Massif’s population was comprised of a number of large families, Rabbi Shlomo Yaakov Gross explains (p. 130–131). These family names were Kind, Gruber, Gold, Daskal, Hershtik, Malik, Lerner, and Preisler. He notes this anecdote on the history of the Daskal family in Massif:
“Another Jew who came from Galicia was Reb Shmarya Daskal. He was the son-in-law of Reb Anschel the Tailor of Nadvorna, and I heard the following story about him.
“When he was a young boy, Anschel was a tailor’s apprentice. In his free time, he would come to the beis medrash, where he liked to hear stories about tzaddikim. He also served as the messenger for the chassidim, bringing them crackers and whiskey. Young Anschel wanted very much to travel to Rav Elimelech of Lizhensk. He saved up penny after penny until he had accumulated the amount he needed for the trip. As he was planning for his long-awaited journey, Rav Elimelech suddenly passed away. When he got into bed that night, near the oven of his master, Anschel burst into tears and could not fall asleep.
“When he fell asleep towards dawn, Rav Elimelech appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Anschel my son, do not cry, I am Rav Elimelech of Lizhensk, and I came to you so that you could see me.’
“Anschel woke up and ran with feverish excitement to the beis medrash. He told the chassidim about his dream and described the man to them, and the chassidim affirmed that indeed, that was what the tzaddik looked like.”
