Rabbi Moshe, On Himself

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The Yahrzeit of Rabbi Moshe of Kobrin (1783-1858) is commemorated on the 29th of Nissan. The following meise / hasidic tale appeared in Sefer HaHasidut, Meah Tzadikim, Raphael, Yitzchak, 1961, Tel Aviv. (Freely translated by Gabbai Seth Fishman.)

Rabbi Moshe, On Himself

Once, on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, before Minchah, he fell upon the “Kvitelach” / petition-notes which lay before him and he said:

“Master of worlds, ‘You know my folly, and my acts of guilt are not concealed from You.’ My only question is this, (I am really at a loss here):

“What can be done with the requests of the community?

“For they are surely thinking that I am a person of influence and if I put in a good word You will respond.

“Therefore, I am coming before You and asking for Your grace:

“Please: Don’t dry up my hope that You will help them! And don’t disappoint all those who are making these requests of You.

“They, certainly, are not to blame in this mistake they’ve made of assessing me as a person who has influence with You….”

(Pure Utterances, Rosh Hashanah Subjects)

One Response to “Rabbi Moshe, On Himself”

  1. Gabbai Seth Fishman (Blog Editor) Says:

    Reb Moshe of Kobrin was the teacher of the first Slonimer Rebbe, Rabbi Avraham of Slonim. So… I’m thinking of my grandmother, Bella Deutsch of Slonim. Oleha hashalom. I miss you grandma!

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