By Dovid Zaklikowski for COLlive and Hasidic Archives
Rabbi Yitzchok Isaac was a serious student of Jewish law. After training under Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of the Chabad movement and author of Shulchan Aruch Harav, he served as a rabbinic authority for 85 years. He was known as Isaac of Minsk, after the city where he lived most of his long life.
Those who observed Rabbi Isaac closely noticed something strange about his behavior to never eat honey cake. Even stranger, whenever he was questioned on the subject, Rabbi Isaac would avoid answering.
Only shortly before his passing did he explain himself.
At the age of 20, just after assuming his first rabbinical position, he had attended a wedding reception. Many different pastries were laid out on the table, and Rabbi Isaac took a piece of cake, made a blessing, and ate it.
Someone standing nearby then asked him why he had not chosen the larger and more beautiful piece of honey cake to recite the blessing on, in accordance with the law that one should recite the blessing on the best piece of food available.
“The truth is,” Rabbi Isaac said, “I had forgotten about that. But since I was a young rabbi, I did not want to admit that I forgot.”
Instead, he told his questioner, “I do not eat lekach” (honey cake).
He may have forgotten that detail of the law, the rabbi concluded, but he had never been guilty of the more serious transgression of lying. “I said I do not eat it, and I have kept my word ever since.”
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