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The Yahrzeit of Reb Meshullam Feibush Heller of Zbarazh z‘l (d. 1794) is commemorated on the 20th of Kislev. The following meise / hasidic tale appeared in Sefer HaHasidut, Meah Tzadikim, Raphael, Yitzchak, 1961, Tel Aviv. (Freely translated by Gabbai Seth Fishman.)

He Checked Himself

One time, he was fascinated and gripped by a thought that arose in his mind to lay Shimusha Rabba Tefillin.

However, it was his way in holiness to be extremely deliberate with every single thing and to get himself really clear about it, so that he might take hold of it and separate for himself the evil from the good before reaching his decision whether to do it.

After a time ruminating, he had smoothed out the rough spots of the matter, assessed the pros and cons and, he made up his mind that he would not lay Shimusha Rabba Tefillin, for he said:

“Why does the thought of laying these Tefillin burn in my kishkas like a fire? Is it merely due to the holiness of the commandment?

“But were it only the holiness of the commandment itself that moved me so, then the question arises: Why do I not also feel such a burning about laying Tefillin of Rashi or Rabbeinu Tam which is an important commandment about which all authorities agree?

“But I did not feel the burning with these.

“So then, this must, rather, surely be a strange fire.”

And so he checked himself and did not lay Shimusha Rabba Tefillin.

(New Order of the Generations)

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The Yahrzeit of Rabbi Dov Ber “Maggid” of Mezeritch z‘l (1710?-1772) is commemorated on the 19th of Kislev. The following meise / hasidic tale appeared in Sefer HaHasidut, Meah Tzadikim, Raphael, Yitzchak, 1961, Tel Aviv. (Freely translated by Gabbai Seth Fishman.)

He Is Serving Hashem

Rabbi Dov Ber was destitute; his house lacked everything. His well-learned wife kvetched about it but, he did not pay heed to her words.

There was one time when she especially bugged him — and the Maggid groaned a heart-rending sigh.

A Bat Kol came forth from the heavens and declared:

“Dov Ber, because you have groaned regarding your severe circumstances, you have lost your portion in Olam Haba.”

Rabbi Dov Ber was happy to hear this, and he called out:

“Henceforth my serving of Hashem will not be in order to receive a reward.”

A Bat Kol again came forth from the heavens and declared:

“Dov Ber, you’ve restored for yourself your portion in Olam Haba.”

(From the mouth of Chasidim.)

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The Yahrzeit of Rabbi Baruch of Medzhibozh z‘l (1753-1811) is commemorated on the 18th of Kislev. The following meise / hasidic tale appeared in Sefer HaHasidut, Meah Tzadikim, Raphael, Yitzchak, 1961, Tel Aviv. (Freely translated by Gabbai Seth Fishman.)

The Baba Kama Acrostic

It was a Simchat Torah celebration, and the close inner circle of disciples of our master, the Baal Shem Tov, (may his merit shield us), were making merry and dancing in a circle. The energy of Shechinah glowed all around them.

In the middle of the circle, the shoe of one of the Chevrah tore, and because of this, it was just not possible for him to dance with the Chevrah; to revel in the joy of this mitzvah and, he regretted this greatly.

A voice called to him. It was the righteous Udel, daughter of the Besh‘t (a‘h) for, she had been watching their rejoicing and their holy passion from the side. She said to him that if he gave his word that she would, with surety, give birth that very year to a male child, without hesitation, she would give him a good pair of shoes. He gave her his word that, without a doubt, she would give birth that very year to a male child.

And so it came to pass: In that year our holy Rabbi, the Rabbi Reb Baruch (may his merit shield us) was born.

During the time when he was still in his youth, it was truly clear that he had been made for greatness.

When he reached the age to begin to study gemara, his grandfather, the Besht, asked him which Masechta he is studying, he answered him that he is studying Baba Kama. The Baal Shem Tov asked further from what commentary of Baba Kama are you learning, he answered: Baba Kama acrostic:

ב’רוך ב’ן א’דיל ק’דוש מ’בטן א’מו / B‘aruch B‘en U‘del K‘adosh M‘ibeten I‘mo / Baruch son of Udel holy from birth! (Lit., from the womb of his mother)

(The Total Enlightener, page 8).

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The Yahrzeit of Rabbi Avraham Dov of Avrutch z‘l (1760-1840) is commemorated on the 12th of Kislev. The following meise / hasidic tale appeared in Sefer HaHasidut, Meah Tzadikim, Raphael, Yitzchak, 1961, Tel Aviv. (Freely translated by Gabbai Seth Fishman.)

Montefiore’s Secretary Visits him in Safed

“On Shabbos, I was summoned to the table of the Rav Rabbi Avraham Dov. This man is one of the most precious sages I have ever seen in my days.

“He wasn’t satisfied to just serve as ministering Rav of the Congregation (with no thought of being paid through the community’s coffers); it was more important in his eyes to distribute everything that he had in his possession to the poor of his people.

“From ten to fifteen people are eating at his table every day..

“The passion that burned in these people in singing Shabbos songs was, on their parts, a testimony that from the depths of their hearts, the music flowed forth with conviction and with purity.”

— From Reb Eliezer Halevi in his letter from 13 Tammuz 5598 (1838).

(“Holy of Holies” of M.A. Ginsberg)

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The Yahrzeit of Reb DovBer of Lubavitch (“Mittler”) z‘l (1773-1827) is commemorated on the 9th of Kislev. The following meise / hasidic tale appeared in Sefer HaHasidut, Meah Tzadikim, Raphael, Yitzchak, 1961, Tel Aviv. (Freely translated by Gabbai Seth Fishman.)

He Saw It Coming From the Start

Rabbeinu Hagadol, Rabbi Schneur Zalman was yet alive and, it was the time when his son Rabbi Dov Ber was still great friends with Rabbi Aaron HaLevi, each one appreciating the other. They once came walking tightly bonded, hugging, pressed together on the other side of a window with Rabbeinu and one of the hasidim standing in a room where they could witness this affection, and the Hasid said to Rabbeinu: “Like Chochmah and Binah, they are two lovers who will not be separated.”  Rabbeinu said to him, “Halevay that they will not be separated, would it were so that they will not.”

(Beit Rabbi section 2.)

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The Yahrzeit of Rebbe Zvi Hirsh of Riminov z‘l (1778-1846) is commemorated on the 30th of Cheshvan. The following meise / hasidic tale appeared in Sefer HaHasidut, Meah Tzadikim, Raphael, Yitzchak, 1961, Tel Aviv. (Freely translated by Gabbai Seth Fishman.)

When He Was Insulted

As it happened, our teacher, Menachem Mendel of Riminov used to send inspectors each erev Rosh Chodesh to all the businesses in their town to examine the measures and scales to ensure whether they were fair as we are so commanded in the Torah.

It happened that one time when he sent his servant, the holy master Rabbi Zvi Hirsh Hakohen along with one other to inspect the measures and the scales,  in the store of one wealthy merchant, (a man who we might describe as a well-educated “scoundrel”), there was a defective measure and, they chastised him over this.

But he answered them that, as he understood the law, although the measures may have been off, he was still in compliance with the law because no measure was needed in this particular case.

Rabbi Zvi Hirsh said to him,

“As illustrated by the example which deals with a basket of grapes, doesn’t the law explain that accurate measurement is so critical that, even if there is just the possibility of being slightly off, one may not leave it in the store but rather, one must place the grapes under the heels of his feet and trample them?”

The rich man answered him in insolence:

“‘Is Saul also among the prophets?’

“Is Tzvi Hersh also known as an authority of Torah law?”

And they went away.

When they returned to our teacher the Rav Menachem Mendel, he asked the Rav, Rabbi Zvi Hirsh whether the scales had been found proper from a Torah perspective. Rabbi Zvi Hirsh replied, “Yes, everything proper,” for, in his sense of propriety he did not want to report on the particular rich person that he had not been treated with respect, because his master had a characteristic of severe harshness when it came to handing out punishments.

Of course, his plan didn’t work because shortly thereafter, our teacher, Reb Menachem Mendel, asked the one who had accompanied Rabbi Zvi Hirsh: “How did it go with the inspection of the weights,” and he told him of the whole business.

(more…)

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The Yahrzeit of Reb David Shlomo Ibshitz of Sirocco z‘l (d. 1779) is commemorated on the 22nd of Cheshvan. The following meise / hasidic tale appeared in Sefer HaHasidut, Meah Tzadikim, Raphael, Yitzchak, 1961, Tel Aviv. (Freely translated by Gabbai Seth Fishman.)

His Distance From The People of Sirocco

When Rabbi Dovid Shlomo was sitting on the “Throne” of the Rabbinate in Sirocco, he cut no slack for the people of his town. He was chastising them with things that are between a person and God, and when it was between a person and his fellow, he would speak reproaches to them. And he would say:

“As towns stack up, Sirocco has very little.”

When he made Aliyah to the Land of Israel, all the citizens of the town came out to be with him: Man, woman and child. Not a single infant was left in its cradle.

A story: He and others of Sirocco once went out to the outskirts of the town, Rabbi Dovid Shlomo turned his face toward the town of no redeeming qualities, Sirocco, and said:

“What a nice town this!”

The citizens of the town heard and were surprised:

“But indeed, our Rabbi said: ‘As towns stack up, Sirocco has very little?'”

“Things that I said, I said indeed,” Rabbi Dovid Shlomo answered. “How nice she is, this Sirocco, but only at those times when you are elsewhere.”

(From generation to generation.)

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The Yahrzeit of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Hager of Kosov z‘l (1768-1825) is commemorated on the 17th of Cheshvan. The following meise / hasidic tale appeared in Sefer HaHasidut, Meah Tzadikim, Raphael, Yitzchak, 1961, Tel Aviv. (Freely translated by Gabbai Seth Fishman.)

Setting The Charity Up

One Shabbos, the Seraph of Strelisk z’l, (who was the brother-in-law of the holy Rav of Kosov), was staying with him in Kosov and, as one would expect, streams of people assembled there.

Among those who came was a man who was a close associate of the people of the house of the Rav of Kosov. His name was Reb Moshe and he had been a rich philanthropist and benefactor, however, after having taken possession of a certain village which had been under the control of a certain nobleman, his fortune quickly changed, and now, unbeknownst to any person present,  he was feeling stressed and despondent because of his change of fortune. After the holy Shabbos had passed, this man revealed his change of status to his master in Kosov, for he felt himself in a bad way.

The Rav sent him to his brother-in-law from Strelisk, saying that he should pour out his soul also to him. He came to the Seraph and told him of everything in his heart. The Rav, the tzaddik of Strelisk answered him:

“I am with you in your sorrow. I will go to Mikveh on your behalf and, the merit of my going to Mikveh will afford you protection, perhaps even rescue your situation.”

(more…)

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The Yahrzeit of Reb Baruch of Kosov z‘l (d. 1781) is commemorated on the 13th of Cheshvan. The following meise / hasidic tale appeared in Sefer HaHasidut, Meah Tzadikim, Raphael, Yitzchak, 1961, Tel Aviv. (Freely translated by Gabbai Seth Fishman.)

Admonition for the Way of The “Scoffer”

A story of Rabbi Baruch of Kosov, who entered a house of study and saw hot-tempered fighting of this one with that one over issues of religious law, and each one is lording himself over the other with his position and taunting his partner.

“Strange, strange!” mused Rabbi Baruch, “A house of study that is full of torah [that doesn’t ascend].”

A distracted mind of hot-tempered ones.

Rabbi Baruch raised them up.

“Words I said?” says Rabbi Baruch, “Thus did I say:”

“He who studies torah l-shmah / learning for the sake of learning itself, his torah ascends to high places, approaching the throne of glory; the house of study is found emptied.

“But if one studies torah not l-shmah i.e., with some other purpose in mind, then his torah does not ascend to high places, and the house of study is found to be full of torah [that doesn’t ascend].”

(From Every Generation)

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The Yahrzeit of Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky of Chernobyl z‘l (1730-1797) is commemorated on the 11th of Cheshvan. The following meise / hasidic tale appeared in Sefer HaHasidut, Meah Tzadikim, Raphael, Yitzchak, 1961, Tel Aviv. (Freely translated by Gabbai Seth Fishman.)

Rabbi Nachum and Rabbi Baruch of Medzhibozh

Once, Rabbi Nachum and Rabbi Baruch happened to meet in a town and, they lodged at the same inn.

When Rabbi Baruch came to dine for the Shabbos meal, Rabbi Nachum had not yet returned from shul, for he was taking a long time in prayer. Rabbi Baruch waited in vain for awhile but Rabbi Nachum did not come.

He didn’t want to wait any longer, so he began his meal.

As soon as Rabbi Nachum arrived, Rabbi Baruch said of him, in jest:

“In deference to his honored place, it’s an elder before whom one delays the eating.”

Rabbi Nachum answered with a bit of rage:

“Eat! And you shouldn’t wait.”

The warm feelings between them were cooled for the duration of the meal.

After the meal they went to retire to bed. (Rabbi Nachum’s room was opposite the room of Rabbi Baruch.)

The next morning, Rabbi Nachum was first to arise and, when he passed by Rabbi Baruch’s room, he found him there, in his bed, groaning and crying.

He asked him:

“Why are you crying?”

He answered:

“My grandfather the Baal Shem Tov came to me just now and said to me:

‘Go and appease Rabbi Nachum for, you are damaging his honor because, he is important and big in heaven and, they are very careful, there, to make sure he is honored.’

“I am crying over the fact that I was to have needed to go and appease a man who, as I, is only human. But now that he has come to my room, I am happy that I will not have to go to him…

“And, now, here am I, seeking his forgiveness.”

Rabbi Nachum fully pardoned him and the friendship between them was renewed with extra energy.

(Congregation of Hasidim)