2 Shevat
Yahrzeit of Rav Meshulim Zushe of Anipoli Zy”a
A Visit From Rashi:
Rav Zushe was an orphan and had no one to learn with. Therefore, he would learn by himself. When he couldn’t understand a Rashi, he would cry exceedingly...until Rashi himself appeared to him and explained it. (Sipurei Maral HaRamach)
His Ruach Hakodesh:
As a young man, Rav Zushe engaged in acts of chesed and would give water to people’s animals. At this time, his brother, Rav Elimelech zy”a, did not hold him in such high esteem.
Rav Elimelech was once davening Shemonah Esrei. As he davened, he remembered a kasha of Tosafos and thought about it for a while. Afterwards, Rav Zushe said to him, “Chazal say (Shabbos 10A) that there is a time to learn Torah and a time to daven...”
When Rav Elimelech saw that his brother possessed ruach hakodesh, he began to value him more. (ibid)
He Gives Bread to All Mankind:
Rav Zushe once visited the city of Rav Yaivi of Ostroha zy”a.
Rav Yaivi ordered his children not to give him any food until he asked for it. He had heard that Rav Zushe never asked anyone for food. When he was hungry, he would say, “Ribono Shel Olam, Zushe wants to eat. Give me some food.” He wanted to see if this was true.
This time, after Rav Zushe said those words and no one brought him food, he said, “Let me say a kapital of Tehillim.” He said the Tehillim and, when he finished and still had no food, he said another kapital. As soon as he finished that chapter, a man walked into the room holding a tray of food, as well as water for netilas yadayim.
The backstory was that Rav Zushe had gone to the mikvah and, as he stood on the steps, a wealthy man pushed his way ahead of him and went into the mikvah first. When the rich man got home, his stomach began to hurt. The pain intensified over time and he realized that he was being punished for pushing someone who must have been a distinguished man. He asked around and discovered that it was Rav Zushe, so he came over to ask forgiveness. He brought him a large meal to appease him, and the moment he arrived was right when Rav Zushe was finishing his second chapter of Tehillim. (ibid)
A Bad Wife Saves Her Husband From Gehenim:
Rav Zushes wife, Genendel, was a very difficult person. She would yell at him constantly and curse him. Rav Zushe would say, “Chazal say (Eruvin 41B) that one who has a bad wife will never see gehenim. But who says that gehenim is worse than this...?”
One time, he was shown a vision of gehenim and, from then on, he would say, “Genendel, keep yelling at me...” (M’Zekeinim Esbonen)
Complaints Against the Mezuzah:
Rav Zushe once went into a house to visit a sick person. When he got to the door, he said, “I have complaints against the mezuzah. It is supposed to protect the house. This is hinted to from the letters ‘sha-dai’ which are etched on it, which are an acronym for ‘shomer dalsos Yisroel’ (the protector of the doors of Yisroel). Why is it not protecting this house from sickness?”
He then said that he forgives the mezuah on condition that, from now on, it protects the residents of the house. (ibid)
Opening the Gates of Heaven:
One Rosh Hashana, Rav Zushe walked out of the bais medrash before tekiyas shofar and came upon a poor child, who was barefoot and dressed in rags. Rav Zushe said to the boy, “Do you envy the non-Jewish child across the street who has plenty of food and nice clothes?”
The child replied, “It doesn’t matter what I have or don’t have. I am a Jew and I believe in Hashem.”
Rav Zushe went back to his bais medrash and said, “Ribono Shel Olam, who is like Your nation, Yisroel! This boy is poor and hungry. He has nothing but he accepts it all and would never trade places with a non-Jew!”
It was revealed to him from Heaven that in this merit, the gates of mercy opened up for all of Klal Yisroel. (Maaseh Hagedolim Hachadom, page 34)
Invalid Tzitzis is a Sign of Sin:
Rav Zushe once told a man who came to him, “Your tzitzis are pasul!”
The man checked and found that Rav Zushe was correct. He asked, “How did you know?”
Rav Zushe answered, “Tzitzis cover a person’s aveiros. When you came to me, I could see your sins, so I knew that your tzitzis must be pasul.”
He then quoted the verse (Devarim 1:13): “Prepare for yourself men...” Rashi says: Men whom you recognize, for if one were to come before me wrapped in his talis, I would not know who he is and of what Shevet he is. If he is upright or not...” He asked: “Was Moshe unable to recognize who they were if they were wearing a talis?”
He answered, “We see from here that when one is wearing a kosher talis, his sins are invisible.” (Sipurei Maran HaRamach, page 115)
Caring for an Orphan:
Rav Zushe raised an orphan in his home and provided him with all of his needs. He showed him a lot of love and gave him whatever he wanted. He was so worried about him that when he taught him the letter aleph and saw that he was sweeting slightly, he got very worried that it was too hard for him and told him to go and rest. He was extremely worried not to transgress the prohibition of causing pain to an orphan (Shemos 22:21). (Yed Gimmel Oros, Chelek 2, page 85)
The Avos Came to See Him:
Rav Aharon Roth zy”a, author of Shomer Emunim, related that the government once issued a harsh decree against the Jews. Rav Zushe exerted himself to do all he could to save his people and he was visited by the holy Avos. He thought they were coming to bring him good news but they said, “We cannot annul the decree. However, since we saw that Hashem values you very much, we came to see your face. We wanted to see how a man who Hashem loves so much looks.” (Mipihem U’mipi Kesavam, Chelek 1, page 75)
Creating a Refuah Sheleimah:
Sefer Imaros Taharos (Devarim, page 147) relates the following in the name of the Rachamatrivke Rebbe of New York zy”a, who heard this story from Rav Chaim Weitman zt”l, who heard it from Rav Shlomo Telengtor zt”l, who heard it from Rav Sheftil of Bordtichov zy”a, who heard it from his father, Rav Avrohom Yaakov of Sadigur zy”a:
When Rav Zushe fell ill, many tzadikim came to visit him. Amongst them was the Shpoli Zaide zy”a. When he entered the room. Rav Zushe told him, “You certainly want to daven for me to have a refuah sheleimah. Perhaps you want to say a zechus for me. I ask you not to do so as claiming I have a zechus might arouse the prosecuting angels to say that I do not. I would only say one thing. There is a village near Anipoli where several thousand non-Jews live comfortably. They are strong and healthy and don’t lack for anything. I know that I am not worse than them!”
The Sadigerer Rebbe said that it is a segulah for a refuah sheleimah to relate this story.
Ahavas Hashem:
The Rebbe of Neshciz zy”a once was staying in the home of another tzadik, when they heard that Rav Zushe was staying in a nearby inn. The two tzadikim decided to check out how he spends his evenings. They stood outside his door and peeked in the keyhole and saw Rav Zushe laying down to rest. Suddenly, he got up and began to run back and forth, screaming, “Ribono Shel Olam, I love you! What can I do for you?”
After a short while, he lay back down, but he suddenly got up and did the same thing all over again. He did this several times until the Rebbe of Neshciz told his companion, “Let’s get out of here quickly, before we get burnt up from the holiness of Rav Zushe’s words.” (Raza Yakiri, Gilyon 56, page 20)
In this vein, Rav Zushe would explain the Gemara (Sotah 49B) that says that in the days preceding the arrival of Moshiach “those who fear sin will be reviled” by saying that those who serve Hashem out of fear will be reviled because everyone will serve Him out of love.
May his memory be a blessing for all of Klal Yisroel.
