Story of the week (By Yehuda Z. Klitnick)
Harav Reb Yitzchok of Pshevorsk, later came to Antwerp, Belgium and referred to as Reb Itzikel, told this story. He personally witnessed the event when it occurred, as he was a Shiniva Chosid. The Shinover Rov, Harav Hakadosh Reb Yechezkel Shraga, the son of Harav Chaim, the Sanzer Rov, author of Divrei Chaim, had a minhag that a few of his chassidim would stay in shul after every Shacharis and had a fabrengen, a Chassiishe get together. These chassidim were what they called Yoshvim, people who learned all day and didn’t go to work.
They brought breakfast for them, and afterwards they sat, and spoke together with love for each other. Various rich people donated the food each day. The Yoshvim were very poor, but their Emunah and Bitachon kept them going strong. They would also take home leftovers for their hungry family. Some donated food for an entire week, some for a month. One of the rich donors, was Reb Nechemia, who often donated the food for the Yoshvim, for a month or more. Reb Nechemia was a firm Shinover chossid. He had great Emunas Tzaddikim in the Shinover Rov, and he brought him a lot of money. One day, as his turn came to bring a month’s food for the Yoshvim, he decided he would sit with the Yoshvim and listen to their discourses.
He sat down at their table as they began eating, and almost immediately a chassidish shmooze began. They began telling stories about the various tzaddikim. One of the chassidim spoke up and said, “I believe and I’m very sure about it, that our Rebbe, the Shinover Rov, is a Baal Ruach Hakodesh, and can see everything with his heilige eyes!”
Reb Nechemia interrupted him and said, “I don’t believe that exists today.” All the chassidim sitting there got shocked. They yelled at him, “You don’t believe in that? You’re an apikoirus, a non believer! What do you mean you don’t believe that the Rebbe has Ruach Hakodesh? Reb Nechemia tried to explain himself. “I’m a chossid of the Rebbe and I support him with money? I believe in the Rebbe and ask him about everything I do? I believe the Rebbe is a tzaddik and is close to Hashem and can perform miracles. But I don’t have to believe the Rebbe has Ruach Hakodesh. That is something very high.” But the sharp chassidim would not let it go. “If you don’t believe, from that we are telling you right now, and that we have personally witnessed many times that the Rebbe has Ruach Hakodesh, then you are an apikoirus!”
The argument became heated. Reb Nechemia wouldn’t back down, and the other chassidim held their own, and the debate stretched out for a long time. Suddenly, the door opened, and the Shinover Rov’s bright face appeared in the doorway. He went to the yoshvim and asked them, “What were you all talking about just now?” A silence fell on the room. No one wanted to tell the Rebbe what they had been arguing about, or that they were talking about the Rebbe.
The tzaddik asked again, “What were you all so fiery about that you needed to argue about it?” But again, no one wanted to say. They all kept their silence. Finally, the Shinover Rebbe focused on the one who had been arguing the loudest in the bunch. “I heard your voice above all the others. You must tell me what you were all arguing about!”
The Chosid couldn’t find a way out, and told the whole truth. “We were saying that the Rebbe has Ruach Hakodesh, and Reb Nechemia, said he doesn’t believe in it!” “So what did you tell him? asked the Shinover Rov. “We told him that if he doesn’t believe that the Rebbe has Ruach Hakodesh then he’s an apikorus.” “And how did he respond to that?” asked the Shinover Rov. “He answered that he is a chossid! He supports the Rebbe, he asks the Rebbe about everything he does, and believes in the Rebbe. He says that just because he doesn’t believe that the Rebbe is has Ruach Hakodesh that doesn’t make him an apikoirus.”
There was silence in the shul for a short time. Then the Shinover Rov said, “Whoever maintains and says that the Shinover Rov is not a Baal Ruach Hakodesh is not an apikorus. But whoever disagrees with Chassidim who sit together and fabreng with love, and disagrees with them, can be a apikorus! Chassidim have to live with Achdus and love and harmony.
