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Weekly Chasidic Story #903 (s5775-26 / 25
Adar 5775)
Customer Relations
"The next day I heard a rumor that those gentiles were after my life.
I was terrified. In desperation I decided to go to the Rebbe Reshab in Lubavitch."
Connection: Seasonal -- 95th yahrzeit of the Rebbe Reshab
Customer Relations
Gavriel
Kogan once visited Rabbi Dovid-Tzvi Chein, the chief rabbi
of Chernigov (1846-1926), known as the Radatz, a legendary Lubavitcher
chassid, renowned for his scholarship and piety, at his home. In the company
of many others, the Radatz turned to him and suggested, "Why don't you
tell us the story of those non-Jews and the Rebbe's promise?" Reb Gavriel
agreed, and related the following story:
I live in the village of Dormilovka, near the city of Nezhin. Thank G-d, I manage
to make a good living from my store. Years ago I had a terrible argument with
some gentiles who lived in the area. They were so angry that they threatened
to kill me. That night, after I closed the store, I was so afraid to go home
that I went elsewhere to sleep. The next day I heard a rumor in town that I
was a marked man, and that those gentiles were after my life. I was terrified.
For the next few days I kept moving, sleeping in a different location each night.
In desperation I decided to go to the Rebbe Reshab in Lubavitch. This
would be my first visit.
When I got there, however, I realized that I was not the only one in town, for
in those days Lubavitch was fairly inundated with guests. The Rebbe's gabbai,
Reb Nachman, refused to let me in to speak with the Rebbe; there was a long
list of people before me. The earliest I would be allowed to enter was several
days hence.
Although I thought I knew no one in Lubavitch, all of a sudden I recognized
Rabbi Menachem-Mendel Chein (the son of Rabbi Dovid-Tzvi), the chief rabbi of
Nezhin. I ran over and told him my predicament, explaining that Reb Nachman
would not let me in to speak to the Rebbe. Two seconds later Reb Menachem Mendel
disappeared into a nearby room (I realized later it must have belonged to the
Rebbe's wife, Rebbetzin Shterna Sarah). The next thing I knew, Reb Nachman was
calling out, "Where is the Jew from Dormilovka?" In a moment I was
ushered in to the Rebbe himself.
After I had blurted out my story, the Rebbe gave me his blessing that no harm
would befall me. But I was not satisfied. "Rebbe," I implored him.
"I am afraid to go home! I want you to promise me that nothing bad will
happen!"
With a smile on his face the Rebbe looked at me and asked, "What do you
want - that all the non-Jews of the town should die?"
During the entire exchange Reb Nachman was doing his best to evict me from the
Rebbe's room. Not only was he calling me to leave, but he was pulling on my
arm. However, I was not ready to go. "Rebbe! Promise me!" I pleaded
again. "I am afraid to return to my house!"
"And if I promise you, you won't be afraid?" asked the Rebbe.
"No!" I answered emphatically.
"In that case, I promise that you will not be bothered by these Gentiles."
The minute I heard the Rebbe's promise, stated in such clear and unambiguous
terms, I was relieved. When I returned home I learned what had happened to my
enemies during my absence: one of them, riding his horse on the banks of the
river while in a drunken stupor, had fallen into the water and drowned. A second
had been killed in another accident. The four others, who had been involved
in a plot to set fire to the poritz's property, were arrested by the
police and sentenced to Siberia for eight years. The Rebbe's promise was fulfilled.
I was no longer in any danger.
Eight years later, when the four prisoners returned from Siberia, my fears returned
briefly, but they proved to be unfounded. Not only were they quite friendly
to me, but they became good customers of mine.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from the rendition of Basha Majerczyk
in "Extraordinary Chassidic Tales" -- her translation of Shemuos v'Sipurim
by Rabbi Rafael Nachman Kahn, volume 1.]
Biographical
note:
Rabbi Sholom Dov-ber Schneersohn [of blessed memory: 20 Cheshvan 5621
- 2 Nissan 5610 (Oct. 1860 - April 1920)], known as the Rebbe Reshab,
was the fifth Rebbe of the Lubavitcher dynasty. He is the author of hundreds
of major tracts in the exposition of Chasidic thought. In 1897, he established
the Tomchei Temimim yeshivah, the first institution of Jewish learning
to combine the study of Talmudic and legal studies with the mystical teachings
of Chasidism, from which emerged the army of learned, inspired and devoted chasidim
who, in the decades to come, would literally give their lives to keep Judaism
alive under Soviet rule.
Connection: The 20th of Cheshvan (2014: Nov.13) is the 154th anniversary of
the birth of the Rebbe Reshab.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~
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.
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