By Yehuda Z. Klitnick
The Spinka Rebbe, the Chakal Yitzchok miraculously set a Yid on his feet
In a shtetl not far from Munkatch, there lived a Yid, R’ Moshe. He was a merchant who was successful in his dealings and was able to live a comfortable life. Another thing he had going for him was that he was known in all the industries as a very honest person. However, on one business trip, his mazel wasn’t good, and he lost a lot of his money.
The little money that he was left with was meager, but it was enough for the minimum amount of food. As Pesach was coming around the corner, the thought of the vast expanses of Matzah, wine, and fish caused him to begin to worry. R’ Moshe discussed his dilemma with his Rav, who advised him to try his luck in the city of Munkatch, which had many Matzah bakeries, and there he would be able to find some work and earn some money for his Pesach expenses.
R’ Moshe listened to his Rav and traveled to Munkatch. There he went from bakery to bakery, but poverty was so great then that every imaginable position was filled. R’ Moshe went to the nearest Shul in despair! A friend of his noticed the distressed expression on R’ Moshe’s face and asked him what had happened. R’ Moshe told him of his dire situation, and his friend told him that the Spinka Rebbe, Rav Yitzchok Eizik Weiss, the Chakal Yitzchok, was now in Munkatch and that he was a miracle worker.
R' Moshe visited the Spinka Rebbe, wrote a kvitel, and placed his final five coins as a pidyon. The Rebbe read his kvitel and gave him a bracha that he should be successful. R’ Moshe began to cry and said, “Rebbe! I just gave you the last coins that I have, and you pushed me off with a simple bracha!" The Rebbe thought for a few minutes and then said, “I have good news for you; today you will have your salvation! Go into the city, and Hashem will send you his messenger.”
Having no idea where to go, he went and sat at the side of the road and began to say Tehillim. After a while, R’ Moshe noticed that an elderly blind man was walking with his grandson. R’ Moshe heard the young man telling the elderly man, “I think I see the man you were looking for at the side of the road!" The young man came over to R’ Moshe and told him that his grandfather told him that he was looking for him, and he had asked me to tell him when I would see you, and I see that Hashem had sent us in the right direction!
R’ Moshe closed his Tehilim and walked over to the blind man who told R’ Moshe, "I have a great proposal through which you can make some very nice money! I know you as being very honest and need your services very importantly now." R’ Moshe was excited and said, “I would do anything to earn some money, especially now that it is before Pesach!" The elderly Yid said that he had just come from his lawyer, who asked him to find a trustworthy person, as he had to transfer important documents to a certain individual and bring back some documents, and he would pay handsomely. Therefore, I went out looking for you. I am glad I found you.
R’ Moshe exclaimed, “I am ready and able to do the task right away!" "Good, let us go to my lawyer, and I will introduce you to him. If he will find you fit to do his service, then make up a price for the job.” They went to the lawyer, and he introduced R.' Moshe. R’ Moshe explained how he knew many people in his area from his business dealings, and after a brief conversation, the lawyer felt comfortable with R’ Moshe and put forth his proposal. He was to travel to a city near his shtetl and deliver some documents, have them signed, and then meet another person and bring back some documents; for the service, he would be paid 500 gold coins.
R’ Moshe agreed but added that he had no money with which to travel. The lawyer understood and gave him an advance. R.' Moshe traveled and was able to organize all the documents and dealings with perfection and ease. After everything was done, R.' Moshe traveled back to Munkatch to deliver the documents to the lawyer. The lawyer was astounded at how smoothly things had gone and told R’ Moshe that for such swift and professional service, he deserved another 100 gold coins. R.' Moshe thanked the lawyer..
R.' Moshe thanked the lawyer profusely and traveled home. He told his wife the good news, who thanked Hashem for not letting them down as they would now be able to make pesach with ease. After Pesach, R’ Moshe took the money and made some good deals, which Hashem helped him earn huge profits from, and within a short period of time, he became wealthy. R’ Moshe made a trip to visit the Spinka Rebbe, thanked him, and left with the Rebbe a nice sum for a "Pidyon.” He had his Yeshuah that day, as the Rebbe had promised.
