Weekly Chasidic Story ##781 (s5773-10 / 27 Mar-Cheshvan 5773) The Shabbat Desecration Donation Normally Rabbi Yisroel of Chortkov never looked at the money given to him. This time, however, the Rebbe took the money which the assimilated Jew had sent and put it in his breast pocket. Connection: Weekly Reading (2)--Rashi's comments on 26:12 & 26:13)
The Shabbat Desecration Donation
One Friday night, Reb Dovid's door bell rang. An assimilated Jew who had heard that Reb Dovid intended to visit his Rebbe soon decided to ask for a blessing for himself. The assimilated Jew took out a note and some money and put them down on Reb Dovid's table, asking please to hand them over to the Rebbe. Reb Dovid, aghast at this open display of Shabbat desecration, thought at first that he would not take the note and money with him. On second thought however, he decided that since he had been asked to carry out a mission he would do so, and whatever the Rebbe would do with the note and the "redemption money" was none of his business. When Reb Dovid entered the Rebbe's room he put the two sums of money down on the Rebbe's table, his and the other Jew's. He made no mention of how the money from the other Jew had come into his hands. Normally the Rebbe never looked at the money given to him. He would ignore it, leaving it for one of his attendants to clear away. This time, however, the Rebbe took the money which the assimilated Jew had sent, and put it in his breast pocket. Reb Dovid noticed this sudden change but said nothing. Reb Dovid's money remained lying on the table as usual, awaiting the attendant. After the conversation came to a close, the Rebbe told Reb Dovid that he had to go somewhere and that he wished Reb Dovid to accompany him. On the way, a priest came over to the Rebbe and asked him for a donation for an orphanage that had just opened. The Rebbe put his hand into his breast pocket, took out the money that Reb Dovid had been given on Shabbat, and handed it to the priest. Reb Dovid understood that the Rebbe had wanted to show him that he knew the money was not from a kosher source. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Connection: Weekly Reading (2)--Rashi's comments on 26:12 & 26:13) Biographical note:
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