R’ Zalman lived in the city of Szerencs in Northern Hungary. He was a rich man but was not blessed with children. He and his wife never gave up, prayed to Hashem and went to Tzaddikim for Brachos. His hard work paid off, and was blessed with a son who he named Chaim Chaikel. However, he soon lost his fortune. R’ Zalman took comfort in being blessed with a child, and was satisfied and adapted to a simpler life. He still managed to sell off some of his belongings in order to get the best teachers for his son, and it paid great dividends.
Soon tragedy came, when Chaim Chaikel was ten years old, R’ Zalman and his mother passed away, and Chaim Chaikel was left an orphan without a Torah education. The good-hearted people of the city took pity on him, and he was divided among the people, so Chaim Chaikel should have a place to stay. R’ Zalman, before he passed away, told his son that he was once very rich and had lost everything, but one antique Chanukah Menorah that he had inherited which was very valuable, he left to himself, which he held on with dedication, and he begged Chaim Chaikel he should pay close attention to it and wished him that the Menorah should always illuminate his life.
Chaim Chaikel was not thrilled at having to constantly be on the move, and being a burden on the city, so he decided to find a job and support himself. He met a carpenter in another city who was ready to take him in to his home and teach him the trade. Chaim Chaikel was very happy, and being very smart, he quickly learned the trade and became a master carpenter, and his boss was very happy with him, and Chaim Chaikel found a stable home.
Years later, he met a fine girl from another city, and Chaim Chaikel had to go live there. He got married and hoped to earn a living as a carpenter; However, in that city there were already many carpenters, and Chaim Chaikel struggled to make ends meet, and when the family grew, it became very difficult, and Chaim Chaikel told his wife that he wanted to return to his former city for a while and thus be able to make a living and then come home.
Chaim Chaikel embarked on his first journey to Szerencs, visited his parents' graves, cried, and prayed for success. He then traveled from city to city, accepting jobs and his reputation as a master carpenter grew. A friend advised him that in France there was a demand for his expertise work, and he traveled to France, but got frustrated as he didn't know the language, and out of desperation he began to drink. The bartender recognized that Chaim Chaikel was not the typical drunkard, and started talking to him and realized who he was and asked him to be in charge of his bar. Some time passed, and Chaim Chaikel got used to the Gentile life, and left everything behind, forgetting about his home. Meanwhile, his wife and children were devastated because they didn't know where he was and had no trace of him.
Just then, the Rov of her town was about to get married, and the Rov invited the heilige Shinova Rov [eldest son of the Divrei Chaim of Sanz,] and the whole city went to welcome the Shinova Rov. Chaim Chaikel’s wife remained at home with a broken heart. A neighbor noticed that she did not want to go, and advised her to go and ask for a blessing from the Shinova Rov that her husband should come home to her! She was embarrassed to meet the Rov and begged the neighbor to come with her and ask for a Bracha. The Shinova Rov listened to the neighbor and took a bag of money and said to hand it over to Chaim Chaikel's wife. When she saw the money, she burst into tears and was glad that someone was thinking of her. She now gained courage and went to the Rov, thanking him for the money, but this is not what she came for! The Rov asked her to tell her story, and the Rov thought for a long time and called out to her, You have your husband's Menorah. I advise you that on the last night of Chanukah, you should make sure that the Menorah will be lit all night, and Hashem will help you! She thanked the Rov and went home.
Meanwhile, Chaim Chaikel was working in the bar and was very happy, and when one day he went down to the cellar to bring some wine, he heard someone following him, and he saw an elderly Yid yelling at him, Why did you desert your wife? This happened a few times, and Chaim Chaikel shrugged it off until the Yid grabbed him and lifted him up and threatened, “If you don't go home today, I'm going to make a pile of bones out of you!”
This shook him up, and he got into his wagon and drove home. He was in a state of fear and intented to get home as fast as possible! The wintery weather brought heavy rains and cold, and finally Chaim Chaikel arrived in the middle of the dark and rainy night, and the city was dark, and he didn't know where to go! But from a distance he saw a house that was light, and he drove there and knocked on the door, and when the door is opened, there was Chanukah joy: Our father is here! Everyone was happy and danced with their father. The Menorah of his father brought back memories and feelings of regret for his behavior. After Chanukah they went to the Shinova Rov, who blessed them with success in their livelihood and gave Chaim Chaikel a path to repent, and they built a nice Jewish home together.
