָשׁוֹתָיו “אַרְצוֹת הַשָּׁלוֹם” בְּמֶשֶׁךְ אַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה. וּמַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁאָבִיו נָסַע לְאַחַת הַמֶּרְחֲצָאוֹת לְהִתְרַחֵץ, וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם וְגֶנֶרָל צָרְפָתִי הוֹפִיעַ לְחַדְרוֹ כְּשֶׁהוּא לָבוּשׁ בַּמַּדִּים הָרִשְׁמִיִּים עָטוּר אוֹתוֹת הִצְטַיְּנוּת רַבּוֹת, וַיִּתְעַלֵּף כִּרְאוֹתוֹ אוֹתוֹ. אַחַר שֶׁהֵשִׁיבוּ אֶת רוּחוֹ אָמַר: “הִתְעַלַּפְתִּי מִגֹּדֶל הַדְּאָגָה לְחַיַּי, שֶׁהֲרֵי גֶּנֶרָל זֶה הָיָה תַּלְמִידִי מֻבְהָק, וְנִתְפַּקֵּר מִדַּרְכּוֹ, וְחִבֵּר סֵפֶר שְׁאֵלוֹת וְקֻשְׁיוֹת עַל הַהַגָּדוֹת, וְעִם רְאוֹתִי אֶת סִפְרוֹ רָצִיתִי לְהָשִׁיב עַל אוֹתָן הַשְּׁאֵלוֹת וּלְתָרֵץ אוֹתָן הַקֻּשְׁיוֹת, אַךְ מִיִּרְאָתִי לְהָשִׁיב בְּגָלוּי, סִדַּרְתִּי אֶת כָּל הַיִּשּׁוּבִים וְהַתֵּרוּצִים בְּמֶשֶׁךְ אַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה בְּצוּרָה דַּרְשָׁנִית, וּפִרְסַמְתִּי אוֹתָם בְּשֵׁם ‘אַרְצוֹת הַשָּׁלוֹם’, וְעַתָּה עִם בּוֹאוֹ הֵנָּה חָשַׁבְתִּי בְּבִטְחָה שֶׁלְּהִפָּרַע מִמֶּנִּי בָּא, וְלָכֵן נִבְהַלְתִּי וְהִתְעַלַּפְתִּי”.
לְבַסּוֹף נִגַּשׁ אֵלָיו הַגֶּנֶרָל וְאָמַר לוֹ שֶׁרָאָה אֶת סִפְרוֹ “אַרְצוֹת הַשָּׁלוֹם”, וְכִי הִרְגִּישׁ בִּתְעוּדָתוֹ, וְהוּא נוֹכַח שֶׁתָּעָה וּמִתְחָרֵט עַל מַה שֶּׁכָּתַב, וּבִקֵּשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ לְחַוּוֹת דַּעְתּוֹ כֵּיצַד לָשׁוּב וּלְתַקֵּן עִוּוּתוֹתָיו. וְגַם קָנָה אֶת כָּל הַטְּפָסִים מִסִּפְרוֹ זֶה שֶׁנִּמְצְאוּ תַּחַת יָדוֹ, כְּדֵי לַהֲפִיצָם בֵּין אֵלֶּה שֶׁהֵפִיץ אֶת סִפְרוֹ, לְמַעַן יִוָּכְחוּ גַּם הֵם אֶת הָאֱמֶת וְיָשׁוּבוּ לַמּוּטָב, וּלְבַסּוֹף פְּטָרוֹ לְשָׁלוֹם.
הַגָּה”צ רַבִּי מֹשֶׁה קְלִירְס זַצַ”ל, “מִפִּי דּוֹדִי” (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם תרצ”ה) עמ’ ל
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