Rabbi Avraham Yaakov Freidman zt"l
Grand Rabbi of Sadigur
11 Ellul 5643 (1883)
The Baal Shem Tov, had the custom of visiting a certain small Ukrainian town each year. Although many of the town residents were followers of the Tzaddik, he always stayed at the home of the same person, who happened to be one of the wealthiest Jews there.
One Friday afternoon, the Baal Shem Tov unexpectedly arrived in the town. It was a time of the year that he had never come before. Alexei, his wagon driver, stopped the wagon in front of the large Shul at the center of the town. The Baal Shem Tov immediately stepped down from the wagon, entered the Shul, and made preparations for the Shabbos.
Word spread around the town that the Baal Shem Tov was mysteriously planning to stay at the Shul for the Shabbos. His usual host hurried to the Shul and asked him to be his guest as always, but the Baal Shem Tov declined.
All the townsfolk soon assembled in the synagogue for Kabolas Shabbos. As soon as the davening was over, the Baal Shem Tov requested that they all delay returning home for Shabbos dinner and instead remain with him and recite Tehillim together.
It was not until just before midnight that he asked for his Shabbos meal to be brought to him. At the same time, he told everyone to join their families for the Shabbos meal and then to return. They all complied, and upon their return, the whole congregation recited Tehillim in unison through the night.
The next day, after the morning prayers, the Baal Shem Tov approached his usual host and said that he would be pleased to accept his invitation for Shabbos lunch.
In the middle of the meal, while the Baal Shem Tov and the other invited guests relaxed around the table in the joyous spirit of Shabbos, a knock was heard at the door. The host opened the door, and it turned out to be a gentile, who stood before the threshold and asked for a drink of liquor. The Baal Shem Tov signaled to the host to oblige. After the gentle had his shnapps, the Baal Shem Tov requested him to tell everyone what had happened yesterday.
The latter began, "just before evening, the Squire who owns all the land around here summoned all the peasants from the surrounding villages to meet at his estate. When they had gathered, he handed out weapons including guns and ammunition and told them to prepare to murder all the Jewish people living in this very town located near his estate. All night long we waited impatiently for the order to go and begin the killing. But just before dawn, a carriage rolled up and a prestigious looking official stepped down and spoke with the Squire. When they finished, the Squire told all the villagers to disperse and go home."
The Baal Shem Tov now explained to the crowd sitting around the table.
"This squire is so wealthy that he's never in a hurry to sell his grain, and no price offered is high enough for him. Because of this, the harvests of many years have piled up in his granaries and have begun to rot. When he discussed this with several of his friends, being anti-Semitic, they convinced him that his Jewish sales agents were to blame for the spoilage of the grain by dissuading customers from buying his produce.
Incensed, the poritz decided to get revenge by wiping out all the Jews in this town. I tried to intervene in Heaven but was unsuccessful. I finally I felt I had no option but to bring back one of the squire's old school friends. This man has been dead for the last forty years, but the squire did not know this because they had lived so far apart.
After they recognized each other, the friend's first words to the squire were, "Who are all these dangerous looking peasants everywhere on your estate? And why are they armed?" The squire responded how he was about to take revenge on the local Jews because they had maliciously caused his grain to accumulate and rot.
"You don't say!" exclaimed the important looking visitor. 'Why, I frequently deal with Jewish sales agents and I've always found them to be honest and reliable. Tomorrow, after their Saturday, why don't you ask them to sell your rotting grain. I'm sure you'll find that they will not only succeed in selling it for you, but will get you a good price too."
That's when the squire went out and told the waiting peasants to disperse."
When the Sadigur Rebbe finished telling the story, he remarked to his brother, Rabbi Mordechai Shraga, the Rebbe of Husyatin, "There remains something problematic about this story. Why did the Baal Shem Tov go to the trouble of traveling to that town? He could have done what he did from his home."
The Rebbe answered his own question, "I heard that the Baal Shem Tov thought as follows, 'If my plan works out well, good; but if it doesn't, then I want to be there together with the Jews of that town."
