Story of the week (By Yehuda Z. Klitnick)
Two Tzaddikim meet an hour before Shabbos to facilitate Gan Eden for a Neshama
The Heilige Tzaddik Harav Yisrael Friedman Ztza'l (passed the 3rd day of Cheshvon 5557), the founder of Riziner Chassidus. He was born in the city of Prohbisht in Ukraine, the province of Vinitsa, to his father Harav Shalom Shachna, Son of Rebbe Avraham the Malach, the son of the Magid of Mezrich, and his mother Chava, daughter of Harav Menachem Nachum of Chornobyl, the author of "Meor Einayim". When he was six years old, he became an orphan of his father and his elder brother, Harav Avraham of Prohbisht, married him to Sarah, the daughter of Hagaon Harav Moshe the Rosh Yeshiva of Barditchev and a son of Hagaon Harav Eliezer the Rosh Yeshiva in Pinsk.
Harav Yisrael began his court in Prohbisht and eventually relocated to Ruzin. He was compelled to depart Ruzin, but before relocating to Sadigura, the Rebbe spent some time at Skala Podilska, Galizia, which is today in Ukraine. The Rav in Skala was the Gaon Rav Shlomo the son of Harav Yaakob Drimmer zt'l (passed away 22 days of Tishrei 5633), the author of Shaalos U'Tshuvos Beis Shlomo and the famous Sefer Yashresh Yaakov, a commentary on Mesichta Yevamos.
One Friday, about an hour before Shabbos, the heilige Riziner fell into a deep trance while smoking his pipe, then awoke and instructed his Gabbai to urgently summon the Skala Rav. The Skala Rav had already dressed for Shabbos, but out of respect for the Riziner, he agreed to accompany the Gabbai. When the Skala Rav came, the Riziner was still wearing his weekday clothes and smoking his pipe. The two tzaddikim were delighted to meet, and the Skala Rav asked the Rebbe what was so essential that he needed to contact him an hour before Shabbos. The Rebbe asked for a chair for the Skala Rav and invited him to sit. The Rebbe responded, "I will tell you a story."
In Russia, there was a pious Jew named R' Chaim, a Torah scholar and benefactor who received his income from the government. He purchased the rights to sell food to the army. The earnings were enormous. The rights were sold for a five-year period. When the five-year period ended, the rights were auctioned off to the highest bidder. The auction date was fixed, and R' Chaim traveled to Kyiv with his saved money and loans from friends to attend. There were other Gentiles there to bid at the auction, but R' Chaim continued to offer more than the other bidders and won the bid. He went into the office and paid the deposit, after which a contract was made up.
The last money had to be paid to the army office in Petersburg at a later date. The Gentile bidders were extremely dissatisfied and jealous of R' Chaim. They created a method for receiving the contract from R' Chaim. They urged the Petersburg office to make Shabbos the specified day for finalizing the contract. The law stipulated that if the winner of the bid did not pay the remaining balance on a specific date, the winner forfeited his deposit and the contract was sold to the underbidder. R' Chaim had no idea that the Gentiles were plotting a wicked plan against him. R' Chaim started gathering the money he would require, expecting the deal to go through without any problems and planning to ride his good fortune for another five years.
The office in Petersburg had sent him a notice of the day he needed to arrive to seal the transaction. But when R' Chaim checked his calendar and realized the date was Shabbos, he nearly passed out! R' Chaim consoled himself by telling himself that he would travel to Petersburg on Friday, make his case to the authorities, and settle everything right away because tomorrow is Shabbos and he is a religious Jew who will not be able to sign the contract on Shabbos. His plea was in vain and the officers answered that the law states that whatever day that was determined to sign the contract, one must do it on that day or forfeit the contract and the deposit!
R' Chaim was caught between a dilemma and devastation. He would violate the Shabbos if he brought the money and signed the agreement. However, if he hadn't signed, he would have been left penniless and would have had to reimburse his friends for their losses. That Friday night, was chaotic for R' Chaim and couldn't get any sleep. In an attempt to calm himself, he made an effort to be strong and have faith in Hashem. His thoughts were constantly shifting. However, R' Chaim couldn't resist and showed up at the office early on Shabbos to deliver the money and sign the agreement. R' Chaim paid back the money he borrowed and enjoyed great prosperity. In addition to having plenty of time to study Torah, he made large charitable donations. This continued for a long time.
R' Chaim just passed away, and the Riziner informed the Skala Rav that he was being judged in the heavenly court. His entry into Gan Eden was made possible by his Torah and good acts. But the very serious transgression of the Shabbos is being presented by the prosecution angels. R' Chaim, who was an Oiness and was pardoned by Chazal, is being defended by the defense angels on the grounds that he acted under duress. Prosecution angels started to assert that financial duress is not a defense! The judge offered the defense one choice: R' Chaim would be cleared if a prominent Rav in the material world believed that the coercion of money was an Oiness!
Thus, we must attempt to save this Neshama, Skala Rav! The Rav promised the Riziner that he would examine the Seforim in order to reach a conclusion. The brilliant Rav started going over hundreds of Seforim till he realized where this kind of case is brought up. The Rav pulled out a piece of paper and started to compose a ruling that would clear R' Chaim. After he was done, the Heilige Riziner announced that R. Chaim had been cleared by the heavenly Judge and that he was now traveling to Gan Eden. Now that the Rebbe had apologized to the Rav for his hardships, the Riziner stated, "I can get ready for Shabbos." It was a happy and uplifting Shabbos to the two tzaddikim!
