two stories about R' Moshe

While searching for the story in Igros Moshe mentioned in the post earlier this week two other stories caught my eye. The into relates that R’ Moshe viewed his life’s mission as being totally dedicated to Torah, with his wife a partner in that endeavor. He therefore refused to deal with housework, even refusing to hold a baby while his wife mopped the floor. M’mah nafshach, he argued to his wife – if it was important enough to be mevateil torah to have a clean floor than he would take the mop and do it himself, as his wife was not a servant, and if it was not important enough to cause bitul torah, then why disturb him by asking him to watch the baby? (My wife’s reaction to the story: his wife should have handed him the mop.)

At nine years old R’ Moshe learned the entire Mes. Beitzah on Shavuos night with his father. As a parent I appreciated the comment added to the story which notes that this accomplishment is not just a testimony to R’ Moshe’s abilities, but a testimony to the efforts his father invested in his chinuch. I don’t know if the first story is halacha l’ma’aseh, but this one certainly is.