Rav Chaim Elozor Shapira of Munkascz, mechaber of Minchas Elozor, told the following story:
When Rav Yaakov Yosef of Polnoye printed his holy sefer, the Toldos Yaakov Yosef on the Torah, he traveled to Berditchev on the day of the trade fair. He brought with him two hundred copies to sell.
He rented a storefront and placed a copy or two of his book open in the window to display it to passersby who might be interested in purchasing it. He was sure without a doubt that anyone who read just a few lines and saw what he had written would run to snatch up a copy.
However, when some interested potential buyers asked him the price of a volume and the Toldos answered them that the price was a rendil (a very valuable gold coin worth hundreds of dollars), they laughed and went on their way, saying, “For a whole rendil we can buy a new wardrobe and shoes to match!”
Days passed with no sales and the fair was drawing to a close. The Toldos was despondent and began to feel very disappointed.
Somehow, word got to the Berditchever and the Kedushas Levi knew the entire story. He told his faithful Rebbetzin the entire story. “Our dear friend, Rav Yaakov Yosef, has come here to Berditchev to sell his new sefer at the fair. His asking price is too high and I am afraid that in his anger and disappointment at his situation the entire city will be punished as a result.”
Based on her husband’s sage advice the Rebbetzin decided to sacrifice one of her prized possessions.
She quickly hurried off and went to pawn her shterntichel (a beautiful crown of silver or gold and diamonds) for the sum of two hundred rendils. She handed the entire sum of money to the Berditchever so that he could purchase all the seforim and save the town from the impending tragedy.
The holy Berditchever took a young man as his emissary and gave him the entire sum, a small fortune and asked him to try and bargain with the Toldos. “Ask him to give you a discount if you buy forty or fifty books,” explained the Berditchever. He hoped thereby to make the sale seem authentic so that the Toldos would not suspect a thing.
However, when he approached the Toldos, the latter would not budge a cent from his asking price. No matter how the young man haggled and tried to wheel and deal, the Toldos stubbornly replied, “Even if you were to take the entire lot of two hundred books, I will not lower the price by even a kopeck.”
Finally, the young man purchased all two hundred seforim for the entire sum. Afterward, the Toldos, having finished his business, decided to visit the Rav of Berditchev before taking his leave of the city.
When he came to visit the Berditchever, he excused himself for not having visited sooner, since he had been busy with the mitzva of selling his seforim.
The Toldos then recounted to him the entire story of how pained he had been that at first no one bought any of his seforim. “However,” concluded the Toldos, “finally Hashem sent me a young man with a good head on his shoulders, who really appreciated my sefer and valued it so much that he bought all two hundred copies for the price I asked!”
The Berditchever listened and smiled, “Really – you don’t say!” was all he remarked at the wondrous tale.
(Otzar HaSippurim Vol. IV #15 p.29-31, Chodesh BeChodsho Munkacsz Nisan 5757 Volume 37 page 52)
