By Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn
Rabbi Moshe Raitport related the following:
Some years ago, on Simchas Torah, he was in a shul in Boro Park and an elderly respected individual noticed him and seeing that he is a Lubavitcher chossid, came over to him.
He said, “I am going to relate to you a story, however, you are not to ask me questions about it.”
The Man Became Extremely Emotional
Moshe said, “I don't know if I can agree to that condition”; however, that person started to speak with tears flowing down his beard. It was evident that he was becoming extremely emotional, as if he was reliving an experience.
Once in the 1920’s the Frierdiker Rebbe (Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, 1880-1950) was sitting on a train. Opposite him said an agent of the notorious NKVD. He began berating and belittling the Rebbe and all observant Jews, in a very vulgar way.
During his entire tirade, the Rebbe sat in his seat and did not give any response. When the train arrived at the station that he planned to get off at, the Rebbe stood up to disembark and that person did so as well.
Recognized that His Antagonist Was From a Chassidishe Family
At that point, the Rebbe faced the man and said, “Hayitochen (how is it so), that you spoke such vile language, especially as you were raised in a chassidishe family [it is unbecoming of you]?”
Full of indignation the officer angrily retorted, "How do you know that I come from chassidim?”
The Rebbe responded, "I observed you while you were eating, and I noticed that you had crackers in your hand. However, instead of biting a piece off of it, you first broke a piece off and then ate it, and that is how you continued eating them. That comes from a chassidishe upbringing.” Saying that, the Rebbe left, and the man was utterly stunned.
Extremely Reflective and Thoughtful
The man came home that evening and was extremely reflective and thoughtful. In a short time, he made a drastic change in his life and returned to his roots.
The man continued his narrative and said, I know this story because that officer was my father. Not only did he become religious, but he merited to see that all of his children and grandchildren are Shomrei Torah and mitzvos.
More than Just the Tremendous Power of a Tzaddik
When I related this story, someone mentioned to me, without a question, the words of a tzaddik have tremendous power and can change even an avowed atheist. However, often as in this story, the person has to be ready to listen to and internalize the tzaddik’s words, and then it will accomplish its objective.
Reprinted from the Parshas Pinchas 5780 email of The Weekly Story by Rabbi Avtzon.
