Weekly Chasidic Story #633 (s5770-18 / 26 Tevet 5770)

Change of Heart

"Are you giving this money wholeheartedly?" asked Rabbi Yaakov-Yisrael of Cherkass. "If not, I can't acept it."

Connection: Weekly Reading (tenuous)

 

Change of Heart

Once, when Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael of Cherkass was traveling overnight, the wagon driver lost his way. When he finally got back on the correct route a substantial delay had been incurred. The Rebbe wished to daven Shacharit (the morning prayer) as soon as possible. He instructed his attendant to disembark as soon as they entered the next village and look for a house with a large mezuzah on the doorpost. He was to knock on the door and request permission for the Rebbe to pray there.

The attendant followed the Rebbe's instructions, and to his surprise found that in the first house with a large mezuzah lived a chasid of the Rebbe's brother, Rabbi Avraham Twersky, the Trisker Maggid. The man of the house was not home, but his wife was delighted to have the Rebbe daven in her house. While the Rebbe said his prayers the woman prepared a sumptuous breakfast, and told the gabbai that she had a private request that she wished to submit to the Rebbe when he had finished.

The attendant secured the Rebbe's permission, and the woman entered. She told the Rebbe that she was childless and begged him for a blessing. The Rebbe thought a while and replied, "If you give me 2,000 rendels, I promise that you will have a son." Greatly excited, the woman brought the money to the Rebbe without hesitation, but the Rebbe refused to accept it until she had obtained her husband's consent.

The woman was reluctant to do so, since her husband was rather miserly and she feared he would not agree to give such a large sum of money to the Rebbe. However, having no choice, she hurried to his place of work to ask his permission, and, as she had feared, he adamantly refused. After much cajoling and pleading, however, he grudgingly agreed.

They both returned home and the man gave the Rebbe 2,000 rendels. The Rebbe asked, "Are you giving this money wholeheartedly? If not, I cannot accept it."

Replied the man, "Yes, I am. Originally I did not want to give it to you, but now I am happy to do so."

The Rebbe accepted the money and remained secluded in the room for some time. He then called the couple back in and returned the money, saying, "It has been revealed to me that my brother, your own rebbe, has already accomplished what you need on the night of Rosh Hashana and you will indeed have a son! I am therefore not entitled to keep the money. You may, however, give me eighteen rendels for having given you the good news!"

 

[Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from "Gut Woch " (Mesorah) by Avrohom Barash]

Biographic Note:
Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael (Twersky) of Cherkas (1794 - 13 Elul 1876) was the son of R. Mordechai of Chernobyl, son-in-law of R. Dov Ber of Lubavitch, and grandfather of R. Mordechai Dov of Hornisteipl


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