A Jerusalemite named Shlomo was approaching the age when he should begin looking for a bride. The custom of ultra-orthodox Jews in Jerusalem (Yerushalayim) was to marry young, and he was already nineteen. But as much as he tried, he couldn't find anything.
So he was overjoyed when his aunt in Brooklyn called and said she had found the perfect match for him. The girl was attractive, serious, intelligent, the same age as him, and from a good family. Her father was a known Talmudic scholar.
Now, the only problem was how to get there. There was the problem of money for tickets, and also, in those days (1950), getting permission from the army to leave Israel was no easy matter. But after several months of nerve-wracking efforts, he finally was on the ship to America.
The girl was all they said she was. They met several times, found favor in each other's eyes, decided to marry, and even had an engagement party, but then, for some reason, after the party, she suddenly broke off the engagement.
Shlomo was heartbroken and confused. He was virtually alone in the U.S.A., and he couldn't stay by his aunt and uncle for long. His parents wanted him to return home, but he couldn't bear to return empty-handed. The alternative was to go to a Yeshiva and continue learning Torah, but he wasn't in the mood.
With much free time on his hands, it wasn't long before he met other young men in the same situation. One of them, another Yershualmi like himself, convinced him to go with him to Cleveland, where they could find work. After all, isn't it stated in Pirke Avot (2:2), "Torah without work will bring to sin?"
In Cleveland it wasn't long before he concluded that, as the Talmud teaches: 'When one goes to a city one should follow the local customs".
After concluding the sumptuous Purim meal the following day, he went for a walk. His family lived in the Crown Heights area of Brooklyn, so it was no surprise to see a few Lubavitcher Chassidim running on the street. He stopped one of them, greeting them with "Happy Purim!! Where are you headed?" "The Lubavitcher Rebbe is speaking." They answered, "Why don't you come along and join us?"
A few minutes later Shlomo found himself in a large Synagogue, together with some two hundred Chassidic Jews all in good spirits. Several shook his hand wishing him "A frailachen Purim!" and even offered him a l'chaim, but he declined. At one point, he decided to leave, and turned towards the door. Suddenly he heard the Rebbe begin to speak again.
"It states in the Talmud that when Moshiach arrives the revelation of G-d will be so great that it will outshine the holiness of all the Jewish holidays except for Purim. As a matter of fact, the Zohar states that Purim is on an even higher spiritual level than Yom HaKipurim; (Ki - means like) KiPurim only LIKE Purim."
"But how can this be?" The Rebbe continued. "How can a festival like Purim, which involves much inebriation, be considered greater than the holiest and most solemn fast day of Atonement?"
Shlomo's curiosity had been perked. This question was a good one. The Rebbe paused (allowing his question to sink in) and then continued.
"The reason for this is, because on Purim the Jews were willing to sacrifice their lives rather than forsake their Judaism! They had Mesirat Nefesh!” (self-sacrifice)"
"The decree of Haman and Achashverosh was 'To annihilate and destroy all those identifying as 'YEHUDIM' - 'JEWS'. Anyone choosing to deny that, and declaring themselves otherwise, would be free to escape this terrible decree. Yet astoundingly, although this horrific decree hung over their heads for a full year, not even one Jew entertained this idea that would have granted them instant physical salvation from this decree!
"That's the power of Purim and why it can erase all sins and even arouse sinners to repentance in a manner that even Yom Kippur cannot achieve. There was also actual atonement and forgiveness granted on that day, as G-d forgave the Jews for partaking of the meal of Achashverosh and bowing to Haman.
"That was a most insightful answer!" thought Shlomo to himself. "This Rebbe is certainly a pretty smart fellow."
But the Rebbe didn't stop there.
"Take for instance, an observant G-d fearing young man. He can fool himself, by quoting what it says: "Torah without work brings to sin" and "When one goes to a city one should follow its customs" and 'Time is money', until he falls so low that he stops behaving like a Jew; no more Tefillin, no more kosher, no more Shabbat! Yom Kippur could even passed him by, and he would not have been affected at all. But Purim is different. Purim has the power to stir the essence of his Jewish soul and bring him back to his senses."
A cold shiver ran down Shlomo's spine. "Could the Rebbe really be talking about me?" No, no, no, he tried to reassure himself. "This must be a coincidence".
The first thing he let go of, was the Chassidic garb and payot (sidelocks). Then went his Tzitzit followed by his beard. Soon, he found himself skipping the daily prayers, neglecting to put on Tefillin altogether, and, over time, shedding his observance of all the commandments. In a few months he was his own master, earning lots of money and living a secular and care-free lifestyle.
A year passed and he returned to Brooklyn to visit his aunt and uncle for Purim, 'dressed up' as his normal new self - a modern American gentleman. Despite the Yarmulka he put on his head as his costume, they were shocked to see him and the drastic change to his appearance and demeanour.
He just put on a debonair smile, made himself at home and began talking to them as though nothing had happened. On the contrary, he even tried convincing them to explain to his parents how "America is different. That money is the religion and since time is money there's no time for anything else!"
But the Rebbe then continued, "It could even be that he came all the way from Jerusalem where there is a complicated Halachic discussion regarding places that are 'near the Temple mount area but not yet visible', or visible, but not close by (Aruch Chiam 688:2). In other words; he may think he is close but imagines he is not being seen, or he might see but is still very distant!"
Shlomo shuddered! He realized the Rebbe really did mean him! Did he have some sort of X-ray vision! How could he have even known about him when they never even met before? But he relaxed himself by thinking how at least no one else in the room is aware of whom the Rebbe is referring to. And he turned to leave.
But everyone seemed to suddenly stare at him and smile. "The Rebbe is gazing directly at you!" someone told him.
He quickly turned around to face the Rebbe, who was broadly smiling at him and motioning for him to make a l'chaim. Someone offered him a small plastic cup the size of a shot glass, but the Rebbe shook his head 'no' and indicated with his hands that he be given a large cup.
Shlomo tried to protest at first, but in vain. He was given a large cup filled with vodka and everyone in the room waited for him to finish it. "Well, that's that!" He thought to himself. But everyone was still smiling and staring at him. The Rebbe was motioning for him to drink a second L'Chaim. He complied and didn't remember what happened afterwards.
The following day he woke up on a bench in the synagogue with a few other sleeping Chassidim on some benches near him. His modern suit was stained with vomit and his head was pounding.
He staggered back to his aunt and uncle's house, took a shower, and asked his uncle if he could borrow his Tefillin to pray.
That morning he prayed 'Shachrit' (Morning prayer) like never before and better than he ever did on a Yom Kippur! A few weeks later he returned to Israel and a few months after that he returned to looking and behaving like a true Yerushalmi, but with a completely different heart; Judaism was now so dear and precious to him that he wouldn't trade it for any money or any lifestyle. He found himself again 'near' the Temple Mount and 'visibly' so. Today, he is happily married with children and grandchildren who proudly continue to follow in their father's new ways.
