By Yehuda Z Klitnick
Haradok, was a small village near the town of Karlin, in the Pinsk district of Belarus. Most of its residents were Stoliner Chassidim of Rav Aharon Perlow of Karlin, author sefer Bais Aharon, and had the upper hand, which agitated the few Misnagdim there.
The opportunity arose when the elderly shochet / kosher slaughterer, a Stoliner chosid, passed away. Haradok, could only support one shochet. This was an opportunity for the misnagdim, who hired a shochet from their own camp, before the Chassidim could find a shochet.
The Bais Aharon came to visit his chassidim in Haradok, and was informed what was done. The Rebbe felt that a chassidishe shochet should serve the chassidishe clientele, who are the majority.
A dialogue began between both sides who should have their shochet candidate serve. The local Stoliner Rav met with the misnagdim and explained that the chassidim would not eat from their shochet, and that their shochet would not have much business! The misnagdim understood and backed out of their plan.
However, one of the rivals, a reform Jew, became irritated at the chassidim and was intent on taking revenge on the Rebbe. His anger prevailed and he barged into the Shul while the Bais Aharon was conducting his tisch. This man berated the Rebbe with chutzpah, but the Rebbe, didn’t utter one word in response. The Rebbe forbade anyone to avenge the Rebbe’s honour by taking any action, and calm prevailed! The maskil was astonished to hear these words from the Rebbe, and felt like a fool of what he did, and retreated from the tisch.
The Rebbe began by quoting a posuk in Tehillim (41:12),
“With this I shall know that You desired me when my enemy does not shout joyfully over me.” The Rebbe Rav Baruch of Mezibush, the grandson of the heilige Baal Shem Tov, has a powerful insight on this
“How can I know Hashem is satisfied with my actions? It is when my enemies do not harm me.”
Reb Baruch answered differently: Dovid Hamelech was saying, how do I know that Hashem is satisfied with my conduct? It is when no evil shall befall my enemies. Even when they berate me, they should not be punished!
The Rebbe applied this insight and said we must not take action against this man even if he is our opponent. The chassidim understood their Rebbe's desire very well. The words of the Rebbe were powerful and the rivalry quieted down. A chassidishe shochet was hired and a peaceful state of affairs endured for 20 years.
Turev was a village near Haradok where a fierce fighting took place in the Russian-Polish struggle of 1863 known as the “January Uprising”. The Polish commanding general and his soldiers took refuge in Turev. His soldiers hid among the population. However, some people from the town informed the Czar that the Polish general was hiding in town, and he sent Cossack soldiers to arrest him.
The Polish soldiers were upset and were ready to destroy the town in revenge, but a battalion of elite Russian soldiers wiped them out. Some Polish soldiers, who were members of the Polish underground, started burning down a few houses. No one had any idea who the arsonists were until one day the shul went up in flames.
Two Jews were caught running away from the scene, and some residents tackled them and dragged before the heads of the Kehilla in Haradok, two wealthy Stoliner chassidim. The two Jews confessed to setting fires to the houses but claimed that the local Polish leaders had threatened to kill them otherwise. They revealed the names and addresses of these leaders, and promised to exile themselves from the town, never to return.
The Roshei Kehilla took the information straight to the Russian authorities, who dispatched a high official to arrest the Polish suspects accused by the Yidden. The Polish leaders, denied any involvement, and bribed the official into believing that it was the Roshei Kehilla themselves who were behind the Turev fires. Turning truth and justice on their head, the official wrote a report describing how the Roshei Kehilla had falsely accused the Polish leaders. They locked the Roshei Kehilla into the jail in Pinsk, the regional center, where a severe judgment awaited them.
The Reform Jew, who had publicly insulted the Bais Aharon 20 years earlier, still lived in Haradok and knew full well that the two Jewish leaders were not guilty of ordering the burning of Polish, or any other, property. Convinced of their good character and total innocence, the man, of his own good will, made the long journey to Petersburg, where he gained an audience with Czar Alexander II himself. The man spoke fluent Russian, was scholarly and well-spoken and convinced the Czar of the men's innocence and to order their release.
Word of the Royal reprieve reached Pinsk, and they freed the men. When the Bais Aharon learned what happened, he reminded his Chassidim that by not taking any reprisals against that arrogant maskil 20 years earlier; the man was now inspired to take pity on falsely accused Jews and ultimately secure their release.
The Rebbe added: “what would have been the fate of these worthy Jews if we had beaten that man up at the time!”
Reprinted from the Parshas Vayeira 5785 email of Pardes Yehuda.
