Weekly Chasidic Story #758 (s5772-37 / 15 Sivan 5772)

Humility Personified

The Rebbe Chanoch-Henich of Alexander told of how Rabbi Abraham-Abish Frankfurter used to make the rounds of wealthy merchants who came to his city to conduct business, in order to solicit donations which he later distributed to the poor, widows and orphans

Connection: Weekly Torah Reading - Num. 12:3 (see also 11:29).

 

Humility Personified

Once, during a Chasidic gathering with his followers, Rebbe Chanoch Henich of Alexander, discoursed on the topic of humility. He concluded his words by saying, "If you want to know what real humility is," he said, "I'll tell you of an incident that happened to Rabbi Abraham-Abish, the head of the Rabbinical Court of Frankfurt-au-Main."

Rabbi Abraham-Abish, aside from the many hours he spent occupied with rabbinical duties and scholarship, occupied himself greatly with deeds of kindness, especially helping to provide food and clothing to the poor. It was his custom to make the rounds of the wealthy citizens of the city and merchants who came to Frankfurt to conduct business to solicit charity which he later distributed to the poor, to widows and to orphans.

One day as he made his rounds he stopped in one of the local inns and approached a merchant who was visiting Frankfurt on business. 'Excuse me, my good sir,' began the Rabbi. 'Could you please make a contribution to help the poor with food and clothing?'

It seemed as if the merchant hadn't heard, for he didn't so much as raise his eyes to gaze at the supplicant standing before him.

Rabbi Abish, for his part, was too unassuming to announce his name, and so, he stood before the merchant patiently waiting. He made his request one more time. The merchant wasn't in the mood to be troubled by paupers, who seemed never to leave him in peace. He lifted his gaze and stared at the "beggar" who had the impunity to interrupt him. 'Go away. Get out of here and stop bothering busy people.'

Rabbi Abish said not one more word. He turned and left the inn, never insisting and never imagining to use his identity to coerce the unwilling donor.

A few minutes later, when the merchant had finished perusing his accounts, he rose to leave and reached for his cane, but to his surprise it was nowhere to be found. This stick with its silver embossed handle happened to be a prized possession of his and he was very upset to find it missing.

It didn't take him long to assume that the pauper had stolen it in revenge. The merchant dashed out of the inn in hot pursuit of the thief. A few hundred yards away he ran right into the thieving pauper.

'Give me my walking stick, you no good thief!' he cried.

'I'm sorry, but I have not seen your cane, my good man,' Rabbi Abish replied calmly. 'I would certainly never take anything from you.'

But the merchant's anger, instead of being assuaged, only grew in ferocity and virulence until he even struck Rabbi Abish. Still, the chief rabbi of Frankfurt didn't respond with anger; he merely picked himself up and continued on his mission.

As Divine Providence would have it, the merchant was delayed longer in Frankfurt than he had anticipated. When the Shabbat approached he found himself still in the city. On the afternoon of the holy day all the Jews gathered to hear some words of Torah, and he decided to join them, for he had heard that their chief rabbi, the famous scholar, Rabbi Abraham Abish would address the crowd and he very much wanted to hear the great man in person.

The merchant entered the large hall which was full to capacity. He took a seat in the back, and was quite impressed by the rabbi's two-hour complex dissertation. Yet he could not shake the feeling that this awesome scholar's voice sounded familiar. At the rabbi's concluding words he stood and raised his eyes to the podium to catch a clear glimpse of the great man. To his great shock and dismay, he recognized him at once-the impudent beggar that he had slapped a few days before! The episode flashed before him in a horrible new light.

Unable to bear the shame, he fainted to the floor. When he regained consciousness, he found himself surrounded by the congregants. 'What happened?' they all asked him anxiously. To his great shame, he related to them the entire incident.

'You must go to the Rabbi and beg his forgiveness,' was the advice offered from all sides.

'But how can the Rabbi ever forgive me for what I did?' he cried. Nevertheless, the merchant realized that he had no choice but to make the attempt.

When the Rabbi had finished speaking he passed through the crowd, greeting everyone graciously. The quaking merchant stood a little to the side, speechless with embarrassment, as the Rabbi approached.

Rabbi Abish instantly recognized the man standing before him. Although the rabbi was in the midst of an admiring audience of hundreds, most of whom were still overcome by his erudition, he gave no thought to his own dignity. Before the merchant could stutter an apology, Rabbi Abish cried out to his former persecutor, 'Please, believe me, I didn't take your cane. I promise you on my word of honor!'

Concluded the Alexander Rebbe: "The Rabbi had no thought that the man might be coming to apologize to him. He was so humble that he never considered his own honor above that of anyone else. The Chief Rabbi of Frankfurt was not above attempting to placate yet again the thoughtless merchant, even before the eyes of his admiring congregants."
~~~~~~~~
Source: Adapted and supplemented by Yerachmiel Tilles from the versions on //L'ChaimWeekly.org (#951) and in "Gut Voch" (Artscroll).

Connection: Weekly Torah Reading - Num. 12:3 (see also 11:27-29).

Biographical note:
Rabbi Abraham-Abish Lissa, one of the outstanding scholars of his generation, was the Chief Rabbi of Frankfurt-au-Main from 1760 until his passing on 11 Tishrei 5529 (1768).

 

~~~~~~~~~~~


Yerachmiel Tilles is co-founder and associate director of Ascent-of-Safed, and chief editor of this website (and of KabbalaOnline.org). He has hundreds of published stories to his credit, and many have been translated into other languages. He tells them live at Ascent nearly every Saturday night.

To receive the Story by e-mail every Wednesday--sign up here!

A 48 page soft-covered booklet containing eleven of his most popular stories may be ordered on our store site.


back to Top   back to this year's Story Index   Stories home page   Stories Archives
Redesign and implementation - By WEB-ACTION