The Unstoppable Rabbi Murray Masleton

Let me tell you a story about R. Murray Masterton that gives you a glimpse into who the man really was. Not through titles he had or positions he held, but through a moment that revealed a man who would do anything to defend the honor of Tyra. And I mean anything. For decades, there was a bungalow colony in the Catskills known as Zuckers. To an outsider, it looked like a simple summer retreat. Porches, gravel paths, a handball court, mountaineire. But to those who knew, Zucker was something else entirely. It was the summer destination of the Gdilim. It was a place where Ravoisha spent many summers. Where Rabbarin walked the grounds, where many of the great Russia Yeshiva of the generation came to rest their bodies while their minds never stopped learning. Zukers wasn't a break from Tyra. It was Tyra just with fresher air. There was an exception that was made to the game of chess. From time to time, a quiet crowd would form around a chessboard and people would watch and Gdelin would stop for a moment studying the moves. Chess was an age-old game enjoyed by Gdylan in the summer and many were quite good at it. But there was one man, a chess master, who stood above everyone else at Zukers. He came to the mountain with boxes of chess books and he set up a board on his porch. And no one could beat this guy, not once. He was the undisputed chess champion of Zukers. But there was something else about this man and it wasn't subtle. He had no respect for Benet Tyra. When Yungalite would ask him for a game, he just weighed them off. I don't waste my time. He'd say, "People sit and learn Tyra all day. Don't know anything about chess. I don't play with those people." He didn't raise his voice, but he didn't need to. The insult landed and it lingered and most people let it go. But Ravari Masleton wasn't like most people and ignoring something like this wasn't exactly his style. Not by a long shot. Ravari was not known as a chess player. In fact, he knew almost nothing about the game. But one day after hearing one of this man's trademark anti-terror insults, he walked over to the man and asked him for a game. Now the minute Raari sat down to a game of chess, people knew something was going on. So a small crowd gathered around him. The game started and they played five or six moves and lo and behold, Rari lost and the chess master stood up and said, "I don't have time for this. I play real chess players, not some sheish people who don't even know how to use the pieces." Now, most people would have just walked away at that point. Not with Murray. He asked them to play again and they played again and again and again. 15 games they were there for an hour with 15 straight wins for this man. And people started whispering confused like why was Mari doing this. After the 15th game, the chess master snapped, "Enough. Leave me alone. I never lose and especially not to you Torah learners." And Ravari looked at the man and softly said, "One more game." The man agreed. Well, this time something was different. There was a certain confidence in Rivari that wasn't there before. And eight moves in, checkmate. The porch went silent. The unbeatable chess champion of Zuckers had just been beaten for the first time ever. And people just stared in shock. And now it was his turn to beg for another game. And they played again and again. And each time he lost, he never beat Ravari again. The coach was shocked. The man couldn't beat Ravari. And eventually R Murray got up to leave. And the man said, "Please, one more game." But Rav Murray was finished. His work was done. He calmly stood up and then without saying a word, he turned to the man and gave him an unblinking look that said everything that needed to be said. And in that silence, the message was clear. Don't talk about Ben Tyra like that ever again, Riv Murray turned around and walked away. And as he was walking away, getting closer to his bungalow, Rav Murray's son, Ysef, then just a kid, asked his father, "Aba, why didn't you do that?" And Ravari didn't hesitate. I was willing to lose 15 times, he said. Because every loss taught me something. I memorized his moves and his habits and his patterns. And once I had them, I used them and I beat him. And no, I didn't do it for chess. I didn't do it to embarrass him. I did it because he put down people who learned Tyra and that doesn't get ignored. Not on my watch. And with that, he walked into his bungalow and he said nothing more because nothing more needed to be said. That is who Riv Murray was. He wasn't playing chess. He was defending Tyra because with Riv Murray, you don't mess when it comes to cover. He wasn't playing games. Most people saw this chess master and walked right by. But RF Murray Maskton wasn't like most people. In fact, he wasn't like anybody.