During his well-known travels in Eretz Yisrael in the year 5690, Rav Chaim Elozor of Munkacz, the Minchas Elozor, made a trip one day to Har HaZeisim in Yerushalayim. There he went to daven at the kever of the Ohr HaChaim HaKodosh and after davening told his Chassidim the following story:
When the Ohr HaChaim lived in Yerushalayim, he was once visited by one of his talmidim, who cried bitterly at his lowly, pitiful state and lack of means, and how his level of poverty and destitution had reached the point of starvation!
“I can’t even feed my own family!” he cried bitterly. “Please, Rebbe, help me! Daven for me and beseech on my behalf!”
The Ohr HaChaim was filled with compassion and so he took a slip of paper and wrote a few words, a short note. He handed the folded note of paper to his talmid and told him to approach the Kosel HaMaaravi – the Western Wall, the last standing remnant from the Bais HaMikdosh, and to place it into one of the cracks of the large stones.
The talmid left, taking the folded paper note, and headed toward the Kosel. Just then, a strong gust of wind blew off his head covering and as he struggled to keep his head covered, the note too slipped and flew out of his hand far away! The sad talmid headed back and told the Ohr HaChaim what had happened. He sighed and remarked, “What can I do? It didn’t work out!”
Afterward, someone in Yerushalayim found the note signed by the Ohr HaChaim. It was a petition and request directed to the Shechina in the language of Shir HaShirim: “Achosi raayosi yonosi samosi (my sister, my friend, my dove, my perfect one) – I ask and request of You in mercy and compassion to send bountiful blessings of shefa to Ploni ben Ploni.” (Masa’os Yerushalayim by Rav Moshe Goldstein – Munkacz)
