A litvak's thoughts

A litvak once came into shul looking dejected. His friend questioned him about the long face, and he said that he’s very confused because he had a very perplexing dream, and he doesn’t know it’s meaning.

Upon questioning from his friend, he finally elaborated that he dreamt about ‘thekavayochol’, - the Alm-ighty. His friend attempted to placate him: “You know, Chazal teach us that dreams are a reflection of one’s thoughts during the day, perhaps this was merely a result of your thinking about Him by daytime?”

“Impossible”, was his vehement denial. “You know my schedule, I get up early and learn a shiur, then I daven, and my entire day is occupied with either learning or davening. When do I ever have time to think about ‘the kavayochol’?”

A wagon driver's olam habo

There is a story about three tzaddikim who were once travelling in a wagon. By and by, the wagon-driver became drunk, and fell asleep. The horses began running freely, and all the passengers were in great danger. Their very lives were in jeopardy.

Just then another simple wagon-driver passed by, and, realizing the danger, risked his own life to jump onto the errant wagon and regain control of the horses. His efforts were successful, and the tzaddikim owed him their very lives.

Years passed, and the 3 tzaddikim were once sitting together, and they decided to use their ruach hakodesh to ascertain what happened with their benefactor. They determined that he had passed away from the world some time ago. Upon his arrival in the Heavenly Court, his defending angels recounted the story of his saving three Jewish lives. Anyone who saves even a single life is considered to have saved an entire world; - how much more so in the case of this simpleton who saved the lives of three tzaddikim, who would eventually influence hundreds of thousands of Yidden.

This act stood in his merit, and it was decided to award him olam habo. However, olam habo consists of enjoying G-dliness, something which is dependent on the vessels that we created through Torah and mitzvos. 
This simpleton had no means of appreciating or benefitting from olam habo. Thus it was decided that his only possible reward would be to place him in olam hadimyon: He was given the illusion that he was driving the most magnificent wagon, being pulled by 4 large and powerful horses, on a road that was straight and devoid of any obstacles or potholes. And this went on endlessly, because this was the extent of what this simpleton was able to enjoy.

(When the tzaddikim who were his beneficiaries saw the state that he was in, they found a way to do a favour to his neshomo, and elevate it to a level of gan eden)

Freud and the Baal Shem Tov

There was a person in yechidus by the Rebbe, and the Rebbe was speaking with him about Freud. [Freud was a scientist, a doctor and a groundbreaking thinker (known as the father of psychoanalysis). He stood out, in particular, for his very critical and negative analysis of all of a human beings actions and behaviours].

During the yechidus, the Rebbe remarked to him: “Freud dug deep into a person’s character, and uncovered all of the negative forces therein that determine his behaviour, the unflattering reality that resides there within.

But the Baal Shem Tov dug even deeper, and revealed the otzros, - the treasures!

Yom Tov with the Rebbe

Rabbi Alefsky, a Gerrer chosid, was in an airport late one night, and was surprised to notice an obviously Jewish family that were spread out on the floor. When he inquired as to what they were doing on the floor of the airport, he was informed that they were en-route from Paris to New York, and that they had somehow missed a flight, or it had been cancelled or something, and they were awaiting the next flight which would be the following morning.

‘Why don’t you find a place to stay overnight?’, asked Rabbi Alefsky, surprised that a family with young children would choose to bed down in the midst of such a public place. The family explained that they were penniless, and any cost for accommodations would be beyond their means.

Rabbi Alefsky made a quick calculation; ‘Listen’, he informed them, ‘I don’t live in a big house, but I can’t leave you here on the floor. I have a 2 bedroom apartment, so I’ll move my family into one bedroom, and make the other one available for all of you.’

The family gratefully accepted his offer, and happily joined him on his trip home. On the way they conversed some more, and Rabbi Alefsky learned that they lived in France, and were on their way to Crown Heights, to spend the upcoming Yomim Tovim with the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Rabbi Alefsky was himself a chosid, who appreciated the importance of spending Tishrei with his Rebbe, yet he found the lengths to which this family was going to achieve this; - making the overseas trip despite having no money – to be rather extreme.

The next day, after he had returned them to the airport and they thanked him for his kindness, he expressed his wonder: ‘I know that going to the Rebbe is important, but does it really warrant such self-sacrifice as you are displaying?’

In response, the father called over his youngest daughter, and pointed her out to Rabbi Alefsky. “Do you see this girl”, he asked him, “well let me tell you her story.

“When she was about 3 years old she became ill, and lost the function of her feet. We ran from doctor to doctor, but to no avail; she was unable to take even a single step!

“Heartbroken, we came to the Rebbe for Yechidus, and begged for his brocho that her health should be restored. The Rebbe looked at her, and commanded: ‘Go, and kiss the mezuzah!’ We were flabbergasted, and began to explain the Rebbe again that this was impossible for her, because of the condition of her feet. But the Rebbe disregarded our words, and repeated to her: ‘Go, and kiss the mezuzah!’

“To our astonishment, she got up, and hesitatingly took a step. While it was only one step, it became a first step – literally as well as figuratively – until gradually her ability to walk was fully restored.

“Now do you understand?”, the man concluded his amazing tale, “having being the personal recipients of such a wondrous miracle by the Rebbe, can we even consider not spending Yom tov with him, regardless of the hardships involved?!”

A Misnagdisher Hergesh

During the nesius of the Frierdige Rebbe, there was a chosid who had an illness in his kidneys, and the doctors recommended surgery to have his kidney removed. They asked the Frierdige Rebbe, who responded that they should not go ahead with the operation.

There was a non-Lubavitcher Rov who was involved at the time, and he strongly objected to their following the advice of the Rebbe. “He is not present” that Rov protested, “he did not see the ill person, and cannot have a proper understanding of the severity of the disease. This is a very serious situation, and it is plain wrong to follow the opinion of someone who is offering it from afar”.

Needless to say, the chosid heeded the advice of the Frierdige Rebbe, to the consternation of the Rov.

22 years later, the above-mentioned Rov met the chosid who had been unwell. “So”, asked the Rov, “did you ever remove your kidney in the end?”

The chosid responded that 2 years ago he finally had the operation.

“You see”, retorted the Rov, “I was right”!

The Rebbe listened to the story, and remarked: “That is a misnagdisher hergesh”!

Zionism

A prominent Rosh Yeshiva of a Mizrachi Yeshiva was once in Yechidus, and he said to the Rebbe: ‘I heard something in the name of the Satmar Rov that will shock you”. When the Rebbe asked him what it was, he said: ‘I heard that following your visit to the Satmar Rov to be menachem oveil him, he remarked: ‘I see now that he is as much against Zionism as we are; it is merely expressed differently’.

The Rebbe reacted with equanimity. ‘He is correct’, the Rebbe said, ‘they are against the people, while I am opposed to the ideology’.