Story of the week (By Yehuda Z. Klitnick) Yahrtzeit 17 days in Sivon
The Rebbe of Karlin miraculously saves his Chosid from a catastrophe through Emunah.
Rabbi Aaron of Karlin l''wevf the author of Sefer Bais Aron, was born to his holy father, Rabbi Asher of Stolin l''wevf son of Rabbi Aaron Hagodol: l''wevf a Talmid of the Magid of Mezritch l''wevf. One of his Chassidim was very successful in the trade of buying and selling healthy and strong oxen. Once, he bought a hundred good, healthy, and strong oxen in Bardichev for an expensive price. He held his herd of oxen next to the herd of the Poritz, who also had many healthy, strong oxen. One day misfortune came upon the Chosid, and five of his oxen died. He feared that the Poritz should not find out about this, because the Poritz would order that all the oxen be killed. After all, perhaps this is an infectious disease and it could be transmitted to the oxen of the Poritz!
The Chosid waited for nightfall and, together with his Gentile workers, buried the dead oxen in the forest. The plan worked well, and the Poritz did not hear of the dead oxen from the Chosid. However, one day the gentile told the Chosid that he was going to tell the Poritz about the five dead oxen. The Chosid pleaded with his worker and offered him a large sum of money to be quiet, but it fell on deaf ears! The Chosid knew that the evil worker would relate to the Poritz and that he would lose a great fortune. He immediately traveled to Karlin to pour out his heart to the Rebbe and save his healthy oxen. The Rebbe asked if it would be possible to find five healthy oxen and put them in his herd. The Chosid answered that it wouldn't be possible in this short time to replace those oxen!
The Rebbe looked at his Kvitel and said with a smile, Who told you that you lack five oxen? It's not true; you don't need to replace five oxen! The Chosid, was very wise and understood what the Rebbe meant, and he said sure! The five oxen are not missing. He said goodbye to the Rebbe, who gave him a bracha for success. He went home calmly because he believed that the Rebbe knew what he was saying. When he came home, the Poritz was already waiting for him with the gentile worker, and the Poritz told the Chosid that he had heard that five of his oxen had died, and if it was true, then he must kill all his oxen since the disease might spread to his oxen! However, the Chosid was strong, and with the backing of the rebbe, he answered calmly, There must be a mistake. Not a single oxen was missing! I bought a hundred oxen in Barditchev, and they are all here! The gentile worker tells the Poritz that he helped his boss bury the five oxen! How can he deny that?
The Poritz was a rational and understanding person who respected highly the Chosid. Poritz stated, "Well, there is a way to find out who is right! We will count the oxen, and if there are a hundred oxen, the Jew is right, and if there are missing oxen from the hundred, the Gentile is right!" The Poritz takes a count, and he counts a hundred oxen! The Poritz turns to the Gentile, well! Who is right? The Gentile could not contain himself and said with impudence - chutzpah to the Poritz, "The Poritz did not count well!" The Poritz said angrily, "If I count again and there are no missing oxen this time, you will receive a severe punishment!" The gentile answered: I know with certainty that five oxen are missing, and am ready for the consequences because it cannot be that they are not missing! The Poritz counted the oxen again, but this time it was very slow, and he counted one by one, and the number came out to a hundred oxen!
The Poritz could not contain himself at the shamelessness act with which the gentile made a fool of him, and he ordered his servants to beat the gentile well for his disrespectful act and false libel against the Chosid. The Poritz apologized to the Chosid for the grief he caused him, and he forgave him.
The Chosid, however, stood in disbelief, and could not come to himself after seeing how the holy words of the tzaddik were fulfilled. It's not true; you don't need to replace five oxen! He gave praise and thanks to Hashem for saving him from a great catastrophe. He knew only through his strong faith in the Rebbe the Righteous that this could come out for good!
But in fact, the Rebbe performed a tremendous miracle! The Chosid came home and had to calm himself after the whole story. Hashem helped him that day, and a wealthy Poritz from a different city and other dealers came to purchase all his oxen, and he earned very handsomely. The Chosid went to Karlin to convey the good news, and gave a nice gift to the Rebbe! It is stated in the Gemarra that Hashem gave the tzaddik power to change nature because the tzaddikim are elevated and are above nature. Therefore "miiwn d''awde xfeb wicv" - “the righteous decree, and Hashem fulfills". The Rebbe was niftar 17 days of Sivon 5672. He passed away in the city of Melinov in Ukraine, and is buried there. He was succeeded by his son Harav Asher l''wevf, who passed away 15 days in Av 5673.
