Before Pesach תר"מ (1880), two chassidim arrived in Lubavitch to see the Rebbe Maharash. The first chossid, Reb Michoel Aharon Pisarevsky, though not particularly knowledgeable in Torah and Chassidus, had a warm chassidisher heart. He was always concerned for others. The second chossid, Reb Leib Posen, was a wealthy man from Vitebsk who gave tzedakah and occupied himself with gemilus chassodim, but all within certain limits.
When Reb Michoel Aharon entered the Rebbe's study for yechidus, the first subject he raised was the situation of his old friend, Reb Nachman Zeltzer. He described the poverty of the family, which included children of marriageable age, and pleaded for rachmonus on his friend's behalf. The Rebbe gave his brocho that HaShem should help him, and Reb Michoel Aharon begged the Rebbe that the brocho be a firm commitment.
When he then described his own dire situation, the Rebbe said, "It seems you're even worse off than Reb Nachman!" Reb Michael Aharon answered, "About myself, I know I don't deserve anything better, so I mustn't complain, and I have to be satisfied with what I have." The Rebbe covered his eyes, sat in a state of dveikus for a short while and then said, "If a person davens for a fellow Yid, his own tefillos are answered first. May HaShem grant you hatzlocho!"
And not long after, both Reb Nachman and his friend Reb Michael Aharon succeeded in their businesses and became very wealthy.
The second chossid, Reb Leib, began his yechidus by describing his personal matters at length and asked for a brocho. Only then did he sigh and report the situation of his chaver, a chossid called Reb Shmuel Brin. Even though Reb Shmuel was a very active and successful businessman, he would learn an in-depth shiur in Gemoro, Choshen Mishpot and Chassidus every day. Lately, his business had not been doing well, and swindlers had also thrown him deeply into debt.
Reb Leib related Reb Shmuel's misfortunes and concluded, "Of course it's all from HaShem, but he still is to be pitied." The Rebbe covered his eyes and sank deep in thought, but did not reply.
Soon afterwards, a fire broke out on the street where Reb Leib's storage houses stood, and he lost tens of thousands of rubles. At the same time another fire caught onto his shop, causing him an additional loss. He soon traveled to see the Rebbe, and at his yechidus he told the Rebbe of his great losses and wept bitterly.
With a penetrating look, the Rebbe said, "When tragedy befell Reb Shmuel Brin and left him penniless, you accepted it calmly, but now, when it has come to your merchandise, you cry out. The you and the I are two separate things!"
Realizing now that his hardships had resulted from his attitude towards his friend, Reb Leib wandered around in a daze, not knowing what to do. After two days he returned to the Rebbe's room, asked to be guided on a path of teshuvah, and undertook to think about the welfare of others.
In response, the Rebbe Maharash quoted the teaching of the Baal Shem Tov, that whenever one passes judgment on another, he is automatically passing judgment on himself, whether in a positive direction or the opposite. Thus, if one passes judgment on another for something he has done, he causes the Heavenly Court to press charges against himself. If, instead, he shares in the anguish of that other person and argues that he deserves help from HaShem, he himself is dealt with compassionately. The Rebbe then instructed Reb Leib to lend his friend 3000 rubles, and to proceed to Moscow to buy merchandise for his own shop. After the Rebbe gave him a brocho he headed for home, ready to do as instructed.
However, arriving at Reb Shmuel's home, he found out that his friend had traveled to nearby Lubavitch. So, even though he was anxious to travel to Moscow for his own purchases, he was afraid to deviate from the exact order of the Rebbe's instructions. Finally, when he went to shul on leil Shabbos, he found the recently-returned Reb Shmuel in a joyous mood and surrounded by chassidim, who were listening excitedly to what he was saying. Reb Leib envied him: despite his losses, he looked like the happiest of men. The gabbai then quieted everyone. Reb Shmuel chazer'd the maamar that he had just heard from the Rebbe, and the following day, he chazer'd it twice more.
On Motzoei Shabbos, Reb Leib hurried to Reb Shmuel's house to give him the money. Welcoming him warmly, Reb Shmuel tried to raise his friend's spirits by talking about the well-known saying that "after a fire one prospers." Reb Leib was moved by the way Reb Shmuel was able to console him, when only recently he himself had also suffered financial loss.
Reb Shmuel then told him of the despair that he had felt when he first found out about the calamity that had befallen him. However, not long after, a special messenger brought him a message from the Rebbe, telling him that he knew of his circumstances but did not agree with the way he was responding to the situation.
Reb Shmuel continued, "When I then visited Lubavitch, I was instructed to buy readymade rafts, and received a brocho for my merchandise and for a side income as well. So I traveled to Riga to order some fine rafts. On the way home I met a Yid looking for an arbitrator to settle a dispute between two businessmen. I agreed, and after successfully sorting out the matter, I was paid.
"How will you pay the people who will deliver the rafts?" Reb Leib asked. Reb Shmuel reassured him that he had the Rebbe's brocho and HaShem would no doubt help.
Not knowing how to properly broach the topic, Reb Leib blurted out, "Don't worry about the money! I've brought you a certain sum for that!" And he told him of the loan of 3000 rubles that he had in his wallet. When Reb Shmuel refused to accept it, Reb Leib told him the whole story.
Reb Shmuel said, "You have done what the Rebbe has told you to do. However, our chachomim assure us that HaShem considers a good thought is as if it was actually done. I am not accepting the money."
That same night Reb Leib traveled to Lubavitch, complained to the Rebbe about Reb Shmuel's refusal, and left the bundle of rubles on the table. Early Monday morning, a messenger from the Rebbe knocked on Reb Shmuel's door with a sealed envelope and a note written by the Rebbe: "I am sending you three thousand rubles until after you sell the rafts. Have hatzlocho!"
Reb Shmuel accepted the money, bought the rafts and sold them at a handsome profit. At the same time, Reb Leib traveled to Moscow, where the suppliers agreed to sell him merchandise on credit. Moreover, he won thousands of rubles in a lottery and on the advice of the Rebbe, bought and sold flax for an incredible profit.
All the above four chassidim finally enjoyed great success and remained wealthy throughout their lives.
CONSIDER
Were these Chassidim rewarded for what they said or for how they felt regarding their fellows?
