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Weekly Chasidic Story #1328 (5783-35) 3 Sivan 5783 (May 22, 2023) "The Busy Afternoon Before Shavuot" After the passing of the Tzemach Tzedek, and especially a few years later when a few of his sons established their courts in other towns, the number of visitors to Lubavitch and of customers in his inn fell drastically. Connection: The Festival of Shavuot (Thursday night - Friday, May 25-26)
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The Busy Afternoon Before Shavuot
There was an innkeeper who lived on the outskirts of Lubavitch. During the lifetime of the third Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek, he managed to earn a living. Even for a regular Shabbat numerous guests would come to Lubavitch, and since the inns that were located in the center of the town couldn't host everyone, this innkeeper (whom we will call Meir) always had customers. However, after the passing of the Tzemach Tzedek, and especially a few years later when a few of his sons established their courts in other towns, the number of visitors to Lubavitch fell drastically, and this innkeeper felt the loss of income much more than those who were located closer to the Rebbe Maharash's residence and Beit HaMidrash.[1] It was Erev Shavuot and Meir was downcast, it is Erev Yom Tov and he hasn't had a customer for weeks. He had no money to buy food for his family so he decided to look for some work and perhaps earn some money. He passed by the Rebbe's house and the Rebbe Maharash was standing on his balcony. Seeing him, the Rebbe said, "Reb Meir, it is Erev Shavuot and one is supposed to receive the Torah with joy and b'pnimiyut ('innerness' - that it should permeate you), and here you are downcast." The innkeeper replied, "Rebbe, what shall I tell you? It is difficult to be upbeat and joyous when I haven't had a customer in my inn for weeks." The Rebbe raised his eyes, looked toward the horizon, and said, "Reb Meir, I see a large group coming and they will be staying in your inn for Yom Tov. Go home and prepare for them." "For how many should I prepare?" asked the innkeeper. "Three or four?" asked Meir. "A minyan?" asked the innkeeper in excitement. "Twenty?," asked Meir. Slowly Meir started adding larger amounts, first by fives and then by tens, with the Rebbe continuing to answer more and more. Finally, when he asked if the Rebbe meant he should prepare for seventy people, the Maharash replied, "No. More than double than that." Hearing this, Meir was thrilled, having such a large group can provide for his family for months. But then he realized, if he had no money to buy food for his own family, how will he be able to buy provisions for 150 people? Gathering courage, he said, "Rebbe, I don't have any money. So how will I obtain food and drink to feed so many people?" The Rebbe took out some coins and gave them to him and told him, "You can use these. Also, I am positive that the storekeepers will give you credit as well." Meir sped home and asked his family to help prepare for all their anticipated guests, and then ran to the market and began ordering large amounts of food. When he told each vendor that the Rebbe told him that he will have around 150 guests and that the Rebbe himself lent him some money, each storekeeper was willing to give him the merchandise on credit, knowing that immediately after Yom Tov they would be paid in full. This was going to be their lucky day as well! The butcher went to the shochet to ask him to slaughter extra chickens; the baker told him he will deliver freshly baked challah in a few hours; the winemaker delivered a barrel of wine right away. When his neighbors and friends heard the wonderful news, they were all happy for him. Many of them came over to help him and his wife prepare the huge amount of food in a short time. However, as the hours passed and it was becoming late in the afternoon and they did not see even a single visitor, they began questioning him. "Are you positive that the Rebbe told you that you will have a large number of customers today? Perhaps the Rebbe said it is possible that you will have customers, intending to uplift your spirits," they said to him. But Meir was firm. "I heard it directly from the Rebbe, and no, it wasn't just said as encouragement, it was a statement a fact. The Rebbe even gave me money and told me for how many people I should prepare. If the Rebbe said I will have many guests, I will have many guests." A few more hours passed. The neighbors and friends slowly went home, many of them thinking that Reb Meir was dreaming or G-d forbid, worse than that. In the end he will be financially ruined. And what will he do with all the piles of food? For sure it will spoil over Yom Tov. It came time for his wife to light the candles and still not one guest had arrived. She too was worried about what had happened with her husband and what will be, but she did not voice her concerns. Meir, for his part, simply thanked her for preparing so much for their guests in such a short amount of time. He stepped outside and spotted a cloud of dust on the horizon. After a few minutes he was able to make out that a wagon was approaching. Finally, it arrived and pulled up next to him. The driver asked hurriedly for directions to the closest inn. "Right here," Meir replied with a wide smile. "How many are you?" "In this wagon we are ten. But fourteen more wagons, also with ten each, will show up any minute now. If possible, we will all rent space in your inn, so we won't have to travel further. It is almost sunset!" "It will be my pleasure. Please come in," responded Meir., "And don't worry, I have enough rooms and food for everyone," he said reassuringly. By then, the other fourteen wagons arrived, and he ushered them all to where they would stay. After they quickly changed he led all the men to the Rebbe's shul. Everyone there was astonished; he had 150 guests, just as the Rebbe had said. One person asked, but if they arrived so late, how did the Maharash see them in the morning? Another person proposed that since the Rebbe was on his balcony, he was higher than us and was able to see much farther than we can. And since he saw them [presumably with his spiritual vision only - y.t.], to him it was as if they were nearby, but in actuality, they were quite a distance away and that is why it took them so long to arrive! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rabbi Avtzon's conclusion to the above episode is: My blessing: Biographic note: Footnote: [1] R. Shmuel, the only son to continue living in
Lubavitch, who subsequently became the fourth Rebbe.
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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.