Reb Shmuel Michel Treinin was a chossid of the Rebbe Maharash and the Rebbe Rashab. He lived in Petersburg and was very rich. He was very involved in communal matters on behalf of the Yidden in Russia, and assisted the Rebbe Rashab and the Frierdiker Rebbe in this realm. He was a smart man with strong beliefs and was not ashamed of his being a chossid even when among unreligious, well-to-do people. If someone commented negatively about Yidden, he knew how to respond.
Once when visiting the Rebbe Rashab in Lubavitch, the Rebbe told him to give ten-thousand ruble for communal matters. Reb Shmuel Michel however was hesitant and refrained from doing so. Some time later, he was riding in his carriage in the streets of Petersburg, when suddenly the Czar’s carriage came towards them. His driver, not knowing who it was, did not move aside, causing disrespect to the Czar. Reb Shmuel Michel was fined ten-thousand ruble. He bemoaned, “These are the ten-thousand ruble I refrained from giving to the Rebbe...”
(לקוטי סיפורים עמוד קצח)
Reb Shmuel Michel had the rights to building the tracks for the trains near Petersburg. He had a huge factory for this task with thousands of employees. Once when the Rebbe Rashab visited Petersburg, Reb Shmuel Michel asked him to come tour his factory. The Rebbe agreed and visited the whole facility with all its wings and sections, inquiring about every detail. At the end when the Rebbe was ready to leave, Reb Shmuel Michel asked, “Rebbe, what do you think about the factory?” The Rebbe responded, “How do you think you got all this? It’s because in Lubavitch during the davening on Rosh Hashana you are thought about.”
