by Rabbi Aaron Lopiansky
The righteous one carries his joy on his face, but his mourning in his heart; he has a wide heart, yet a humble soul.” So describes the Chovas Halevovos, a person who is a porush, meaning, a person who is most intense in his worship of Hashem. The Chovas Halevovos lists many more attributes typical of that unique individual, and many of them are hauntingly reminiscent of Rabbi Hauer. Let us, however, focus on this opening description, for in many ways it encapsulates all of his qualities.
When engaged in this world, working through its challenges and shortcomings, one is overcome by frustration. When one looks around with open eyes, one sees so much sorrow, difficulty, and incompleteness. But if one steps back two or three steps and then looks at the big picture, one sees a world that has so much potential and is developing and headed toward redemption and perfection – no matter how far off it might seem.
These two attitudes together are expressed when we channel our emotions in the right direction. Our innermost senses, i.e., the heart, must be focused on the real challenges that the world presents us with. But in the big picture, one must reflect the joy of a world that in its core essence and in its distant future will be a mirror of Hashem’s perfection. Like someone who has a great business deal in which he stands to greatly profit, but at present it demands dealing with difficulties. His inner self is focused on taking care of all of those issues, but his outer and larger self is focused on the big picture; the opportunity that has come his way and the resultant reward.
Rabbi Hauer was someone who embodied this dual attitude. He saw the world in a most realistic way. He saw the challenges, the difficulties, i.e., the crises in our world. He saw this in the world of observant Jewry, and in many circles of Jews that are not yet observant. He had no illusions about the difficulties of working things through and moving them forward. Yet he never lost sight of the bigger picture. The bigger picture is that we are G-d’s nation, and that we are heading toward a glorious future. His extraordinarily deep-seated care and concern, which weighed heavily on him, did not detract even an iota from his simchas chaim, which was generated by his trust in Hashem and his ability to see the eventual big picture.
There is a second reason why this was his disposition. In Slabodka, they would constantly remind you that “your face is the domain of the public.” This means that you affect every person that crosses your path by your expression and demeanor. Put on a face distorted by anger or bitterness, and others will be affected negatively by it. It causes them discomfort and pain because somehow, we react to other people’s emotions as being directed toward us. This is why, no matter how strongly one is weighed down by pressures and challenges, in Slabodka they taught that one must always project a very positive and happy demeanor.
This was very much how Rabbi Hauer presented himself. No matter how difficult and grinding his work was, he never projected it, because the other person does not need to feel that. The other person must be granted a smile and pleasantness because that will enhance that person’s day.
He did not share the things that were weighing down on him and would only discuss things that needed very specific input. I wish I could share some of those things that I know that weighed down his heart, but there is too much of it that is confidential, sensitive, and delicate. It is not for us to ask how or why, but just having a small inkling of all that he carried in his heart made one wonder how he was able to carry so much internally.
In one extraordinary man were embodied two greatnesses: the greatness of a heart that cared so much about all of the challenges that we face as a Klal, and all manners of suffering that individuals endure; and the greatness of a “countenance” that radiated with the joy and simcha of someone believing that inherently the world is good and great, just waiting to get there.
For one man to embody two such extraordinarily different greatnesses in one — that is true gadlus.
Rabbi Aaron Lopiansky is Rosh Yeshivah of the Yeshiva of Greater Washington in Silver Spring, Maryland.
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