One Shabbos night, Rav Hillel Lichtenstein of Kolomyia zt”l (1814-1891) sat in his house learning. Suddenly, an unfamiliar noise startled him, and he looked up from his sefer. He was astonished to see a burglar hoisting himself through the window, who then proceeded - unperturbedly - to seize his wife’s candlesticks. Positioned next to the candlesticks on the side board lay Shabbos delicacies for the morrow, which he took as well, slipping them into his pocket. Regaining his equilibrium, the tzaddik addressed his uninvited visitor: “Reb Yid, if you are hungry, I will be only too happy to give you a satisfying meal, otherwise you will be stealing. Furthermore, the candlesticks are muktza. You mustn’t move them on Shabbos!” The intruder found the rabbi’s remonstrations to be hilarious, and roaring in laughter, he made for the window. “If you refuse to listen,” continued the Rav, “then I relinquish my ownership from the goods. At least you won’t be transgressing the words of the Torah, ‘Do not steal’ (Vayikra 19,11).” “Save your holy intentions for a time when you could actively save yourself, not for when you are faced by danger,” came the facetious report. And with that, the fellow disappeared from the scene...
A while later, the Rav heard a commotion from the street, and went outside to see what was happening. A policeman had spotted the fellow scurrying along holding a pair of candlesticks. Notwithstanding the fact that the policeman was a Gentile, not a Jew, he still knew that Jews use their candlesticks on the Sabbath eve, and don’t parade them around in the street! The enforcer of the law was dragging the man to the local jail, whilst he was protesting loudly that the pieces were his – but to no avail. Immediately, the Rav jumped into the fray: “Honorable sir, the candlesticks do indeed belong to this man. I gave them to him, and he also has food in his pocket which I gave him. You can check this for yourself.”
But the suspicious policeman remained unconvinced, and only after a lengthy ‘interview’ in the police-station, was the man released. Needless to say, the now penitent man begged forgiveness from the tzaddik... and henceforth, became a great adherent...
[Source: Sefer Middos V'Hanagos Tovos P503]
Special thanks to the kehilla of Heritage
