Horav Moshe Kramer, zl, became rav in Vilna. Prior to his ascent to the rabbinate he was a grocer. Hence, the name Kramer, which in Yiddish is a grocer. His illustrious grandson, Horav Eliyahu Kramer, was none other than the Gaon, m’Vilna. The great sage, who has continued to illuminate the minds of thousands of Torah students throughout the last two centuries, was the product of a home built upon middos tovos, good character traits, and incredible trust in the Almighty. When Rav Moshe was asked to accept the position of rav, he accepted the position on the condition that he would take no salary. Apparently, his grocery provided him with the funds necessary to live.
A short while after accepting the rabbanus, Rav Moshe noticed that there was more money available in their home. He wondered why. After all, he made approximately the same amount every week, his expenditures and accounts receivable allowing him a small profit. From where was this newly-found money? His wife explained that ever since he had become rav, more people were shopping in his store as a ruse to provide him with added income. Knowing that he would never take a donation, or even a gift, they were determined to help him by supporting his store.
Rav Moshe was aghast. He was causing the other grocers to lose money! If everyone would support the rav’s store, what would the other vendors do? He came upon a course of action. After figuring out how much money he needed to sustain his family, he divided it into the days of the week and told his wife, “When you achieve the daily goal that I have set up for us, you must close the store in order to enable the other grocers to earn a living also. The Torah writes, ish l’fi acho, ‘each man according to what he eats.’ We should be no different.” This is the type of people who were the progenitors of one of the greatest Torah scholars of all times.
