Balebos

In Rostov, the Rebbe Rashab lived upstairs and the Friedige Rebbe lived on the ground floor. From time to time, the Rebbe Rashab would make kiddush and farbreng by the Frierdige Rebbe. At one of these farbernegens, the Rebbe Rashab wished a l’chayim to the baal habayis.

The Frierdige Rebbe turned to his father, and tearfully implored him: ‘Father, please remove this title from me. A balebos is a dovor mezuham, - a disgusting creature, and I wouldn’t want to be adorned with this label’!

Salary

R’ Michoel “der Alter” was a renowned chosid and a mashpia in Tomchei Tmimim. During the farbrengen of Yud Shvat 57430, the Rebbe spoke about him, and repeated a story that R’ Michoel used to tell his students. The following story is about his being hired for the position:

When the Rebbe Rashab decided to employ R’ Michoel as mashpia in the Yeshiva, he called in a chosid who would serve as a go-between; who would present the “offer’ to R’ Michoel. The Rebbe Rashab was telling the chosid exactly what to say to R’ Michoel; - what his responsibilities would be, what would be expected from him, how he should go about it etc. At the end, the Rebbe Rashab concluded “And tell him that he’ll get paid 4 rubles a week”.

The chosid was very surprised: he knew well of R’ Michoel’s level of avodas Hashem, and how little value he attached to material matters. Thus, it felt strange to him to go and discuss with R’ Michoel something as mundane as . . a salary! Although he didn’t say anything, the Rebbe noted his incredulity on his face, and set his mind at ease, saying: “Daaga nit, in krume d’chafya al mocho farnemt dos an ort!” [=Don’t worry, although his mind, his intellect, is totally preoccupied with spiritual and G-dly matters, nonetheless there is room for concern about the amount of his pay in “the membrane that covers the brain”; - i.e., it concerns him at least in a ‘makif’dige’ way]

2 Generations

A shliach in a city was applying for a position as a Rabbi in a local shul. The shliach contacted the officers of the shul, and it was arranged that he would come speak there on a Shabbos, after which he would be able to meet the congregants and have an opportunity to introduce himself to them.

When the designated Shabbos arrived, the shliach came to the shul. The president of the shul introduced him warmly, explaining that he was a representative from Lubavitch, who will share some Torah thoughts with them, and afterwards perhaps things would develop further.

Now, every shul or institution is dependent on the support of donations etc. for its sustenance. In many cases there is one (or 2) very wealthy member/s who usually bear the lion’s share of the financial burden. In this shul, as well, there was one main donor, who happened to be, unfortunately, not very fond of Lubavitch (to put it mildly).

Thus, when the president completed his introduction, this gvir got up and shouted: ‘I protest! I don’t want a Lubavitcher speaking in my shul!’

The president, however, was unfazed, and retorted: ‘We have already arranged for this guest to speak today in our shul, please everyone give him your attention’.

The protestor became even more furious, and screamed: ‘If you let this Lubavitcher speak here, then I’m leaving (and I’ll take my money elsewhere)’! But the president remained steadfast, informing him that if he wished to leave he is free to do so, but the speech will go on as scheduled. The man stormed out, and the shliach gave his speech.

After davening there was a kiddush [during which the president approached the shliach and brought him l’chayim, telling him: ‘you know we usually serve only scotch here, but for you, since I know you’re a Lubavitcher, I bought a bottle of absolute'], and the shliach met a number of people.

But there was one question that was greatly troubling him, and finally he asked the president directly: ‘What caused you to so forcefully defend me, even at the risk of alienating one of your important donors? Of course, I greatly appreciate it, but it was very puzzling to me’ The president told the shliach to come to his house motzoei Shabbos, when he would answer him.

On motzoei Shabbos, the president served the shliach a melaveh malka, and told him the following story:

During the (2^nd world) war, there was a youth who found himself, at a river bank, trapped between the Russian front and the German front. He didn’t know what to do (knowing that the one thing that they both had in common was their animosity towards the Jews). Finally he decided that the Germans would kill him for sure, and he was better off taking his chances with the Russians.

He duly crossed the river, and, as expected, as he neared the Russian front, he was seized by their soldiers. He explained that he was a Jewish youth, running for his life,  and he could sense that they trusted him. They took him to the medical tent,  and told him to take some food and rest up,  and didn't appear to give him another thought. Bone weary, he fell into a deep sleep. A few hours passed, when, suddenly, a group of soldiers burst into the room, grabbed him roughly, and handcuffed him. He was shocked at the startling change in their attitude, but it very quickly became clear to him: In the middle of the night, the German forces had carried out a surprise attack against the Russian positions, with numerous casualties. It was clear that they had received information, and the Jewish boy fell under suspicion of being a spy!

In vain did he try to defend himself,  trying - unsuccessfully - to impress upon them the ludicrousness of him, a Jewish boy, spying for his mortal enemies the Germans. It was wartime, and the slightest suspicion of such treason was more than enough basis to put him to death r"l. Indeed, they conducted a swift trial, and prepared to execute him. There was nothing more to do or say.

Moments before they shot him, the vehicle of the commanding officer passed by. He stopped, and inquired what was going on. When he was informed about what happened, he looked at the boy sharply, and said "I'm taking him with me". The  commanding officer took the boy with him to his tent, and then, to boy's utter surprise,  he turned to him and asked in a perfect Yiddish: "ver bizt du, vos tust du do?"

The boy was, understandably in a state of shock - moments before he had already been sure he was breathing his last - and it took him awhile until he could speak again. But gradually he calmed down, and told the officer his entire story. The officer reassured him down, telling him that he believes him, and that he has no need to worry. At that point the boy gathered his courage (or perhaps his curiosity overcame his fear) and questioned the officer about what he was doing there. At that, the officer began to share his story:

'My father', he began to relate, 'was a follower of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. When I got my notice to appear for the draft, my father immediately brought me to the Rebbe for a brocho that I be spared. The Rebbe, however, to the great surprise of both of us,  responded to our request with the words "ess iz nito vos tzu ton" (there's nothing to be done). My father began to cry, and begged the Rebbe to give us some advice to save me from being taken to the army. The Rebbe repeated his earlier statement, however, and added "there will come a time, while in the army, when he will have the opportunity to save the life of a Jewish youth, and he should be sure to take advantage of this opportunity when it arrives".

'I've been in the army many years (the commanding officer concluded his narrative to the youth), and have been promoted numerous times, until I reached this very high position, but I never saw the opportunity about which the Rebbe had spoken. Today, when I recognized the Jewish features on your face, I realized that the Rebbe had meant you, and that it was in order to save your life that I had joined the army in the first place!'

The president of the shul now looked at the shliach pointedly, and exclaimed: "I was that boy in the war, all those years ago, and the Rebbe saved me. I owe my life to Lubavitch, and you can be sure that I will pay no attention to any screaming, but will do whatever it takes to get you this position!!"

[In fact, the shliach got the appointment, and went on to be very successful in his new position. It would seem that the Rebbe with his ruach hakodesh was not only saving the life of a Jewish youth so many years later, but was also - through that - securing a job for a shliach 2 generations even further down the line!]

Abstaing from using a Samovar

In the summer of 5677 there was a gathering of Rabbonim in Moscow with regards to deciding on a response to the political situation in Russia at the time. The Rebbe Rashab was there, and met with other Gedolei Yisroel. R’ Refoel Nachman (“Folyeh”) Kahan (the father of R’ Yoel Kahan), together with another bochur, were in charge of seeing to the Rebbe’s needs. He recalled numerous incidents from that experience, following is an excerpt from his memoirs:

“On the first day of their arrival, a few people came to the house where the Rebbe Rashab was staying to greet him, and they were conversing together. I went into the room to see if the Rebbe needs anything, and he requested that I prepare a glass of tea. I heated up the samovar, and brought the Rebbe a glass of tea, but, to my surprise, the Rebbe continued his conversation with his guests, and the tea remained untouched.

When some time passed, I approached the Rebbe and said: “Perhaps I should prepare a new cup, because this one has cooled off”. The Rebbe, however, didn’t respond to my query, so, on my own, I poured out the first glass and prepared a second one and brought it to the Rebbe. Yet, inexplicably, the Rebbe again left the tea untouched.

The Rebbe’s son (the Frierdige Rebbe) was in a different room in the same house, and, presently, I encountered him, and he inquired whether his father (the Rashab) had eaten yet. I related the whole story, how the Rebbe had requested tea, but when I made it for him he twice didn’t drink from it.

“What did you use to prepare it?” the Frierdige Rebbe questioned me.

“The samovar”, I informed him.

“Please, be so kind”, the Frierdige Rebbe said to me, “and take from our suitcase the electric kettle, and use it to make the tea, and then certainly my father will partake of it.”

I took the electric kettle according to his instructions [I must admit that I was unfamiliar with it – it was uncommon at that time – and the Frierdige Rebbe had to show me how to use it. I prepared the (third) glass of tea, and as soon as I presented it the Rebbe Rashab, he immediately drank it. Amazingly, neither with the first 2 cups nor with the third one did the Rebbe Rashab inquire of me what I had used to prepare it, and yet the first two cups he ignored, and only the third one (which, in fact, I had used the electric kettle to prepare) did he drink from!

Subsequently, when I repeated the incident to the Frierdige Rebbe, he said to me as follows:

“You surely heard my father (the Rebbe Rashab) saying during simchas Torah:

‘It says in the possuk Bayom Hashmini Atzeres Tiyeh Lochem. Atzeres means hold back, or withhold yourself.

Many ask, after all of the inspiration etc. on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, when we take a look at ourselves during the rest of the year, we tend to find that we have remained the same. How can this be so? How can it be that the avoda of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur didn’t change us? The answer is “atzeres Tiyeh Lochem”, - one must withhold oneself, and (thus) one can cause the holiness of these days to penetrate and alter himself.

Specifically, this means that after every Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur one must accept upon himself an additional good practice, both in positive acts and in abstaining from bad (and then these days will indeed change him)’.

“My father”, concluded the Frierdige Rebbe, (does the same himself, and this is an example). In the past he would yes drink tea, even coming from a samovar, but now, of late, he has begun to refrain from it”.

[R’ Refoel Kahan then quotes the ensuing discussion of the present Chassidim, who attempted to then determine what actual halachik problem or chshash (even very minor) the Rebbe had found with a samovar].

In 2 places at the same time

There was a long line for yechidus in the home of the Rebbe Rashab in Rostov, all hoping the secretary R' Chonye Morosoz h'yd would give them a turn. Suddenly the quiet was disturbed with the sound of loud arguments. It was an aguna whose husband had deserted her and her young children who asked to be an exception to the rule and be allowed to see the Rebbe then and there. The secretary who was used to people asking for exceptions to be made, refused.

 

The woman turned away disappointed, but then a young boy, Mordechai Aharon Friedman a'h, who was a ben bayis of the Rebbe, had rachmanus on her and suggested she write her problem on a paper and he would take care of it.

 

M.A. put the letter the woman wrote on the table where the Rebbe would eat supper. The Rebbe eventually came, saw the note, and told M.A. something.

 

The boy left and found the woman in the waiting room. He told her that the Rebbe's response was: Go to Warsaw.

 

The aguna's joy turned to concern as she wondered how she could afford the trip to Warsaw, but when the Chasidim heard that the Rebbe had told her to go to Warsaw they quickly raised the money for her and by dawn she had left.

 

The train stopped in Warsaw and the woman got out. She had no idea what she should do next. After a while she left the station and headed towards the city. She walked for one hour, then another, and then suddenly, struck by intense loneliness, she sat on a bench and cried.

 

A person approached her who was obviously Jewish who offered his help. She told him her story and finally asked him whether he had heard anything of her husband whose name was X. The man said he hadn't, but her told her about a factory nearby which employed people of many countries, suggesting that her husband might work there.

 

The woman walked towards the factory, went into the office, explained her problem to the manager and asked whether she could see the roster of workers. She searched the long list of names and did indeed come across the familiar name of her husband! She went back into the room where the workers could be found and scanned the room. Suddenly she saw him!

 

The husband was just as suprised to see his wife in Warsaw. They began to talk but the woman despaired when she realized that her husband wanted to remain in Warsaw.

 

Suddenly her husband asked, "How did you know where to find me?"

 

The woman explained that the Rebbe Rashab had sent her there and when her husband heard that, he changed his mind and agreed to return with his wife to Rostov.

 

The woman happily returned home and wanted to inform the Rebbe of the miracle and to thank him for his advice, but she encountered the same problem of the long line.

 

The Chasidim suggested she stand near where the Rebbe washed his hands before davening and tell him of the miracle. Excitedly, the woman stood at the place the Rebbe had to pass. The door opened and the Rebbe came out and when the woman saw him, she fainted.

 

When she recovered, the Chasidim asked her what happened. The woman emotionally explained that when she saw the Rebbe, she saw that it was the man who had helped her in Warsaw!

 

After the Chasidim had calmed down somewhat, they decided to figure out at what hour the woman had seen the Rebbe in Warsaw, and recall what the Rebbe had been doing in Rostov at the time.

 

It turned out that the event had occured at the time the Rebbe went to daven. They tried to reconstruct what had happened on that day, at that time. Suddenly they all jumped up. That day, the Rebbe had tarried in his room before going to daven. They had waited a long time for the Rebbe.

 

When they saw the time passing, they were very curious to know what was keeping him. The Chasidim edged their way over to the window of the Rebbe's room and helped one daring Chasid, who volunteered for the task, to climb up to the window and peek inside.

 

When the boy stuck his head through the window he recoiled immediately as though bitten by a snake, while screaming, "Oy Rebbe!"

 

When asked what he had seen, he told them that the Rebbe stood facing the window with his holy face burning like a torch.

 

He had indeed seen the Rebbe in his room in Rostov, nevertheless, the Rebbe was in Warsaw.

Time to cry

One Yom Kippur, during the piyut describing the asoroh harugei malchus, the Rebbe Rashab observed the chosid R’ Leib Mosenson smiling. The Rebbe Rashab called him over and asked: “Why are you smiling, this is a time to cry?” The chosid responded that someone did something amusing in the shul (I guess these things happened then as well . .) and so he smiled. The chosid grabbed the opportunity, and asked the Rebbe: ‘what reason is there to cry now?’

The Rebbe Rashab answered him: “There are 2 reasons: 1) Upon contemplating their great mesirus nefesh. 2) About the fact that kelipah was able to overcome kedusha to such a degree”.

[The story (in the sefer nitzutzei or – Weingarten) concludes: The chosid related that once he saw the Rebbe Rashab observing R’ Mendel Chein during asara harugei malchus, while he (R’ Mendel) was crying heavily. A number of years later the same R’ Mendel Chein was killed al kiddush Hashem].

Just to see

In the city of Kremenchug, in Ukraine, there lived many pious and learned Jews, including a number of wealthy ones who would generously fund the communal needs. One rich man, the owner of a flour mill, was exceptionally wealthy and had many dealings with high Russian officials. Over time, he left the path of Torah Judaism completely. Very proud of his riches and high official connections, he spent his time socializing with the Russian ministers.

Once, while the wealthy mill owner was in Petersburg for business, he heard that the Rebbe Rashab was then in town, staying in a hotel. Although he was steeped in worldly desires, he had a strong wish to see the Rebbe, who was known throughout the world for his wisdom and holiness. The mill owner arrived at the hotel when chasidim were being admitted to private audience with the Rebbe, but the Rebbe's attendant refused him immediate entry, because others were already waiting. In response, he attempted to enter by force, and this caused a major commotion.

Hearing the noise, the Rebbe Rashab opened the door. He motioned for the mill owner to be allowed in. When the wealthy man entered the room and beheld the Rebbe, he felt himself overwhelmed with awe and fear and was unable to say anything.

The Rebbe calmed him and asked why he had come, but only after some time was he able to compose himself enough to reply. "I did not come for anything, I just came to see," he muttered. Then the Rebbe blessed him and he left.

Years later, this wealthy man related, "From the moment I saw the Rebbe, I changed completely, for seeing his holy face made a deep impression on me. I have seen great ministers and leaders of the kingdom, but never felt any fear; but when I saw the Rebbe, an intense fear overcame me, and I decided to change my ways. When I arrived home, I got rid of all my (non-kosher) dishes, and began closing my mill on Shabbat." He became a proper Jew in every way and formed a strong connection to the Rebbe.

Lost Suitcase

On a trip to Petersburg, one of the Rebbe Rashab’s suitcases was lost. He was greatly troubled by this, for the suitcase contained important s’farim. The Chassidim came to the Rebbe’s aid, but it was to no avail. The suitcase had disappeared.

A few days went by and a young Chassid by the name of R’ Avrohom Eliyahu Gurary came to see the Rebbe. He had recently married and had received a dowry of ten thousand rubles, but lost most of it in a failed business transaction. All he had left was one thousand rubles. His difficult financial situation created tension and marred the shalom bayis of the new couple, so R’ Avrohom Eliyahu had come to ask the Rebbe for advice.

When he entered the Rebbe’s room, the Rebbe cried out happily, “Ah! Avrohom Eliyahu will bring me my suitcase from the train station!” Before he fully understood what the Rebbe was talking about, the Rebbe handed him the claim ticket for the suitcase and told him to go quickly to the train station.

R’ Avrohom Eliyahu went to the train station without knowing the great exertion that had already been expended in trying to locate the missing suitcase. It was quiet at the train station. No trains were coming or going. He then took out a cigarette and began to smoke. Suddenly he noticed one of the gentiles staring at him. R’ Avrohom Eliyahu offered the man a cigarette.

The gentile asked R’ Avrohom Eliyahu what he was doing at the station at an hour when no trains were running, and the Chassid told him that a Rabbi Schneerson had arrived in town, and he had come to fetch the Rabbi’s suitcase.

“You’ve come to the right man!” exclaimed the gentile, explaining that he was the man responsible for the luggage. The Chassid handed him the ticket, and the man went to the luggage area and told the workers to find the suitcase. A few minutes later, they returned empty-handed and said they couldn’t find it.

The boss began shouting that the suitcase had to be there, and told them to look again until they found it. After great effort, the suitcase was discovered in a corner, behind a big suitcase that had been concealing it.

The Chassid thanked the boss and went back to the Rebbe with the suitcase. The Rebbe rejoiced at the return of his suitcase and said, “Ich bin dir a baal chov (I owe you), Avrohom Eliyahu.”

Afterwards, when Avrohom Eliyahu had a yechidus, he told the Rebbe about his failed business deal that had led to a lack of shalom bayis.

“How much money do you have left?” asked the Rebbe.

“Only 1,000 rubles,” said the Avrohom Eliyahu.

Said the Rebbe: “Go to Kretz and Hashem will send you good parnasa there. When you go, take food along!”

Avrohom Eliyahu returned home and told his wife what the Rebbe said, concluding with complete faith, “Hashem will certainly help us!”

His wife cheered up, and in accordance with the Rebbe’s instruction to take food along, she went off to prepare some delicious baked goods.

Avrohom Eliyahu took his tallis and t’fillin and the baked goods, and went off to Kretz. Since it was a very hot day, he went to bathe in the Black Sea. When he got out of the water, he sat on the beach and began eating the delicious food his wife had prepared.

Nearby sat a Jew who looked at him and his appetizing food. When Avrohom Eliyahu noticed him, he offered him some cookies. The man asked the Chassid where he was from and what brought him to Kretz. Avrohom Eliyahu told him how he had lost his money and how the Rebbe had sent him here with his remaining 1,000 rubles and had blessed him with success. “ Now,” concluded Avrohom Eliyahu, “I have no idea what to do next.”

The man said that he thought he could help. “Come here tomorrow at the same time, and I will come with someone else and try to arrange a good deal. But,” he added with a wink, “don’t forget to bring some more of those delicious cookies!”

The three met the next day. The third man was a businessman who dealt in paper products. When he heard Avrohom Eliyahu’s story, he felt compassion for him and told him he would sell him a wagonload of cigarette paper for 1,000 rubles. The Chassid paid the merchant, who sent the wagonload to Kremenchug where there were cigarette factories.

When he arrived in Kremenchug, Avrohom Eliyahu went to Tzvi Gurary’s factory and offered him the wagonload of paper. Tzvi asked, “How much do you want for it?” Avrohom Eliyahu said he wanted 10,000 rubles so he could earn back the money he had lost, as the Rebbe had promised him. Tzvi refused to pay such a sum of money and tried to bargain with him, but Avrohom Eliyahu, confident in the Rebbe’s bracha, refused to sell the paper for less than 10,000 rubles.

In the course of their conversation, Avrohom Eliyahu told Tzvi where he had gotten the paper from and how much he had paid for it. Tzvi figured he would go to the same merchant in Kretz and buy a wagonload of paper for 1,000 rubles!

Tzvi went to Kretz, located the merchant, and said he wanted to buy a wagonload of paper. But the merchant told him that he had used up his paper reserves and had, out of pity, sold the whole wagonload to the Avrohom Eliyahu.

When Tzvi realized there would be a big paper shortage in the near future, he sent a telegram to Avrohom Eliyahu telling him not to sell the paper to anyone, and to wait for his arrival. When he got to Kremenchug he bought the paper for 10,000 rubles, fulfilling the Rebbe’s bracha to Avrohom Eliyahu.

[When Avrohom Eliyahu went back to the Rebbe for more business advice, the Rebbe told him, “Avrohom Eliyahu, I’ve repaid my debt to you!”]

Korach

One of the gedolei Yisroel who took part in the gatherings was the famed Chofetz Chayim, Rabbi Yisroel Meir HaKohen of Radin. The Chofetz Chayim enjoyed a very warm relationship with the Rebbe Rashab, that was openly displayed by both of them. When the Chofetz Chayim visited the Rebbe, The Rebbe grasped the hands of the Chofetz Chayim in both of his own with tremendous warmth. When the visit ended, the Rebbe Rashab escorted him until the stairs (something that he was not seen doing with other distinguished guests). The following incident emphasizes the depth of the reverence that the Chofetz Chayim had for the Rebbe Rashab:

During one of the meetings of the rabbonim, the Rebbe Rashab expressed his position on a certain matter. Some of the other Rabbonim present were not in agreement, and they expressed their opposition. When the Chofetz Chayim saw this, he exclaimed passionately: “All of the words of the Lubavitcher Rebbe are holy, and to argue with him is like arguing against Moshe Rabbenu!”

One of the Rabbonim present took offense, and retorted: “Is that so? Are you perhaps, then, likening me to Korach?”

The Chofetz Chayim, who had labored his whole life on shmiras halashon, was devastated at the thought that he had offended someone else by something that he had said. He immediately began apologizing to the other Rov, and doing all that he could to placate him.

When the Rebbe Rashab was returning from that meeting, he remarked to the Frierdige Rebbe (referring to the Chofetz Chayim) “Nu, er vet shoin hoben vos tzu ton haint bai nacht bai krias shma she’al hamita” [he has his work cut out for him for (the chashbon hanefesh of) krias shma tonight]. Both the Rebbe Rashab and the Frierdige Rebbe laughed heartily.