Baal Shem Tov stories

 It is said in the name of the Satmar Rov that he scoffed at people who believed all of the stories of the Baal Shem Tov (saying that if one doesn’t believe that they could have taken place, then he is an apikores, but if he believes that all of them actually took place, then he is a fool). He is reputed to have said: ‘It is not possible that all of the stories actually took place, because just think how many of the stories are alleged to have occurred on a motzoei Shabbos, and there were not enough Motzoei Shabbosim in the Besht’s lifetime to accommodate all of the stories’.

In contrast, the following is an excerpt of a sicha of the Rebbe:

“When there is a story that reaches us, it is a clear indication that that story contains an important lesson for us in our avodas Hashem. There is an irrefutable proof for this. As many stories as have been publicized about the Baal Shem Tov, when we consider that we are dealing with the Baal Sh”T, who’s entire life was with a BaSH”T hanhogo, and every moment was miraculous, we realize that the actual number of miraculous stories that took place with the Baal Shem Tov (that have to account for every moment of his life), has to be much much greater than the number of stories that have reached us. Why, then, we must ask, have only these - relatively few – stories reached from amongst the countless that undoubtedly took place? Obviously, because these have an important lesson for us!”

Hisorerus Tshuva

Tishrei 5736 (1975) the orthodox world was shocked to hear that, at the second night of Hakofos by the Rebbe in 770, Chaim Cohen, the former judge of Israel's Supreme Court, received a "hakofo" at the Rebbe's minyan and was honored with reciting a verse of Ato Horaiso."

In fact, the decision to give him this honor was not reached easily. Chaim Cohen, in his younger years, was an orthodox Jew, and a member of Agudas Yisroel, but later broke away and left religious Judaism. He became a promoter of liberal ideas and even married a divorcee despite the fact that he was a “Cohen." He was also a main player in the "Who is a Jew" controversy and was one of the judges who signed the law that conversions do not have to be according to Halacha, an issue that r”l caused the Rebbe much pain.

Therefore, when Chaim Cohen arrived that Simchas Torah to the Rebbe's Hakofos the gaboim were hesitant in honoring such a man. They were also concerned that the larger orthodox community would have serious complaints against Lubavitch, for giving honor to someone who was known only for his opposition to anything precious to the Orthodox community. Their dilemma was so much greater because they realized that any opposition to a decision to honor him would focus on the fact that it was done in the presence of the Rebbe, and with his apparent consent.

No-one wanted to take responsibility for the decision and its’ ramifications, and the only recourse was to ask the Rebbe himself for direction. One of the secretaries approached the Rebbe with the question, to which the Rebbe immediately responded: "A Jew is here with a hisorerus teshuva, and you don't want to give him a Sefer Torah?!”

So they gave him a Sefer Torah, he even said a posuk of the Ato Horeisa and then went into the circle to dance with all those who received a Hakofo. The Rebbe then started the song "Utzu Eitza V'sufar" by himself and for 45 minutes nonstop without a letup waved and clapped with his hands to increase the singing. The people that were there including Chaim Cohen became very tired and wanted to stop to rest but did not do so while the Rebbe is increasing the singing. During the entire 45 minutes the Rebbe stood there looking at Judge Cohen while he was holding and dancing with the Torah.

As they had feared, there were those who expressed their reservation against this decision, accusing Lubavitch of supporting the enemies of the frum establishment. Many Lubavitcher Chassidim were themselves puzzled by the event.

Recently, 30 years later, new details have emerged concerning this event: Chaim Cohen had a very close friend who lived in Manhattan and whenever he (Chaim Cohen) would visit N.Y. he would stay by this friend.

Some years after that Simchas Torah, one of the shluchim to Manhattan met this friend of Judge Cohen and invited him to come to the Rebbe. The friend adamantly rejected the offer saying: "Ever since Chaim Cohen attended that hakofos by the Rebbe he changed much of his views and opinons and I am not yet ready to change my opinions. I am the one who has to suffer as a result of Chaim Cohen’s Simchas Torah spent by the Rebbe!"

Tzedaka refines

The Alter Rebbe wrote: ‘Through a person performing acts of tzedaka נעשים מוחו ולבו אלף פעמים ככה [his heart and mind become one thousand times more delicate]. On numerous occasions the Rebbe pointed out that this is not an expression, or an exaggeration, but literal. And the Rebbe illustrated: This means that what would have taken you 1000 hours to learn you will be able to learn in 1 hour.

Mock Trial

A chosid, during a mock trial by the KGB in Russia, was given his few moments to present his defense, prior to sentencing. Knowing that the conclusion was already predetermined, and the whole “trial” was a farce, he chose, instead, to use his time to share a story:

A lion once went over to a rooster and roared ‘I am going to gobble you up!’

Trembling with fear, the rooster asked the king of the beasts why it deserves such a terrible fate. ‘Because you trot through the homes of people, tracking dirt and dust in your wake’, explained the lion.

‘But my actions are actually beneficial, they enable the homeowners to find lost objects, and they are very thankful for my behavior’, explained the rooster, in its’ defense.

‘I am going to gobble you up!’, the lion roared even louder than before.

‘Why, your majesty’, the rooster questioned again, in desperation.

‘Because early every morning you crow and crow, and make such a ruckus, and don’t let anybody sleep’.

‘But, that is what enables people to wake up, and it is so crucial to their productivity’, exclaimed the rooster.

‘I am going to gobble you up!’, bellowed the lion at the top of his lungs.

‘Why should you do this, your majesty’, the rooster cried.

‘Because I am strong and you are weak’, was the final, unanswerable retort of the lion.

And with this, the chosid rested his case.

14 cents

R’ Mendel Vechter was a very prominent Satmar chosid, and was the son of R’ Lipe Vechter, who was a respected Satmar Rov and one of the leading Rabbonim in Toronto. It came about that R’ Yoel Kahan began learning chassidus with him, and R’ Mendel was very influenced by what he learned. Initially the agreement was that R’ Yoel would only quote from the Alter Rebbe (and not from the Rebbe), and R’ Yoel would have to “smuggle” in explanations from the Rebbe “in disguise”. Gradually, R’ Yoel revealed to him the source of these interpretations, and R’ Mendel Vechter started developing a connection with the Rebbe.

At one point, he started attending the Rebbes farbrengens. At that time he was still living in Williamsburg, and was a very influential educator in Satmar, and for him to get “caught” in Lubavitch would be very dangerous, to put it mildly (almost like a bochur being caught in . . .). There was a room upstairs in 770, that was the operations center for WLCC, from where the farbrengens were broadcast around the world. There was a small hole in the wall of that room, from where one could look down at the farbrengen.

It was arranged that Rabbi Vechter would sit in that room and observe the farbrengen from up there as a roieh ve’eino nireh (sounds like the tricks bochurim come up with to avoid being observed when they go to . . .)

One day, when there was a farbrengen scheduled for that evening, R’ Mendel Vechter was visiting with a Dayan in Satmar. Before he left, the Dayan asked him to wait, saying that he, the Dayan, owed R’ Mendel 14 cents (as change for something), and he wanted to repay it. R’ Mendel looked surprised, indicating that 14 cents was insignificant, and didn’t warrant any attention.

But the Dayan disagreed, saying: “Vos meinst du, mi fertzen cent ken men mekadesh zain fertzen nooshim” [What do you mean, with these 14 cents one can be mekadesh 14 women].

That night, at the farbrengen, in the middle of one of the sichos, the Rebbe remarked: “A person may find 14 cents, and think that they are of no importance. But he is wrong. With those 14 cents one can give 14 times tzedakah, and that is 14 connections with Atzmus Ein Sof Boruch Hu”!!

The Big Complaint

When the Alter Rebbe began to disseminate Chassidus they came to him with a complaint about his Chassidim.

What was the complaint? There are those that are not holding by anything, but they behave and make as if they are advanced enough to have hisbonenus, as if they are advanced enough to have a love for G-d, as if they are advanced enough to have a fear for G-d, as if they are able to learn chassidus and act accordingly.

The Alter Rebbe heard the entire complaint and said: “If so, then the psak of the mishna should apply. The mishna says that someone that is not blind, crippled or lame and pretends that he is, “Won’t die of old age until he becomes like one of them”

Since they pretend to be chassidim, and they pretend to have ahavas Hashem, yiras Hashem and hisbonenus and davening at length with all of the things that chassidus demands, and they have no connection to it – they should know that  “He won’t die of old age until he becomes like one of them” until they become all of those things!

Automatically, if it looks like someone is moved to do something that he has no relevance to, in the end, the mishna has a psak din for everyone, that “He won’t die of old age until he becomes like one of them” and he will be moved from his place.

Like the (Friedige) Rebbe said that now the ice was affected, when the ice was already affected, in the end, it will become, and then it will become warm water and afterwards it will become mayim chaim.

Should this be through mashke, should it be through a nigun, it should at least look like he was moved...

A Chasuna in Atzilus

In Atzilus there was once great rejoicing; - a new shiduch has been announced. And this was not just any shidduch, - two of the most prominent and worthy beings in existence were going to join in a union of marriage. The chosson was none other than the illustrious Chochmo, the very tippy top ofhishtalshelus, and the undisputed leader of atzilus.

And the equally worthy kalla was none other that Malchus, her royal highness all the way from the other end of atzilus. The bringing together of these 2 unequalled mechutanim would undoubtedly be the chasuna of the century!

At the vort, all the who’s who of olamos hoelyonim were present, and all were clamoring to get a better view of the head table, where the choson and kala were sitting, regal and imposing. The L’chayims were flowing like water (I wonder what they drink in atzilus), and, over the din of the band, everyone was excitedly expressing their good wishes.

Presently, it became time for the speeches. The hall (or heichal) became silent, and the chosson began speaking in confident tones. As is customary, he began to speak about his yichus and virtues (yes, of course he was gezha). He explained where his lofty roots were, koach mah, and vehachochma me’ayin timotzei and what that “ayin” refers to etc.

The assembled guests were duly impressed, and Malchus felt a sudden need to match Chochma somewhat, to let people know that she’s also not a nobody. So she, then, took her place at the celestial stand, and began her talk. Malchus, she explained, was also in possession of very important roots, she was rooted in none other than Kesser elyon etc. etc.

Suddenly, in the midst of her oration, there was a great commotion; - Chochma had suddenly indicated that he was calling off the shidduch! It was a scandal, with everyone shocked and outraged! Chochma, however, was adamant, there was no way he was going ahead with it. To the startled guests, he finally explained:  “The main virtue of Malchus, and the reason I was so interested in her, is her bittul. The fact that לית לה מגרמה כלום, she is merely a mekabel from the rest of us. The moment that she started seeing herself as a meyucheses as well, and began extolling her own importance, she was no longer attractive to me”!