Creating Yeshuos From a Distance:
The Bilgorai Rov zy”a related that his father, Rav Yissochor Dov of Belz zy”a, was once speaking about the greatness of the Trisker Magid and he mentioned that the Magid would only travel to cities in his vicinity. He would not travel to western Galicia. However, he did once go to Krakow, where he stayed for several days.
During his stay in Krakow, a woman came to him and placed a bundle of cash down on the table. She said, “I came to pay a debt. The Rebbe promised me a yeshua and I promised to give this amount of money if I would receive my salvation. Boruch Hashem, I got my yeshua, and here is the money.”
The Rebbe remained silent and the woman left.
The gabbaim were puzzled as the Rebbe had never been in Krakow before, so how had he promised this lady a yeshua? After the woman left, the Rebbe told them, “Don’t be surprised that I took the money. Let me tell you the story:
“At the time when the Baal Shem Tov was first revealed to the world and began creating yeshuos, two poor men came up with an idea to travel to a distant land and claim that one of them was the Baal Shem Tov and the other was his gabbai. They promised to provide yeshuos and many people gave them money. After a while, they returned home.
“Some time later, they found out that all their brachos had been fulfilled. They got scared and thought that perhaps they
had tapped into the Sitra Achra. They also regretted taking money under false pretenses. They decided to travel to see the Baal Shem Tov and ask him what to do.
“As soon as they walked in the door, the Baal Shem Tov said to them, ‘I know why you are here. I succeeded in Shomayim to establish a policy that anyone who promises a yeshua in my name will have that blessing fulfilled so that there should be no Chillul Hashem. I did this so that no one should say that the Besht promises things that do not end up happening and takes money for nothing. That is why your blessings came true.”
He then gave them an easy way to rectify their sin.
The Magid concluded, “That’s what happened here. Someone came to Krakow and pretended to be me. He promised this lady a salvation in my name. I orchestrated the salvation so that there shouldn’t be a Chillul Hashem, which is why I have a right to take the money.”
