Before he lived in Talusk, the Besht resided in the nearby village of Kashilowitz. In those years, during the winter months, he would immerse in a small river. When the river was covered in ice, he would break the ice and immerse in the freezing water.
A non-Jew who lived next to the river felt bad for the young rabbi. He witnessed how he would come out of the river covered in ice. Once, he saw that his bare feet stuck to the frozen ground and he had to push so hard to move them that he began to bleed. From then on, the gentile would put fresh straw down right next to the river so that the Besht wouldn’t have to step on the frozen ground.
One day, the Besht asked the non-Jew, “Tell me whatever you want and it will be given to you. Do you want wealth, a long life, to be appointed as a judge?” The gentile replied, “I want all three things.” The Besht promised him that he would merit all three and the non-Jew said, “How can you make me rich? I have no money!” The Besht told him, “Take water from this river and sell it to anyone in need of a cure. You will make a lot of money from doing this.”
The man then asked how long he would live and the Besht said. “You will live until long after I die. You will remain alive until the day you see someone who looks like me.”
A short time later, the non-Jew’s wife and son got sick. He gave them water from the river to drink, and they got better. The story got out and many people came to him, paying large sums for his miraculous remedy, and he became very wealthy. He also was appointed to be a judge.
Many years later, the Ruzhinzer Rebbe said that he wanted to see this non-Jew. The man was brought to him and he said, “I know that I will die soon as this man looks just like the Baal Shem Tov.”
