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Weekly Chasidic Story #1405 (5785-07 ) 10 Cheshvam 5785 (Nov.11, 2024) "Two Rebbes With The Same Frustration" In the midst of a bitter winter, in a town three miles from Lublin, a woman was in such straits during birthing time that her family hired someone to make haste to Lublin, three miles away, to ask the 'Seer' of Lublin to intercede in Heaven on her behalf. Why this week? The Torah portion, Vayera, shows how our patriarch Avraham majored in hospitality Story in PDF format for more convenient printing Two Rebbes With The Same FrustrationA. The Only Lit Window in Town Rabbi Yaakov-Yitzchak Horowitz, known as the Chozeh ('Seer') of Lublin, was distressed that he was not given the opportunity of fulfilling the of hospitality the way it should be fulfilled - that is, personally. But then, one night, in the midst of a bitter winter, in a town three miles from Lublin, a woman was in such straits during birthing time that her family hired someone to make haste to Lublin, there to ask the rebbe to intercede in Heaven on her behalf. By the time he reached the town everyone was asleep, and all the windows were shuttered - except for one lighted window, in the house of the Chozeh. Never having laid eyes on the Chozeh or his house, the man knocked on the window, and the owner of the house brought him in, and made him a fire. When he had warmed up a little, the man told his host that he was hungry. The Chozeh brought him food and drink and then asked him, "From where do you come and where are you headed?" "I have come to your city," said the traveler, "in order to ask your rebbe to pray for an unfortunate woman who is having a difficult labor, but now in the middle of the night I won't be able to search all over town to find out where he lives. Besides, I am exhausted from this difficult walk I have had so now I would really like to sleep a bit." "Who is this woman," asked the rebbe, as if nonchalantly. "What is her name? And her mother's name?" The man showed him the kvitl (note), which he had been entrusted to give to the Chozeh and which, according to custom, bore both the woman's name and the name of her mother. "I'd suggest you go to bed now", said the Chozeh, "and in the morning go along to see the rebbe." With that he showed him to the bed that was prepared for him, and the traveler slept through until close to midday. When the man awoke, he recalled he had come on a mission of life and death. Wanting to make good his shameful delay, he made haste to set out to find the Chozeh. But his host stopped him. "What is your hurry? Go along and first say your morning prayers, then have some breakfast. Meanwhile, if you would like to give me the kvitl and the alms for the poor, the pidyon (redemption donation) that no doubt accompanies it, I'll send along one of my family to see the rebbe." The man agreed. After a little while, his host conveyed to him 'the rebbe's answer': "Mazal Tov! The woman gave birth to a son during the night, and now you can return home in peace." Much relieved the man ate his breakfast, and arrived home to find that things were exactly as the rebbe had told his host. And the Chozeh for his part said that it was through Heavenly Supervision that the man had arrived at his house, in order to enable him to carry out the mitzvah of hospitality 'the way it should be fulfilled - that is, personally.' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Why this week? Our patriarch Avraham's devotion to the mitzvah of hospitality is showcased in this week's Torah reading, Vayera, both at its start and near its end. Biographical note: B. The Only Lit House in Town A Jew traveling about on business from town to town arrived in the middle of a winter's night in Gostynin, and made his way to the only house where lights were still shining, and knocked on the door. The householder - who was the chasidic rebbe Reb Yechiel-Meir of Gostynin, whom he did not know - gave him a warm welcome, and when he heard that his guest was hungry, served him strong drink and refreshments. After that the traveler was still hungry, so the tzaddik searched about the house for food of some kind, and found a quantity of uncooked porridge and a saucepan full of fat. Unschooled in the finer points of cooking - his wife and his attendants always took care of all matters concerning food…and of lodging too, for that matter -- he emptied one into the other, and put the result into the oven, which was still heaped with red-hot coals. It was a success; the famished traveler ate with gusto, and was sated. The Rebbe then settled him in for the night in his own bed, where he slept soundly, galoshes and all (for he was weary from his travels), while his host, having nowhere to sleep, stayed awake through the night. When his family awoke early, the Rebbe did not allow them to enter the room lest they disturb their guest, and he too walked about on tiptoe. The time came for morning prayers, and he went to the synagogue as usual. The guest, waking up soon after, also went to shul; and there, in the course of conversation after prayers, people told him whom the illustrious personage was who had gone to so much trouble for him. He was much abashed, and hastened to offer his apologies to the Rebbe, explaining that he did not know whose room he was in or whose house he was visiting. The tzaddik's reply was disconcerting: "I refuse to accept any apology from you." The traveler tried even harder to explain that he was the innocent victim of ignorance, and so on and so forth, until the tzaddik finally said: "If you promise to carry out an instruction which I give you, then I will accept your apology." The forlorn fellow solemnly gave his promise, after which Rebbe Yechiel Meir spoke: "This is my condition: that every time you ever pass by Gostynin, you will be my guest. For when do I ever get a chance to fulfill this mitzvah as I was able to do this time with you - inviting you in, preparing for you a place to sleep, cooking and serving you food? They always spoil it for me!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Why this week? Same as story A. Biographical note:
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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.