Harav Meshulam Feish Segal Lowy, the founding Rebbe of the Tosh dynasty, was born in the year 5576 (1816) to his father, Harav Mordechai, and his mother, Zelda. Tragically, he was orphaned of both parents at a young age. Yet, he grew remarkably strong in spirit.
Near the town of Tosh (Nyirtass) lived a Chassid named Reb Yisrael. He was a hard-working, wealthy man, and above all, a deeply devoted Chosid of the Tosher Rebbe. Reb Yisrael owned a wine and liquor distillery managed by his wife, while he spent months managing vast fields of grain in the Carpathian Mountains. Reb Yisrael would travel to the mountains, hire local peasants to harvest the fields, and bring the grain back to his estate. For years, he was the largest grain merchant in the entire region, and it brought him immense fortune.
One year, Reb Yisrael noticed a young Gentile laborer working in his fields with exceptional diligence. When the harvest season ended and they arrived back in town, the young man approached Reb Yisrael with a plea: "I have no family and nowhere to go. Please, let me stay and work for you all year round, so I may have a roof over my head." Seeing his loyalty and work ethic, Reb Yisrael agreed. The young man worked faithfully for years, traveling back and forth to the Carpathian fields every season.
As the young laborer grew older, a spirit of laziness overtook him, and he began to drink. Gradually, he became a chronic drunkard. With the alcohol came a dark insolence; he began speaking impudently to Reb Yisrael and his wife. To curb the behavior, Reb Yisrael banned him from drinking at his own distillery. Undeterred, the laborer found a tavern in a neighboring town to satisfy his addiction. Since he had little money of his own, he began sneaking into Reb Yisrael’s chicken coops at night, stealing eggs, and selling them to fund his drinking.
One week, Reb Yisrael traveled to the great market fair in Nyíregyháza, remaining there for several days. While he was away, his wife noticed that the eggs were mysteriously vanishing and suspected the laborer. When her husband returned, she told him her suspicions. That night, Reb Yisrael hid in the shadows of the courtyard, waiting. Sure enough, the laborer sneaked in to steal. Catching him red-handed, Reb Yisrael confronted him. Instead of showing remorse, the drunkard began shouting and cursing his master with shocking arrogance.
Now, Reb Yisrael was a man of immense physical strength. He warned the laborer to put the eggs back and be quiet, but the man sneered, refusing to comply. Losing his patience, Reb Yisrael stepped forward and delivered a few powerful blows to teach him a lesson. The laborer collapsed instantly to the ground, Reb Yisrael knelt beside him, checking for a pulse, but found none. Reb Yisrael was shattered—he was certain he had accidentally killed him.
Panic seized Reb Yisrael’s heart. He knew all too well how easily a blood libel or murder charge could destroy a Jewish life in those days. Terrified of the impending doom, he rushed immediately to Tosh to seek the counsel and blessing of his Rebbe. When he arrived at the Rebbe’s court, the Gabbai refused to let him enter. "The Rebbe is in the middle of delivering a deep Torah lecture to the young scholars," the Gabbai whispered. But Reb Yisrael, broken and desperate, began to cry out in the hallway: "It is a matter of Pikuach Nefesh, which supersedes the entire Torah!"
Hearing the desperate cries from his study, the Tosher Rebbe stopped the lesson and walked out to see who was crying. Seeing his beloved Chassid, Reb Yisrael, in such deep agony, the Rebbe ushered him into his private room and listened to the harrowing tale. The Rebbe looked at him severely. "How is it permitted for a person to take a life?" "Holy Rebbe!" Reb Yisrael wept. "It was completely accidental! I only meant to frighten him, never to harm him!" The Rebbe looked at him and gave his instructions: "Go immediately and purchase large, beautiful candles. Light them in the Synagogue."
While the Chassid went to light the candles, the holy Seraph went to immerse himself in the Mikveh for it was well known that through the lighting of candles and the holiness of the Mikveh, the Rebbe could tear down harsh heavenly decrees and perform great salvations. When the Rebbe returned, his face shone. He turned to Reb Yisrael and said calmly: "Now, travel back to your home, and all will be well."
Reb Yisrael hurried back to the spot where the body had lain, but to his shock, the courtyard was empty. The laborer’s body was gone. A new fear gripped the Chassid. If the man didn't die, then he has run to the local police to report that I beat him! Reb Yisrael ran back to Tosh. He burst into the Rebbe's room and cried, "Rebbe, the laborer is not there! I am in even greater danger now!" The Rebbe looked at him with eyes full of ancient wisdom, smiled gently, and quoted the Mishnah: "A fence for wisdom is silence."
The Rebbe explained, "The wisest thing for you to do is to keep silent. And from that laborer, there will also be a total silence." Reb Yisrael obeyed. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years. The laborer was never seen or heard from again. It was as if he had completely vanished from the face of the earth, leaving not a single trace behind.
Reb Yisrael understood the profound miracle that had occurred. The Tosher Rebbe had performed a true revival of the dead, giving the laborer just enough strength to stand up and wander far away from the town, never to return, ensuring that the Tzaddik's words were fulfilled: "From that laborer, there will also be a total silence." Reb Yisrael continued his successful businesses, distributing immense amounts of charity and supporting the Tosher Rebbe for the rest of his days.
