Rabbi Yissacher Dov Rokeach of Belz
Rav Meilich Biderman once said that a Chasid of Rebbe Yissacher Dov of Belz, zt”l, had an only child, who was loved dearly. However, this son didn’t grow up with Yiras Shamayim, and he became engaged to a gentile woman.
When the parents told Rebbe Yissacher Dov about this, the Rebbe requested that they bring their son to see him. Since he was brought up in a Chasidish home, the son had respect for Chasidish Rebbes, so he agreed to go. But he made it clear to his parents, and again later when he spoke with the Rebbe, that he would not drop his plans to marry this girl.
The Rebbe spoke with the young man for a while, and then Rebbe Yissacher Dov said, “All I ask is that when you get dressed for the wedding, please wear Tzitzis under your clothing.” Then he turned to the father and said, “And all I want from you, is for you to go to the wedding.”
The young man agreed to the condition. It was a tiny sacrifice, and as a bonus, his father would be at his wedding. The father didn’t want to go to this wedding. However, the Rebbe requested, as strange as this request sounded, and it was now a sacred obligation, and he agreed to attend the wedding.
At the wedding, the guests had too much to drink, and they encouraged this young man to drink too. He didn’t want to drink because he remembered from when he was being brought up in a Jewish home that this was looked down upon, and therefore, he knew better, but he couldn’t stand up to the pressure they were putting on him to keep saying ‘no’ to their constant requests and urges.
After starting to drink, he began to feel hot, so he took off his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt. As he did this, everyone saw that he was wearing Tzitzis. The drunken crowd pointed to his Tzitzis and started yelling out, “He fooled us! He’s still a Jew!” and they began to attack him.
His father managed to pull him away from the mob and bring him out of the hall. He now understood why the Rebbe had asked him to be at the wedding, as it was likely so he could save his son’s life.
His son realized what a mistake he was making, and returned home with his father, determined to restart his life on a better path, realizing that the Mitzvah of Tzitzis has saved him from a disaster!
Reprinted from the Parshas Korach 5784 email of Rabbi Yehuda Winzelberg’s Torah U’Tefilah.
