Dear Alumni Sheyichyu!
Sholom U’Brocho!
A very Freilichen and geula’dike chodesh Nissan, and a gezunte zummer!
Mazel Tov to Mendel Jacobson on the occasion of his engagement. May they use out the special period of Yokor Mikol yokor to its’ utmost! Mazel Tov to Rabbi & Mrs. Shmully Rosensweig on the birth of their son. Mazel Tov to Rabbi & Mrs. Ari Nemes on the birth of their daughter. Mazel Tov to Rabbi & Mrs. Chanoichie Deitch on the birth of their daughter. Mazel Tov to Rabbi & Mrs. Chanoichie Parshan on the birth of their daughter. May they bring them up lTOveCHuMAA”T mitoch harchovo, and to be true chayolim! (If anyone is aware of any mazeltov’s that I omitted please let me know).
Thank you as always for the feedback, it is much appreciated.
Following is a story that I heard over Pesach, that apparently was only publicized recently:
A yungerman, by the name of R’ Yisroel Zussman, was compelled by his circumstances to go into business after his wedding. This yungerman was a scholar of note and a serious individual; therefore, despite meeting with great success in his business endeavors, it always irked him that he had been unable to pursue his true goal of continuing his learning.
One of his acquaintances, aware of his inner turmoil, suggested to him that perhaps he would feel more satisfaction if he would enter an age-old Yissochor-Zevulun pact; - he should support a young scholar who is dedicating his life to learning Torah, and he would thus have a share in that scholar’s Torah learning. R’ Yisroel liked the idea very much, and (after consulting with Rav Shteinman) decided to accept it. R’ Shteinman even suggested a “Yissochor” that he undertake to support; - a serious scholar in Bnei Brak by the name of Rabbi Yudaikin, a descendent of the Vilna Gaon, who was dedicating his life to learning Torah and serving Hashem.
Rabbi Yudaikin, when approached about the proposition, refused to accept more than his most meager requirements, just enough to get by, and these were sent to him by R’ Zussman on a regular basis. The partnership was very satisfying to both of them. Years past by, with this arrangement continuing to be maintained.
One day, R’ Yisroel was travelling to New York on a business trip. Before he left, he received a sudden frantic phone call from a relative. She told him that she had heard that he was travelling to New York, and she had an important request to make of him. He said he would be glad to help her, but she asked him to promise that he would fulfill her request. Cautious (realizing that this would be no simple request) and curious, he assured her that he would, and went over to her house to hear from her what it was that she desired.
When he arrived, his relative, who was expecting, informed him tearfully that she had just been diagnosed with a malignant tumor r”l the previous day, and the doctors ordered immediate treatment of chemo-therapy. However, the issue of her pregnancy complicated matters. The doctors felt that it was crucial for her to abort. They told her that if she didn’t terminate her pregnancy, then either the baby would be severely damaged in any case, or it would be an orphan. Her doctor emphasized with her about the difficult decision that she had to make. However, he said to her: “If you were my daughter, I would unhesitatingly tell you to abort”.
The desperate woman now tearfully beseeched her cousin, ‘Please, when you are in NY, use the opportunity to approach the Lubavitcher Rebbe on my behalf. He is known for the wonders that he has performed, and I will follow whatever he advises.
Rabbi Zussman could not refuse her desperate plea, and Sunday found him in 770, waiting his turn in line to receive a dollar from the Rebbe.
The date was 26 Adar 1 5752. It was one minute before 7 p.m., during the last hour of the dollar distribution of that day (and the last hour of the dollar distribution to date). The mazkirim and their helpers were focusing all of their energies on rushing things along as fast as possible in order to finish off asap.
R’ Yisroel later related: ‘As I neared the place of the Rebbe, I noticed the great efforts in hurrying everyone along. The truth is, I understood them well. There were, after all, thousands of people in line, and if everyone would take just one extra moment, it would amount to additional hours. However, I felt that the issue about which I had come was a matter of pikuach nefesh, lives were at stake, and I determined to present my question. I decided that when I reached my turn I would grasp the shtender of the Rebbe tightly, so that no one can remove me until I am done’.
‘I reached the place and stood in front of the Rebbe. I felt hands grasping me to pull me along, and I noticed the Rebbe glance at them sharply, to indicate that they should allow me to say my piece. I quickly described the dilemma of my relative and her question.’
‘The Rebbe asked me for her name and the name of her mother, which I provided. Suddenly, the Rebbe closed his eyes for a moment, right in front of me, and then opened them. I had the sense that he took a quick trip to higher realms and then came back down to us’.
‘The Rebbe then turned to me and said: “It’s not the disease that you said, it’s something else, the doctors should be told to look for something else”.
R’ Yisroel stood there in shock, not knowing how to react, but the Rebbe continued: “What she has is not that disease, so there is no place for her other question (about terminating the pregnancy). She will give birth, and it will be a very special child”!
Completely overwhelmed, R’ Yisroel found himself outside, and immediately ran to a telephone to convey the exact words of the Rebbe to his relative. Needless to say, the new tests that were taken showed no trace of cancer, and – at the right time – she indeed gave birth to a healthy baby!
The professor who had been treating her was flabbergasted; - the 2nd tests completely contradicted all the earlier ones (!), and she began to interrogate her patient, asking what special foods she ate or what treatments she had tried to bring about this miraculous change. R’ Yisroel, upon his return to Eretz Yisroel, visited this professor, and personally shared with her the exact details of what had transpired. Visibly moved, she banged on the table with her hand and exclaimed emotionally; “Indeed, there is a G-d!”
R’ Yisroel decided to share the story with his partner, his “Yissochor”. He went to Rabbi Yudaikin and related the entire story, saying: “Listen, I know that you and I are both from a Litvishe background, but this is a miracle that I have personally experienced!”
Rabbi Yudaikin responded: “It’s a hard story to believe, I need to verify it. But if I can, in fact, verify all the details, I will personally begin to learn Chassidus.” True to his word, Rabbi Yudaikin (after verifying the story) began diligently learning Chassidus as well. Apparently, he recently printed a 900 page sefer of his ha’oros on Tanya.
Seemingly, there’s nothing much new here. Another story, apparently no different from thousands of others. Someone was in need, and the Rebbe performed a miracle for them.
But wait! There is a difference. A very fundamental difference!
The difference is the sefer on Tanya!
So many stories about the Rebbe are just that: stories about the Rebbe. They are undoubtedly intended to bring us to a greater realization that “Indeed, there is a G-d!”
In Tanya, the Alter Rebbe explains the words of Chazal that the world was created with the joint input of midas horachamim, explaining that this refers to the revelation of G-dliness through (the wonders of) tzaddikim as well as the miracles recounted in the Torah. Truly, a wonder performed by a tzadik is not merely a means of restoring the health, wealth or other need of the beneficiary. Rather, it is a means of revealing the presence of Elokus in the world, of counterbalancing the darkness that resulted from the original tzimtzum.
The world was created in a manner that concealed G-dliness; everything about the world is design to distract us from our path and our mission. Yet, when we witness a miracle we immediately acknowledge that “Yesh Elokim”, that “Indeed there is a G-d in the world”.
In fact, this was the ultimate goal of all of the plagues and wonders of yetzias mitzrayim, which we just spent Pesach recounting and reliving. As the Possuk says: וידעו מצרים כי אני ה ', - the purpose of it all was to bring about the knowledge and recognition that there is a G-d who alone is in control of all that takes place in the world. We are supposed to emerge from Pesach with an enhanced realization and awareness of this reality.
But it doesn’t end there.
As with Rabbi Yudaikin in the story, the excitement and inspiration that a story provides need to immediately be channeled into a practical application, a concrete way of translating the newly acquired mindset into improved action. He translated it into learning Chassidus, and learning with sufficient diligence as to provide material for a sefer. So too each of us cannot allow a story to end with the sense wonder that it evokes
