3 Cheshvan 5610
And He Was Named Yisroel:
The Ruzhiner Rebbe related why he was given the name Yisroel.
On the day of his bris, as his father, Rav Shalom of Parhobitch zy”a, was about to give him his name, he looked at the baby’s face. The baby then closed his eyes.
Rav Yisroel explained, “I knew that my father wanted to name me Feivish after his grandfather, Rav Feivish of Kremnitz zy”a, author of Mishnas Chochomim. (The father-in-law of Rav Avrohom the Malach zy”a). But since I closed my eyes, he didn’t know what name to give me. Left with no choice, he named me Yisroel.”
The Rebbe concluded, “Imagine how I would have looked if my name would be Feivish!”
Rav Dovid of Tolna zy”a asked his son, Rav Yaakov of Sadigur zy”a, if he can explain this story. His son answered that when Hashem commanded Odom Harishon not to eat from the Eitz Hadaas, he told him that on the day he ate from it, he would surely die (Bereishis 2:17). If so, why didn’t he die on that day? Why was he granted almost 1,000 additional years of life?
The explanation is that he did teshuva and, as a result, Hashem transformed one of his human days into one of His days, which is 1,000 years, as is stated (Tehillim 90:4): “For 1,000 years is like yesterday in Your eyes.”
However, the Satan complained that Odom was a man and should be treated like one. In order to appease the Satan, Hashem gave him four lofty neshamos that he would have control over. (We find this same idea of appeasing the Satan by goat for Azazel.) These neshamos were under the Satan’s control until Moshe Rabenu ascended on high to accept the Torah. As the Gemara relates (Shabbos 68A), Moshe debated the Malachim and when he defeated them, they all gave him gifts. For his gift, the Satan gave him the four souls that had been controlled by him.
This is hinted to in the verse (Tehillim 68:19): “You ascended on high, you took captives (shevi); you took gifts to be among men.” The word “shevi” is a hint to the names of the neshamos that were captured by the Satan, as the letters shin, bais, and yud are an acronym for each of their initials. They are: Rav Shimon bar Yochai, Rav Yitzchok ben Shlomo (the Arizal), Rav Yisroel ben Sarah (the Baal Shem Tov), and Rav Yisroel ben Shalom (the Ruzhiner Rebbe). Therefore, it is understandable why the Ruzhiner Rebbe didn’t want to be named Feivish.
Hiding His Humility:
Sefer Yeshuos Yisroel relates that the Apta Rov zy”a once attended the Tannaim of one of the Ruzhiner Rebbe’s children. The seudah featured much pomp and ceremony, including a choir of singers, horses and chariots, fancy clothing, etc. Afterwards, the Apta Rov asked the Ruzhiner why all this fanciness was necessary. The Rebbe answered him, “The Torah praises Moshe Rabenu by saying that he was the most humble man in the world. It is also stated that Hashem spoke to him face-to-face. If so, why does the Torah only praise his humility? We see from this that anavah is the greatest of all middos.
“On the other hand, the Torah praises Shlomo Hamelech’s wisdom by saying that he was the wisest man in the world. He certainly was also an anav. If so, why doesn’t the Torah praise his humility?”
The Ruzhiner Rebbe answered this question with a parable: There once was a very rich man who had a very expensive piece of jewelry, valued at several thousand gold pieces. He heard a rumor that there were robbers who roamed the streets at night to break into houses and plunder them. In the dead of night and darkness, when people were asleep, they would break into the homes of the wealthy to steal any valuables they found. They would search every nook and cranny of the home and take any valuable item they found.
The man was very afraid, and they might break into his house and steal his irreplaceable, precious jewel. But where could he hide it? He decided to hide it in his garbage can, amidst his rubbish, knowing that it would not occur to the robbers to look there for any valuable objects.
So too, the Rebbe explained, the most valuable thing in the world is the middah of anavah. Which is evident from the fact that Hashem praised Moshe for having this attribute. And the most disgusting garbage in the world is haughtiness. Therefore, the Torah praises Shlomo for his wisdom in that he hid his humility amidst the garbage of fanciness. This is, in fact, the greatest wisdom.
Young Boys With the Intelligence of Old Men:
Sefer Otzar Yisroel relates that Rav Yitzchok of Vorka zy”a once visited the Ruzhiner Rebbe. Afterwards, the Kotzker Rebbe zy”a asked him what he saw when he was in Ruzhin.
Rav Yitzchok answered, “What can I tell you. In Ruzhin, small boys wander around with the intelligence of 80-year-old men. They are born with the qualities that we have to work 70 years to attain.”
Pained for the Shechinah:
Sefer Devash V’Cholov (Parshas Va’eirah) writes that when the Ruzhiner Rebbe was imprisoned (on trumped up charges), he related to himself the verse (Tehillim 23:4): “Though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil.” He had no fear because of his tremendous bitachon in Hashem. However, he was upset about one thing. “Because you are with me.” He was saddened that Hashem was suffering along with him, as is stated (Tehillim 91:15): “I am with you in your pain.”
Jailed for a Minute Infraction:
Sefer Otzar Yisroel relates that when Rav Yitzchok of Vorka visited the Ruzhiner Rebbe, the Rebbe asked him, “Did you know that I was in prison?”
Rav Yitzchok told him that he was aware of this, and he asked why it was decreed that the Rebbe should have to sit in jail.
The Rebbe replied, “When the Bach was nifter and his soul ascended on high, it was decreed that he must pass through Gehenim on his way to his place in Gan Eden. The Bach defended himself and said that he felt that he hadn’t committed any sin that would warrant such a punishment. He was then told that he once sneezed as he was walking through the street. Standing next to him was a wagon that was hitched to a horse and cow, and they started moving because they were startled by his sneeze. Thus, he had inadvertently slightly transgressed the prohibition of kilayim, so he needed a small punishment, but Gehenim was cooled down for 40 days so that the Bach could pass through unharmed.
The Rebbe continued, “However, I don’t sense about myself that I possess even a tiny aveirah. If so, why did I have to sit in jail? The only thing I ever did wrong was that when I was five-years-old, when a Chumash seudah was made for me, I got up and said a drasha in front of everyone. I may have felt a bit haughty at that time, which is why I deserved a punishment.”
Rejoicing With Hashem’s Decree:
Sefer Nita’ei Eishel relates that when the Rebbe was being led to jail, he quoted the pasuk (Tehillim 119:161): “Officials pursued me for nothing, but my heart feared Your word. I rejoice over Your word as one who finds great treasure.” He explained that having officials pursuing him is “for nothing”. This is nothing to be afraid of. Still and all: “My heart feared Your word.” He was afraid since he knew this was the will of Hashem. Yet despite this, he rejoiced like one who finds a great treasure because he was fulfilling Hashem’s will.
His Great Fear of Hashem:
Rav Mottel of Slonim zy”a (quoted in Sefer Avkas Rochlim) related that on one Yom Kippur, the Ruzhiner Rebbe’s Shemonah Esrei by Ne’ilah was especially long. He was still in the middle of when it was late at night and nobody knew what to do.
His son, Rav Shalom Yosef of Sadigur zy”a walked over and turned his Machzor to the next page, and he quickly finished his tefillah. Rav Shalom Yosef later explained that he realized that a great fear of Hashem had gripped his father. He had become so terrified that he was unable to move a muscle. He couldn’t even turn the page of his Machzor. Since he didn’t want to daven by heart, he couldn’t continue with Shemonah Esrei, and he remained motionless until his son turned the page for him.
Mesiras Nefesh is Greater Than Kabalas Hatorah:
Sefer Nita’ei Eishel relates that the Sanzer Rov zy”a would frequently come to visit the Ruzhiner Rebbe. When he was once on his way to Ruzhin, the chasidim who were accompanying him asked if they could stop to rest for a short while, but he did not agree. He told them, “How can we rest when we are on the way to such a holy place?”
Someone once asked him, “You yourself are a gadol hador. Why do you have to travel to someone else?”
He answered by asking why the Bais Hamikdosh was built on Har Hamoriah and not on Har Sinai, where the Torah was given. The answer is that Har Hamoriah is the location of Akeidas Yitzchok. It is a place where a Jew stuck out his neck to be moser nefesh and give up his life in sanctification of Hashem’s name. Of course, the Torah is a great thing, but being moser nefesh for Hashem is even greater.
He then said, “By the Ruzhiner Rebbe, I see this bechina of a Jew sticking out his neck for the sanctification of Hashem’s name.”
There Aren’t Many Chasanim Like Him:
Sefer Otzar Yisroel relates that on the day of his wedding, the Ruzhiner Rebbe asked Rav Levi Yitzchok of Berditchov zy”a to bless him.
Rav Levi Yitzchok placed his hands on the groom’s head to bless him. He was so full of dveikus that he stood like that for a full half-hour. Finally, the Ruzhiner, who was of a frail nature, couldn’t take it anymore. He asked Hashem to awaken the Berditchover from his dveikus so that he would remove his hand from his head, as he felt like he was about to faint.
The Berditchover came back to his senses and said, “Ribono Shel Olam. You don’t have many chasanim like this!”
May the memory of the tzadik be a blessing for all of Klal Yisroel.
