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Weekly Chasidic Story #1333 (5783-40) 7 Tammuz 5783 (June 26, 2023) "Where, Oh Where, is Exit 5?"
Story in PDF format for more convenient printing.
Where, Oh Where, is Exit 5?
Renowned as much for his scholarship as for his holiness, the leader and spiritual head of tens of thousands of Jews in the United States, Israel, and around the world, the Sanzer Rebbe [Rabbi Yekutiel-Yehuda Halberstam], was a unique figure in his generation. People from around the world came to him for advice and blessings, which always proved effective. I [Rabbi David Pinto] am not a Sanzer chasid. I simply believe in each tzadik who has worked for Judaism. Even if a regular individual helps people to do teshuvah by showing them the true and right path to follow, he has my respect and admiration. Yet if truth be known, I am attached to the Sanzer tzadik, and this has to do with what happened to me in 1984 in New York City. It was a Tuesday during the winter. On that day I was supposed to meet the Sanzer Rebbe at his office in Union City, New Jersey, at 9 pm, after the evening prayer. However, during the afternoon, I was told that a famous singer, Bob Dylan, wanted to see me at around 8 pm, just before his scheduled departure for Germany, where thousands of fans awaited him at a concert. He had heard of me from an important figure who often came to see me. I had been planning on leaving to see the Sanzer Rebbe at around 7:30 pm (taking into account the distance from where I was staying and also the traffic), hence my dilemma and uncertainty over this turn of events. If I missed my meeting with the Sanzer Rebbe, who knew when another such occasion would arise? On the other hand, if I refused to meet Bob Dylan, a [non-observant] Jewish
singer capable of attracting hundreds of thousands of people by his music, he
would feel offended. Instead of doing teshuvah, he would be angry with a rabbi
who had brushed him aside. After thinking it over carefully, I decided to forgo
my meeting with the Sanzer Rebbe Bob Dylan left at around 10 pm. At that point I wondered if I was going to completely miss meeting with the Sanzer Rebbe or perhaps, seeing that I had not yet arrived, the tzadik was still waiting for me. I said to my four friends who were with me at the time, "Let's go to Union City where the Sanzer Rebbe lives. If we manage to see him, so much the better. If not, the Al-mighty will remember the journey we undertook in honor of the tzadik. As for the tzadik himself, I think he won't be upset at us or offended when his secretary tells him that we were late because of special circumstances." We got into a car and left. The shortest way to Union City was to get off the Jersey Turnpike at Exit 5. We saw Exit 1, then Exit 2, Exit 3, and finally Exit 4. But then we saw Exit 6! At first we thought that this was just a simple mistake, so we hastily turned back. I told the driver to drive slowly this time and to pay special attention to the exits. Yet, as if G-d had decided to testing us by enclosing us on this highway, the same thing happened once again: We could not find Exit 5! We asked for directions from someone working in a tollbooth, and he said sharply, "Are you blind or what? Exit 5 is written in huge letters!" After the third unsuccessful try, I said to the driver: "We'll try a last attempt to make it to Union City. If, out of respect for the Sanzer Rebbe, the holy One opens our eyes and we manage to find Exit 5, good. If not, this will mean that the tzadik is upset at us and G-d does not want such a meeting to take place. In that case, we won't have the merit of seeing the face of the tzadik or taking hold of his saintly hands and kissing them," as we Sephardim do when in the presence of a Rebbe or tzadik. Once again we turned back and began counting each exit, with the hope of spotting Exit 5. After having passed Exit 4, I said to my friends: "Now let's all say aloud: 'May Rabbi Chaim of Sanz, the Sanz-Klausenberg Rebbe, forgive us and open our eyes - all five of us - so we can see Exit 5!'" At that exact moment, a miracle happened there; from afar we saw the sign indicating Exit 5! As soon as we saw it, we gave free reign to our joy - as if blind men had regained their sight - and we began to sing with all our hearts. From then on, it did not take long to reach the great Sanz Synagogue in Union City. We were welcomed at the entrance by the Rebbe's special secretary, who informed us that the Rebbe was waiting for us in his office, at which point our joy multiplied immensely! Thank G-d, the Rebbe was not upset with us in the least for being three and a half hours late. We quickly ascended to the second floor, where hundreds of chasidim were awaiting our arrival, intrigued and curious to know why their Rebbe was waiting in his office for so long. It is not difficult to imagine the emotion that I felt when I finally found myself before the tzadik. With his face like that of an angel, illuminated as it was by the Shechina [the Divine Presence], and the majesty that emanated from his persona, he completely radiated a sacred splendor. When I kissed his sacred hands, the memory of my holy ancestors - with Rabbi Haim Pinto ["the Great" 1749-1845], at their head - came to mind, and I had the feeling that I was with my saintly grandfather Rabbi Hayyim Pinto ["the Small" 1855 -1937]. The Sanzer Rebbe proceeded to ask me many questions about Rabbi Haim Pinto, which I answered by relating various stories concerning my holy ancestors. I quickly realized that the Sanzer Rebbe was perfectly familiar with the life and great deeds of the illustrious Rabbi Haim Pinto. In fact, one of the Sanzer Rebbe's disciples was originally from Morocco, specifically Mogador - the city of my great-great-grandfather, and each Shabbat he told his Rebbe of the miracles that Rabbi Haim Pinto had performed. When it came time to leave, I once again kissed the sacred hands of the Rebbe, and then we left, as happy as if we had been at the foot of Mount Sinai to receive the Torah and gaze at the face of the Shechina. Today, I still don't know why G-d blocked our way on that night, yet there is one thing I do know: the holy One has the power to close anyone's eyes, even if he has perfect sight. To conclude, I can only highly recommend that all those traveling to Netanya should go and pray - dressed modestly of course, not wearing mini-skirts nor pants (women), nor shorts (men) - by the grave of the tzadik of Sanz, may his merit protect us all. Amen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Connection: The 9th of the Jewish month of Tammuz is the 29th yahrzeit of the Sanz-Klausenberg Rebbe. Editor's note: Biographical notes: Rabbi David-Chananya Pinto (b. 1950) is the scion of
a well-known rabbinical family, whose roots reach back 450+ years to Rabbi Chaim
Vital, the main disciple of the "Holy Ari," Rabbi Yitzchak Luria,
in 16th-century Safed. His father, Rabbi Moshe-Aharon Pinto (1912-1985), immigrated
from Morocco to Israel (where is name became associated with miracles and thousands
of Jews flocked to his home in Ashdod for blessings). Rabbi David remained in
France, where he still lives. He currently has a large following and has established
dozens of educational institutions throughout the Jewish world, named after
his holy ancestors.
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Rabbi
Yekusiel-Yehudah Halberstam, the Klausenberger Rebbe, [Shabbat, 10 Shvat
5665 - Shabbat, 9 Tammuz 5754 (January 10, 1905 - June 18, 1994)], was a Holocaust
survivor who also became the post-war Rebbe of the Sanz Chassidim. One of the
foremost Chasidic leaders of his generation, he is best known for his revitalization
of the study of Talmud through "Mifal HaShas" and the building
of a hospital, Laniado, in Netanya, that functions at the highest standards
of Jewish law and medical practice. 
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.