When the holy tzaddik, Rabbi Yisrael of Ruzhin, fled Russia and crossed the border into Austria, he arrived at a village and asked, “What is the name of this village?” They told him, “Sruliva.” He then asked them, “Do you know the meaning of this name?” They replied, “We don’t know. But at the edge of the village, there is an old man, over a hundred years old, who rarely leaves his bed. Perhaps he knows.”
The Rebbe requested that they ask the old man, and indeed, he knew. The Rebbe asked that they bring the old man to him, and they brought him on a sled. The elderly man began to tell his story:
When I was a young shepherd in this area, a wolf appeared and approached my flock. I cried out, but there was no one to help me. I was terrified. The wolf came closer and snatched a lamb. The next day, the wolf returned, and again, he snatched another lamb. On the third day, I was too afraid to go alone, so I asked some friends to accompany me with sticks and stones. But when we saw the wolf approaching, everyone was gripped with fear. Suddenly, I noticed a man sitting on the mountain above. I recognized him as a Srul—(a Jew, Israel)—who often came here to meditate and study. Seeing him, I cried out, “Srul, come help me!” The Jew descended from the mountain and approached the wolf. As he neared the wolf, he looked back at me and said, “Do not be afraid, the wolf is no longer alive.” I responded, “But I still see him standing!” The Jew insisted, “He’s not alive. Come closer, and I will show you.” We approached the wolf together, and indeed, it stood like a block of wood.
The Jew then asked me, “Do you have a knife?” I answered yes. He told me to skin the wolf and make a fur garment from it, which I did.
As he recounted the story, the old man lifted his garment and showed the Rebbe the fur coat he still wore. The old man continued his story:
When we saw this, we all understood that this man was a holy individual. Below that area, there was a spring and a well where the Jew would occasionally come to immerse himself. Since it was winter, when he emerged from the water and stood on the ice, his skin would stick to the ground, leaving tracks of blood on the ice. The villagers decided to place rags there so that the feet of this holy Jew would not stick to the ice.
Over time, the surrounding villages learned about this, and the people decided to fence off the well and the spring so that animals would not drink from the water. They named the spring “The Holy Spring.” Once, the son of a certain man was ill, and after drinking from the holy spring, he was healed. The news spread, and everyone began to take water from the spring for healing. Eventually, people started to settle around the spring and the well, and this village was established. They named it “Sruliva,” and that name remained.
The Rebbe of Ruzhin thanked the old man for his story. The elder returned home, and upon arriving, he passed away. The Rebbe of Ruzhin then revealed that the Jew known as Srul was none other than the holy Yisrael Baal Shem Tov, of blessed memory.
