Reb Meir Refoel’s was a community leader in Vilna. In the peak of the sharp opposition against chassidim, he became a chossid of the Alter Rebbe through two personal mofsim.
Once, during a business trip, Reb Meir noticed that one of his tzitzis became possul. He immediately told his driver to stop, so as not to carry on four amos without kosher tzitzis. For several hours, they waited on the side of the road, hoping that someone will pass by with an extra pair of tzitzis strings. Just before dusk, they noticed somebody. Reb Meir called for the man but his calling went unheard. He called louder until he was shouting. Finally the man turned towards him. “Do you have any tzitzis strings?” asked Reb Meir. “And if I would have,” said the man, “do you think I am going to undo my entire bag just for a few strings?” Reb Meir bargained with the reluctant man until he offered all the money he was carrying. The man finally accepted and Reb Meir got the tzitzis.
Quite some time later, Reb Meir took a trip to visit the Alter Rebbe. As Reb Meir entered the shul, the Alter Rebbe stood up and handed Reb Meir a sum of money in the exact amount that he paid for the tzitzis. The Alter Rebbe explained that it was none other than Eliyahu Hanavi who had come to test him.
The home of Reb Meir was always full of chassidim who would come to discuss Chassidus and farbreng. The chassidishe minyan was in his house and any chossid who came to Vilna knew that he could find lodging in the home of Reb Meir.
Reb Meir hired and housed a melamed in his home to teach his children. The classroom and shtible were separated by only a thin wall. The melamed, though not a chossid, could not help himself from listening to the Chassidus that was being discussed on the other side of the wall. Reb Meir admonished him, “Why did you stop the teaching the children?!”
Try as he may, the melamed could not resist listening to the Chassidus. After a while he approached Reb Meir, “I beg you! Let me join your group. What is being spoken here is mechayeh nefashos mamash (it literally brings life)!”
