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The Yahrzeit of Reb Shmelke of Nikolsburg (1726-1778) is commemorated on the 1st of Iyar. The following meise / hasidic tale appeared in Sefer HaHasidut, Meah Tzadikim, Raphael, Yitzchak, 1961, Tel Aviv. (Freely translated by Gabbai Seth Fishman.)

A Charitable Man

Once, a pauper came to Rabbi Shmelke and asked for a handout.

Rabbi Shmelke did not have a single penny in his house. Nonetheless, he didn’t want the pauper to leave empty-handed.

So, he searched around the house and found a ring and gave it to the pauper.

As soon as his wife, the Rabbanit, heard what had happened, she complained to him, explaining that the ring had been very valuable.

So, after hearing this, and without delay, Rabbi Shmelke sent someone to make a call on the pauper so he could bring it to the poor man’s attention not to sell the ring for too low a price because it is very valuable.

(The Good Oil)

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