|
Weekly Chasidic Story #958 (s5776-30 / 25 Adar B 5776) The One Honest Man "Was everything you did for the mitzvah itself and not for monetary compensation?"
challenged the Rebbe Rashab. Connection: Seasonal-96th yahrzeit of Rabbi Shalom-DovBer Schneersohn on Saturday night ..
The One Honest ManIn the city of Disna, towards the end of the 1800's, lived a melamed, a teacher of small children, by the name of Rabbi Boruch-Yosef Kozliner, whom everyone referred to as "Reb Boruch Der Melamed." His sons learned in Yeshivah Tomchei Temimim in Lubavitch. In Disna, at that time, it was possible to avoid conscription into the czar's army by bribing one's way through the military bureaucracy. Army doctors, officers and office clerks were only too happy to accept a monetary gift to free someone from military service. This practice had flourished for many years. Boruch Yosef, too, was instrumental in freeing young Jewish men from military service. But Boruch Yosef took no money for his troubles; he risked defying Russian law solely to fulfill what is said to be the most precious commandment of all, pidyon shevuyim, the redemption of prisoners. Life continued as usual until someone informed the government of what was going on. The entire scheme began to unravel. A special delegation was dispatched from the Russian capital in Petersburg to investigate the charges and to act upon their findings. The whole city was thrown into a panic, for there was no household in Disna that had not participated in bribing government officials in one form or another. After all, for a Jew to be drafted into the Czar's army - which was usually for 25 years! -- meant the end of his life as a Jew. An investigation was launched; each new charge was followed by an arrest. Scores of people were thrown into prison - both governmental officials accused of receiving bribes and the unfortunate citizens charged with having offered them. Fresh accusations were leveled every day, as more and more people were arrested and detained. The members of the delegation were determined to substantiate each and every minute detail. Boruch Yosef was terrified, for his activities to free Jewish yeshivah boys from the draft went back many years. As soon as the delegation reached Disna, Boruch Yosef left for Lubavitch. He happened to arrive on one of the days the Rebbe Rashab - Rabbi Sholom-Ber Shneersohn, the 5th Chabad rebbe -- granted private audiences (his custom was to receive individuals in private audience on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, except during the summer months, which for health reasons the Rebbe spent in Zaulsha, when it was once a week on Mondays). Boruch Yosef asked Reb Nachman, the Rebbe's attendant, to let him speak to the Rebbe, but Reb Nachman abruptly informed him that he would have to wait at least several days before he could get in. Boruch Yosef was not a familiar face to the attendant, as he generally only came to Lubavitch for Rosh Hashanah, and even then, not always had yechidus with the Rebbe. When Boruch Yosef realized he would not be given a turn he wrote a quick note to the Rebbe, telling him he had something urgent to discuss and that Reb Nachman refused to let him inside. He handed the slip of paper to the next person about to go in to the Rebbe and asked him to deliver it. Boruch Yosef's plan worked. The Rebbe read his note and insisted that his attendant send Boruch Yosef in to him at once. Once inside, Boruch Yosef poured his heart out to the Rebbe. Where could he seek refuge? he asked. One thing was clear: Under no circumstances could he return home, for he would be arrested immediately. He thought it best to relocate to another city. But which one? Should he move to Kremenzug or to Poltava? he inquired. The Rebbe listened as Reb Boruch spelled out the two alternatives and then paused a minute, deep in thought. He then asked two questions: "Does anyone know that you are here in Lubavitch?" asked the Rebbe. "No one, except for my wife," he replied. "And was absolutely everything you did to free the young men for military service done for the mitzvah itself, and not for monetary compensation?" (Great sums of money were generally involved in these transactions, and the lure of money is one thing many people find difficult to resist.) "I did everything honestly and faithfully," Boruch Yosef answered. After a slightly longer pause, the Rebbe took out his watch and checked the time. "I think you can still find a cab driver to bring you to the train station in time for the next train back to Disna. In case it is too late, however, return and my own wagon will take you there. Travel in peace, and may G-d be with you," he said, ushering Boruch Yosef out the door. Once outside, Boruch Yosef did not know what to do. How could he return to Disna? This was not the answer he had sought. He had asked the Rebbe which of two cities he should settle in to escape the wrath of the Russian government. But there was no time for Boruch Yosef to stand and speculate. He hurried off in the direction of the cab drivers and took the last carriage to the train station. The next morning he was back in Disna. For the next few days Boruch Yosef sat at home, broken and depressed, expecting the authorities to knock on his door and arrest him at any minute. More and more people were being carted off to jail every day, and Boruch Yosef figured it was just a matter of time until his turn came. Anyone with even the slightest connection to bribing officials was being sought. Afraid to show his face in public, Boruch Yosef remained indoors, fearful and desperate. A few days later he was paid a surprise visit by his friend and fellow chasid, Reb Yaakov-Reuven Meller, whose sons also learned in Lubavitch. "Mazal Tov!" he cried as he entered the door. "Your salvation has come!" he announced to the astonished Boruch Yosef. Reb Yaakov then told him how he had learned that Boruch Yosef was no longer in danger. A vegetable seller by trade, Reb Yaakov made the rounds of Disna aristocracy, selling vegetable he had raised on his own property and on land that he leased. Some of the homes he visited belonged to high ranking government employees, whose wives were among his regular customers. That day, Reb Yaakov had gone to the home of a highly placed deputy officer to settle a bill. When he got there he heard the sound of heartrending sobs and weeping coming from within. The deputy's wife, who had been sitting and crying, opened the door and took Reb Yaakov into her confidence, as if talking to an old and trusted friend. Many years previously, she explained, her husband had accepted a bribe to alter some official papers, without the knowledge of his superior officer. When the superior officer got wind of the bribe, he too demanded money and insisted on being part of the scheme. Since that time, however, the deputy officer had been uninvolved in the whole corrupt business, and was free of any wrongdoing. Now, with the arrival of the governmental delegation from Petersburg, the superior officer had been arrested and was in prison. Only her husband and the office clerk remained on the job, sorting and classifying the mail that arrived at the office and putting it in the proper mail slots. On this particular day, the deputy had, in his pocket, a letter informing on the illegal activities of one Boruch Yosef Kozliner. He was planning to hand it over to the governmental delegation, which was due to visit his office that very morning. As the two employees sat and sorted through the mail, the clerk happened to open a letter denouncing the deputy officer, informing on his past participation in unlawful activities. Names, dates, and all their particulars were clearly spelling out in the letter, which had been sent by the already incarcerated superior officer. Why should he be the only one to suffer, when he had only followed the example set by his deputy? And maybe he would be shown mercy for informing on someone else. The two men had been sitting on opposite sides of the same desk. "Look at this!" the clerk said, holding up the incriminating letter. "You're in big trouble now." The deputy blanched. He began to plead with the clerk for the letter. The delegation was due to arrive any minute! At first the clerk was afraid to withhold the information from the investigation. But then, after listening to his superior's pleas he agreed to hand over the document, especially since the deputy promised him a 'present' for doing so. The deputy gratefully took the letter from the clerk and put it in his pocket. At that very second the door opened, and in walked the dreaded delegation. The two employees were quaking in their boots, for they had only narrowly missed being observed. In his fear and confusion, the deputy reached into his pocket and handed the officials the wrong letter. Instead of informing on Reb Boruch Kozliner, he gave them the letter sealing his own fate. When the deputy was immediately arrested and let off to prison, the clerk figured out what must have had happened. He ran to tell the deputy's wife, who in turn, related the whole story to Reb Yaakov. Reb Yaakov had gone at once to give his friend the good news. Boruch Yosef
was never informed upon and remained free the rest of his days.
Source: Supplemented by Yerachmiel Tilles from the rendition in Extraordinary Chassidic Tales, vol. 1 [Ozar Sifrei Lubavitch] by Rabbi Rafael Nachman Kahn, as translated from Hebrew by Basha Majerczyk Biographical note: Connection: Seasonal-the 96th yahrzeit of Rabbi Shalom-DovBer
Schneersohn starts this 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.
FLASH! "Saturday Night, Full Moon" by the first of 3 books by Yerachmiel Tilles, the Ascent storyteller, featuring 33 of his best stories, is now
available for purchase--through ASCENT-in-Safed
or the publishers
|
|
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.