The Heilige Mahar'i of Belz Elevates a Soul Directly into Paradise
In Hungary, a wealthy tavern keeper owned a prosperous liquor establishment. Though successful, he was a wicked man who publicly desecrated the Shabbos. His tavern served fine spirits, making it a frequent stopping point for Hasidim traveling to their Rebbes. The tavern keeper routinely mocked Hasidim and their Rebbes.
Once, a group of Belzer Hasidim traveling to the middle Rebbe, the Holy Mahar'i (Rabbi Yehoshua) of Belz ztz"l, stopped at the tavern. As they spoke revered words about their Rebbe's greatness, the tavern keeper began mocking him. The Hasidim warned him to stop, lest he be punished from Above, but he scoffed, claiming he feared no Rebbe, and intensified his mockery.
Suddenly, the tavern keeper was struck with total physical paralysis. Word spread quickly throughout the town that he had been punished for mocking the holy Belzer Rebbe. Doctors were called, but none could help.
The tavern keeper had an observant brother who immediately took the paralyzed man to Belz. Upon their arrival, the Belzer Rebbe stated: "Regarding my personal honor, I forgive him completely; I do not wish for any Jew to suffer on my account. However, I do not know if Heaven has forgiven him."
The tavern keeper broke into tears, crying: "Rebbe, I wish to repent! I will never speak ill of righteous men again!" The Rebbe told them to return for Rosh Hashanah, when he would assist him.
On the eve of Rosh Hashanah, both brothers presented themselves before the Rebbe. As the paralyzed man wept, the Rebbe said that if he sincerely committed to becoming an observant Jew and sought Hashem 's forgiveness on Rosh Hashanah, Heaven would forgive him and restore his health. The man complied fully, remaining in Belz through Yom Kippur. Immediately following the fast, he was completely healed.
After Yom Kippur, the Rebbe instructed him to return home. The man transformed, becoming observant, a generous philanthropist, and an active host of guests. He acquired a fine Esrog, built a large Sukkah, and hired a tutor who taught him Torah until he became a knowledgeable scholar.
He made it a custom to travel to Belz every Rosh Chodesh. During one visit, the Rebbe called him in after the festive meal, inquired about his spiritual progress, and expressed great pleasure. The Rebbe remarked: "You are a true Baal Teshuva, and where Baalei Teshuva stand, even the completely righteous cannot stand. You have reached a lofty spiritual level."
The tavern keeper responded: "If I have reached such a level, I ask the Rebbe for one blessing: to see Moshiach."
The Rebbe directed him to a forest near the Hungarian border, telling him that in a house at the edge of the forest lived Moshiach. The man traveled there and found a dimly lit house filled with smoke from a woman boiling potatoes. He knocked, and the woman asked what he wanted. The man replied that he wished to hire her husband to manage his accounting. She laughed: "My husband cannot read or write, let alone manage accounts!" But he pleaded to see him, so she told him to return after Maariv.
He returned after Maariv and saw a man deeply immersed in a holy book. He knocked and was let in. When the master of the house asked who had sent him, the man replied that the Belzer Rebbe had sent him. Instantly, the house and the man vanished into thin air. Returning to Belz, the Rebbe told him: "You have merited a immense blessing to have seen Moshiach."
The man continued to elevate his spiritual devotions. One year, during a severe winter with heavy snowstorms, he traveled to Belz for Hanukkah. Upon arrival, the Rebbe instructed him to return home immediately. The man pleaded, distressed that he had made such a arduous journey only to be sent away without hearing the Rebbe's blessings. The Rebbe relented slightly: "You may stay for the first night, but you must leave immediately afterward!"
Upon returning home, the man suddenly fell critically ill, realizing only then why the Rebbe had urged him to return home quickly. He wrote a ethical will instructing his family to distribute vast amounts of charity to the poor and to institutions in the Land of Israel for the elevation of his soul. He passed away shortly thereafter as an esteemed elder, honored by his entire town.
A few days after his passing, he appeared to his son in a dream and related: "When I ascended to Heaven, a proclamation went forth: 'Make way for the Baal Teshuva of Belz!' I was instructed to proceed directly into Gan Eden. There, I merited to see the Heilige Sar Shalom of Belz sitting adorned with a golden crown in supreme glory."