Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l—the beloved rosh yeshiva of Mesivta Tifereth Jerusalem on the Lower East Side of Manhattan—was considered the posek hador, the leading halachic authority of his generation. Revered for his unmatched genius and hasmada, constant engagement in Talmud Torah, he authored “Igros Moshe,” a nine volume series of responsa that includes thousands of his brilliant teshuvos—plus an index which fills an additional volume, entitled “Yad Moshe.” Reb Moshe’s wise counsel and psak were eagerly sought by Jews worldwide; countless people of all stripes turned to the tzaddik with questions and quandaries large and small. Most significantly perhaps, Reb Moshe was adored for his compassion, sensitivity and middos tovos—his humble care and respect for other human beings.

Dr. Melvin Zelefsky—chair of radiology at Jacobi Medical Center and professor of radiology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine—was a talmid of Reb Moshe, and would often visit the rosh yeshiva to discuss various medical shailos. Once, when Dr. Zelefsky came to Mesivta Tifereth Jerusalem to discuss a new breakthrough in cardiac surgery, Reb Moshe offered Dr. Zelefsky a unique opportunity: “I have just completed a thorough response to a similar inquiry and wrote a teshuvah detailing all of the various elements of the question. Accompany me home and I will gladly share it with you so that you can make a copy and have it for yourself.”

They arrived at the high-rise apartment complex where Reb Moshe lived and walked toward the elevators in the main lobby and Dr. Zelefsky pressed the “up” button. When the elevator door opened, Reb Moshe made no move to enter. The doors closed and the elevator began its ascent without them. Dr. Zelefsky was confused, but chose not to question the rosh yeshiva. Perhaps Reb Moshe was lost in thought; either way, he pressed the elevator’s “up button” a second time. When the elevator arrived, the gadol’s curious behavior repeated itself, and once again, Reb Moshe did not enter.

Reb Moshe subtly motioned toward the other end of the lobby. A little girl—who did not appear to be Jewish—sat on the floor, alone. Reb Moshe turned to Dr. Zelefsky and said, “That child is too young to be left alone. I don’t want to leave until the person responsible for her returns.”

The gadol hador and his respected visitor then waited patiently together. Some time later, the door of the apartment building’s rental office opened and a frazzled looking woman—obviously the little girl’s mother—appeared. Slightly embarrassed, the woman took hold of her daughter’s hand and quickly continued on her way.

When Reb Moshe entered the elevator, he remarked gently to Dr. Zelefsky, “A klein kind darf hoben shemirah—A young child requires protection.”

~

ויאמר ה׳ אל משה אמר אל הכהנים בני אהרן ואמרת אליהם …

“Speak to the Kohanim, the sons of Aharon, and tell them … ” (Vayikra 21:1)

Rashi points out a seemingly unnecessary repetition in this sentence in the words אמר, “emor—speak to,” and ואמרת, “v’amarta—and say to them.” This phenomenon, he says, teaches us that להזהיר גדולים על הקטנים—“the adults (gedolim) should ‘l’hazir—warn’ the young.” In other words, in addition to the Kohanim learning from Aharon how to observe the laws of purity, the Kohanim should, in turn, “warn” their children to observe these commandments, so that they will not make themselves impure. The young Kohanim, too, should avoid contact with the dead so as not to be rendered tameh l’nefesh, ritually impure.

Here, we generally translate Rashi’s term “gedolim,” as “adults,” and this is the pshat and basic intent of the commentary. However, the term “gadol—great,” is also used to describe great rabbis, leaders and sages. What, precisely, is a “great” person? Automatically labelling brilliant roshei yeshiva, Talmudic decisors or people of spiritual influence as gedolim can, in fact, be inaccurate. One who has acquired greatness in intellectual knowledge is, of course, worthy of respect, but that alone does not qualify them as a gadol b’Yisrael, a “great leader” in Am Yisrael. Providing guidance and support for one’s community, yeshiva, network or constituency is meaningful and worthy of much appreciation, but this too, does not qualify them as a “gadol b’Yisrael.”

Gedolim (big people) are those who see the big picture—and do something about it. Anecdotes of Reb Moshe’s broad and deep vision, his humanity, his universal care and concern for others, are instructive to all of us. Truly “big people,” leaders of the nation, are those who take responsibility for others, including those beyond the members of their group, worldview, location or society. Great people—leaders with global vision—are those who heed the call of Emor, and can see across the lobby.

May we hear and implement the Ribbono shel Olam’s call to be a mamleches Kohanim—a nation of priests, lovingly and compassionately warning the young and taking responsibility for each other, for the future, the whole world and every soul in need of resources, wisdom or protection.

Rav Judah Mischel is executive director of Camp HASC, the Hebrew Academy for Special Children. He is the founder of Tzama Nafshi and the author of the “Baderech” series. Rav Judah lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh with his wife Ora and their family.