I Have Heard of Lelov Before
When Rav Dovid Lelover passed away, his son, Rav Moshe, and his talmid, Rav Yisroel Yitzchok of Vurka, were unsure of which rebbe they should travel to from that point on. They decided to visit Rav Mordechai of Czernoble and when they arrived, he asked them from where they hailed:
“I come from Zarik,” answered Rav Yisroel Yitzchok who was a chassan.
“Hmmm,” murmured the Czernobler Maggid thoughtfully, “I cannot say that I have ever heard of that place before.” Zarik was a small town and in those pre-railroad days, travel was limited; outside one’s local environs, not every township was known.
“And you?” asked the Czernobler Maggid, this time turning towards his second guest. “I come from Lelov,” answered Rav Moshe. “Ahh, now Lelov-- yes, that is a place I have heard of,” replied Rav Mottele’eh. “Let me tell you both how I have heard of Lelov.” And this is the story he told his two guests:
“After my father, Rav Menachem Nuchem (author of the Meor Eynaim) passed away, he would descend from on High and visit me each night and we would study Torah together.”
The two guests sat spellbound hearing this nonchalant description of otherworldly visits and spiritual chavrusas.
The Maggid continued: “Then, suddenly, a period of some forty days and nights passed when my holy father did not appear. I had no idea what had happened. Perhaps I had done something wrong? Then after forty days and nights my father reappeared and we continued to study together once more just as we had previously. I asked my father why he had been absent for these forty days and nights. Why had he not come? He answered me with the following:”
‘When a great tzaddik leaves this world, he is honored up in the heavens with delivering a derasha. From the time Rav Dovid Lelover had passed away and for forty days and nights hence, he delivered his heavenly discourse. The attendance of all the tzaddikim in heaven was mandatory, as was the presence of the entire heavenly hosts – the pamaliya shel maalah.
‘We all listened and heard the derasha for all forty days and nights and this is why I was absent and could not come to you and study with you until now.’
“This is how I have heard of Lelov,” concluded Rav Motteleh of Czernoble. Unable to hold back, Rav Yisroel Yitschok of Vurka steered Rav Moshe Lelov towards the Czernobler Maggid “Rebbe,” he addressed Rav Mottele, “this here, is Rav Dovid Lelover’s son!” Rav
