Amazing stories are related about the birth of this tzadik. It is said that his father, the Meor Einayim zy”a, once was with a group of talmidim sitting before the Magid of Mezheritzh zy”a. The Magid said to them, “You should know that a very lofty neshama, the likes of which hasn’t been in this world in hundreds of years, is going to come down to the world. Therefore, you should all go home, as it might be born to one of you.” They all obeyed the Magid and traveled home.
On his way home, the Meor Einayim decided to travel through the town of Koritz to speak to Rav Pinchos of Koritz zy”a and ask him to daven for him to bear this holy neshama. When he told Rav Pinchos why he came, Rav Pinchos told him to come with him to the mikvah. When they got to the mikvah, Rav Pinchos immersed one time and then said, “I have already succeeded in granting your request. This holy soul will be born to you!”
The Meor Einayim told him, “I want generations upon generations of tzadikim to descend from this neshama until Moshiach’s arrival.”
Rav Pinchos immersed a second time and then said, “I have successfully fulfilled this request as well.”
The Meor Einayim then said, “I want them not to need to be supported by anyone.”
Rav Pinchos thought for a moment and said, “That is something I cannot do. The world will need them and they will need the world.”
The Meor Einayim then continued on his way home.
After he left, the Baal Hatanya arrived in Koritz to ask for the same thing. Rav Pinchos told him, “You’re too late. Your friend, Rav Nochum of Chernobyl, got here before you.”
A year later, Rav Mordechai of Chernobyl zy”a was born.
The Neshama Blocked Them on the Way:
His son, Rav Avrohom of Trisk zy”a, related as follows:
When I was a three-year-old child, I once traveled with my father to get some fresh air. On the way, the horses stopped and refused to go any further. We sat there for a full hour and I realized that the horses must have stopped for a reason. I asked my father, “Why are the horses sitting here for so long?”
He didn’t reply and we stood there for another half hour. Suddenly, I heard a voice saying, “I gave you money, why don’t you help me?”
My father then took a ruble out of his pocket and threw it on the ground and said, “Take your ruble back. After I accepted your pidyon, you did a number of major aveiros.”
Afterwards, he explained to me that a man once came to him and give him a kvittel with a pidyon of one ruble. This man was a sinner, who did many sins even after he gave the pidyon. Now, the man had come from the World of Truth, where he had no menucha, and was stopping them from moving. Therefore, he threw the ruble on the ground to return it to him, which allowed the horses to continue.
Salvation in the Merit of Helping a Couple Get Married:
Rav Mordechai had a chasid named R’ Moshe Leib who was a talmid chochom and honorable man. Although he was far from wealthy, he was always happy. He never asked the Rebbe to bless him with gashmius. Rather, he only asked for brachos that related to ruchnius and avodas Hashem.
The years passed and his children reached marriageable age but R’ Moshe Leib had no money for wedding expenses. His wife asked him to request a bracha from the Rebbe but he didn’t want to bother the Magid with such trivial matters.
The next time he went to see the Rebbe, he spoke to him about lofty topics, as he always did. As they were talking, R’ Moshe Leib recalled his difficult situation and, without even realizing it, he let out a sigh. The Rebbe looked at him in puzzlement and asked, “Why are you sighing? What happened?”
R’ Moshe Leib tried to dismiss the Rebbe’s concerns and said it was nothing but the Magid understood the truth. He said, “Moshe Leib, I know you well. You wouldn’t sigh for no reason. Tell me what is troubling you.”
Left with no other choice, R’ Moshe Leib told the Rebbe about his problems. When the Rebbe heard how bad things were, he said, “You don’t have to sigh about this. Go home and start looking for a groom for your oldest daughter. After you sign the Tennaim, come back to me and I’ll tell you what to do.”
The Rebbe’s words were a great comfort to R’ Moshe Leib. He went home to his city of Kiev in a very good mood and then went to a famous yeshiva to find a chosson for his daughter, promising a generous dowry of 300 gold coins. A match was made and the Tennaim were signed. R’ Moshe Leib then returned to the Magid and told him the good news that his daughter was engaged and he had obligated himself to pay a nadan of 300 gold coins, and he also needed another 100 for the cost of the wedding.
The Rebbe told him, “Go back to Kiev. There, you will meet a wealthy man named R’ Chaim Breiner. He will give you all the money you need.”
R’ Moshe Leib went back home and asked where R’ Chaim Breiner lived. He went to his house and knocked on the door, and as soon as the wealthy man saw him, his face turned white. He was so shocked that he couldn’t utter a word. When he calmed down, he asked, “Who are you? Why are you here?”
R’ Moshe Leib stood there in confusion and asked, “Why did my appearance shock you so much? I’m just a simple man named Moshe Leib and my Rebbe sent me to you because I need money to marry off my daughter.”
The wealthy man immediately went to his safe and took out the entire amount R’ Moshe Leib needed. He then said, “Here is your money. Hashem should give you nachas from your daughter and, in this zechus, I should also have a salvation.”
R’ Moshe Leib thanked him but also asked him to please explain himself. R’ Chaim said, “I don’t know you or your Rebbe. Hashem blessed me with wealth and I have never lacked for anything. My only problem is that my only son causes me a lot of trouble. When he was a child, I saw that he had a brilliant mind and was sure he would become a huge talmid chochom. He excelled in his studied and everyone had high hopes for him. At his bar mitzvah, he delivered a wonderful drasha, impressing everyone who was there. When he was 18, he was already a great Torah scholar. However, when he turned 19 last year, something happened to him. He seems to have lost his mind. I have taken him to the best doctors and consulted with great Rabbanim, but no one has been able to help me.
“One night, I dreamt that I was in a certain city. In my dream, I entered the local bais medrash for Shacharis and I saw that a large crowd had gathered to hear a drasha. I made way close to the bima and saw a man with a shining countenance. His face was shining so brightly that I could not look directly at him. I asked the man standing next to me who this was and he said that it was a famous Rebbe who holds much sway in Shomayim and who is able to bring about great yeshuos.
“I decided that I should ask him for a bracha that my son should be healed. I waited until I had the chance to approach him and told him about my problem. He said to me, ‘There is a Jew here who is a yarei shomayim and a talmid chochom. He has to marry off his daughter but he has no money. If you commit to give him the money for her dowry and wedding expenses, you will merit your salvation.’
“I asked him, ‘How will I know who to give the money to?’
“He answered by pointing one man out to me and saying, ‘Remember that man’s face. He will soon come to your house.’
“When I woke up, I remembered the face the Rebbe had pointed out to me. That is why I got so shaken up when I saw you. I recognized you as the man from my dream.”
R’ Moshe Leib advised R’ Chaim to come with him to meet the Rebbe, and he agreed. They set off the next morning and wen they entered the Rebbe’s room, R’ Chaim recognized him right away as the tzadik from his dream. The Magid said to him, “In the merit of the mitzvah you did, your son will be cured. Go home now and you will see that his mind has returned to him.”
And so it was. The wealthy man went home and his son came out to greet him, speaking clearly and lucidly, as if he never had been sick.
