Rabbi Shnuer Zalman Scneerson zt"l
Grand Rabbi of Chabad
Author: Shulchan Aruch Harav, Tanya
24 Teves 5573
A Chassid of Rabbi Shnuer Zalman, the Alter Rebbe of Chabad, had a daughter of marriageable age, but lacked the means to provide for her to get married. His friends suggested that since it was winter, he should venture into the hard liquor business. Buy a large quantity from a local distillery, transport it to one of the large fairs at a big city, and with Hashem's help, sell it there for a profit.
The man decided to follow his friends' advice. He managed to borrow a sizable sum of money, bought a barrel of vodka, rented a horse and wagon and transported his newly acquired merchandise to the city.
When he reached his destination, he immediately went to the fairgrounds, in order to start selling as soon as possible. He seized the barrel in order to hoist it from the wagon, but then froze in mid-action. The barrel felt way too light! Sure enough, the bottom of the barrel was cracked. The strong smell of alcohol wafted into his nostrils from the soaked wood of the wagon. The entire contents of the barrel had leaked out during the long ride. Not a single drop was left!
In great sorrow, he loaded the empty barrel back on the wagon. He decided to drive on to his Rebbe.
When he was admitted to the Rebbe's study he unburdened to him his whole sad story. But the telling made the reality of his loss sink in heavily, and he became even more upset. He had barely finished his words when he fainted on the floor.
The Rebbe's attendant succeeded in reviving him, but when the poor Chassid sat up and came to himself, enough to realize where he was and why, he fainted again.
This time, as soon as he opened his eyes, the Rebbe called out to him, "You can go home now; Hashem will prosper your efforts."
The Rebbe's encouraging words made the Chassid feel a bit less desperate. After a few minutes he felt well enough to climb up to his wagon and begin the return journey to his town. But after he got to his house and had a chance to rest a bit, he became increasingly nervous and agitated as he considered his situation. He had lost his entire investment, he had no foreseeable means to pay back the large loans he had taken, and worst of all, and he had ruined his last chance of being able to help his daughter get married. Bitter tears streamed down his cheeks.
He tried to gain control of himself. Before he could stop crying, his wife ran into the house, bursting with joy. "I found a treasure! I found gold!" she shouted.
"What are you talking about?" he called to her.
It took a few moments before she could calm down enough to answer. She related that she had gone to unload the empty barrel from the wagon so as to store it away. She thought she heard a clunk so she looked inside. Sitting on the bottom was a wrapped bundle. She dumped it out and opened it, and it was full of gold coins. A fortune, enough to pay their debts, marry their daughter and all their other children too.
What had happened?
When he was riding home on the way back from the Rebbe, it was a freezing cold, Russian winter day. When he got to the river, instead of crossing over on the bridge that spanned it, he decided to save time by driving directly on the river surface itself, since it was frozen solid. While he was in progress, a wealthy Russian aristocrat was crossing in his fancy carriage on the bridge above him. Apparently, the package of golden coins had fallen out of the aristocrat's carriage, and fallen directly into the barrel on the Chassid’s rusty wagon.
When the Rebbe was told all that had transpired, he immediately said, "Don't think that I made a miracle, or even that when I told him that Hashem would prosper him that I was divinely inspired. It was just simple logic. We are taught that Hashem does not require of anyone more than he is capable of, not even in the slightest. When I saw that this Jew was totally unable to withstand the misfortune that had come upon him, I already knew with certainty that Hashem was arranging his salvation."
The Rebbe Saved by Dovid
After a visit to the city of Shklov, Rabbi Shnuer Zalman decided to return home. In the city were many opponents to the Rebbe. These opponents, in their anger, plotted to throw stones at the Rebbe as he departed.
When the Chassidim became aware of their plan they met to decide on a course of action to protect the Rebbe. One of them, a particular strong and robust 18 year old youth named Dovid, stood up and declared that he would accompany the Rebbe and make sure that no harm befell him.
When the time came to leave, a crowd of people armed with stones surrounded the Rebbe's carriage in a threatening manner. Young Dovid, in the Rebbe's defense, ripped a tree out of the ground and faced the menacing group, "I will kill anyone of you who dares to lift a hand against this holy Tzaddik!" he roared. The crowd backed off, fully believing that he would carry out his threat. Dovid was then able to accompany the Rebbe to the outskirts of the city unmolested.
As soon as they were outside the city of Shklov the Rebbe climbed out of the carriage and said to the boy, "Dovid! You were responsible for actually saving my life. May you live to be 120!"
A century later, one day before he was to turn 120, Dovid called the chevrah kadisha, the burial society, to his side. Although now a very old man, Dovid was still in good health. Together, he and his guests made a 'lechaim'. The very next day, on his 120th birthday, Dovid passed away.
