Reb Shaya Kerestirer performs Techias Hamaisim to save a Yid
At the Levaya of Reb Shayala from Keresteir, the third day of Iyar, a Yid named Yitzchok, who was unknown to the Chassidim, was crying uncontrollably. After the Levaya, a few Chassidim came over to him to ask what his connection to the Rebbe was and why he cried so bitterly. He answered, “I owe my life to the Rebbe! Now I can finally tell my story, which I had to keep to myself for many years.’’
"I own a successful bar in a city not far from Kerestir. The Gentiles were very friendly neighbors, and we had very good relationships between us. When World War I broke out, the economy was shattered, and people began to blame the government and the Yidden for the problems. On weekends, the Gentiles didn’t work, and they had a lot of free time. Fearing that the Gentiles would start rioting against the government and the Yidden if they got drunk, the government placed a ban on selling alcoholic beverages on those days. One Shabbos, a neighbor of mine, came knocking on the door. He had to have just one drink. I pleaded with him: “It’s against the law, and if they catch me selling to you today, I will be put to death. The Gentile answered, “I am your friendly neighbor. I won’t tell anybody.” I tried to evade the sale, but the Gentile threatened me, and I reluctantly gave him one cup.
That got me in trouble, as the Gentile demanded that if he wasn’t given another cup, he would tell the authorities about the sale. I was now in a dilemma—either way, I would be in trouble. Petrified, I gave the Gentile another cup. The Gentiles became very drunk and began acting wild. I pleaded with him to calm down, but it was to no avail. The Gentile said that he would tell everyone that he had brought a drink on Shabbos from me. I lost my cool, took a thick stick, and hit the Gentile. The Gentile collapsed to the ground and died!
Now I was in shambles. But I composed myself, took out a Tehilim, and began to daven to Hashem to direct me to the right course of action. After finishing Tehilim, a thought came to my mind. Not far from me, there was a Wonder Rebbe in Kerestir. I decided to hide the Gentile under a bed and, as soon as Shabbos would be over, travel to Kerestir.
On Motzei Shabbos, I came to Kerestir just as the Rebbe finished making Havdallah. I ran over to the Rebbe hysterically. The Rebbe tried to calm me down, and he brought me into his room. I told the Rebbe the whole story. The Rebbe listened and asked sternly, “Why did you do such a wild thing?" The Rebbe then went into a deep trance. After a few minutes, the Rebbe awoke, went to his closet, and took out two coins. He then put them over the candles from Motzei Shabbos, said a blessing over them, and handed them to me. The Rebbe instructed me to put these coins in the hands of the Gentile and say, “Yeshaya Ben Moshe, the Talmid of Reb Hershel from Liska, and the Sanzer Rav, orders you to pick yourself up and go home!”
I thanked the Rebbe and ran home to do what the Rebbe had told me to do. I placed the coins in the hand of the dead Gentile, and lo and behold, he began to move and then got up on his feet! I politely told the Gentile that he fell and hurt himself and that he should go home now, as it was very late. The Gentile came home, and his wife confronted him. “Again! You spent our last money on your drinking when we were starving from hunger,” she said. They got into an argument, and after a brief altercation, the Gentile fell to the floor and died.
I heard what had happened, and I quickly traveled to Kerestir to tell the Rebbe and thank him for the wondrous miracle that he had performed. The Rebbe brushed aside the miracle and said sternly, “You still killed a Gentile on Shabbos, and even though it was unintentional, you still sinned. In order for you to rectify the sin, you must go into exile for one year. I also forbid you to tell this story to anyone as long as I live.”
I thanked the Rebbe for saving my life and promised to do as I was told.
R' Yitzchok concluded by telling the Chassidim, “Now that the Rebbe has passed on, I can finally tell over the story." Rav Aaron Bleich and Rav Mendel Rubin were live witnesses who retold this story many times.
