Creating Yeshuos During Kriyas Hatorah:
The last Shabbos of the life of the Bais Avrohom of Slonim zy”a was Parshas Shemini. During Kriyas Hatorah by Minchah, when the beginning of the Parshah of Tazriah was read, the aliyah of Shlishi was given to a young man named R’ Moshe Brucker, who had already been married for eight years and had not been blessed with children.
The Bais Avrohom served as the ba’al koreh and he was standing by the bima. When the man’s name was called for the aliyah, he was not in the bais medrash, and everyone waited while some men went out to fetch him. When R’ Moshe was found, he made the brachos and the Bais Avrohom began to read the words: “When a woman gets pregnant and gives birth to a boy...”
Right after davening ended, the young man’s father-in-law, whose name was R’ Nochum Arkis, went home and told his wife, “Mazal Tov! Our Moshe is expecting a baby.” Since the Rebbe had read those words in front of him, he was certain that the yeshua had already arrived. And so it was. Within a year, R’ Moshe had a son.
The Segulah of Not Speaking in the Mikvah or Bais Medrash:
A man once approached Rav Shloimke of Zhvil zy”a and began to cry. He told Rav Shloimke that he was married for many years but had no children, and, as a result, his wife was very broken and she had sent him to obtain a bracha from the Rebbe. She had told him that she would not allow him back into the house until he received a clear havtacha from the Rebbe that she would bear children!
He told Rav Shloimke, “Until now, I haven’t had children. Now, I also don’t have a home to go to unless the Rebbe gives me his promise that my wife will give birth.”
Rav Shloimke sat silently, immersed in his thoughts, for several minutes, and then told the man, “You want a promise? I am ready to give you a promise on condition that you promise me that you will do a few things!”
Of course, the man immediately agreed to do whatever the Rebbe asked.
Rav Shloimke then said, “I have heard that you are the ‘rosh hamedabrim’ in the mikvah. I heard that you are the leader of all of the conversations, and many men gather around to hear what you have to say. I have also heard that you shmuz very much in the bais medrash. If you promise me that you will no longer speak any mundane words in the mikvah and bais medrash, I promise that you will have a son!”
The man immediately agreed. From then on, everyone who met him in the mikvah or in shul were amazed to see that he refused to converse at all. From one day to the next, he had gone from being the biggest conversationalist to a man who would not utter a single word. People couldn’t understand what happened to him and thought he had lost his mind but he remained true to his promise and stuck to it. One year later, his wife gave birth to a boy.
At the bris, Rav Shloimke was honored by being asked to serve as sandik. Afterwards, the father asked him, “Rebbe, please explain why you specifically told me to do this thing? Why was remaining silent the zechus I needed to have a son?”
The Rebbe answered, “Rav Pinchos of Koretz zy”a taught us that Hashem grants every person a set amount of pleasure that he will experience in this world. Since you greatly enjoyed shmuzing about mundane matters in the mikvah and bais medrash, you used up your share of earthly pleasure on that and you had nothing left ‘in your account’ for the pleasure of having a baby boy. However, once you stopped shmuzing in those places, and you gave up that pleasure, you had enough pleasure on your account to be able to experience the joy of having a baby.”
Every Individual’s Judgment on Rosh Hashanah:
On this topic, it is related (Sefer Imrei Pinchos, Shaar 7) that there once was a famous badchan who was very poor. One day, his wife told him that there was absolutely no food in the house. He sadly went to the home of Rav Pinchos of Koretz zy”a and cried his heart out, saying that he didn’t have a penny to buy food. Rav Pinchos told him, “Stop saying your words of badchanus and you will have sufficient parnassah!”
He explained that Chazal say (Beitzah 16A) that the amount of food one will have is determined on Rosh Hashanah. This does not mean that it is decided exactly how many pounds of food a person will have. Rather, it is decided how much pleasure a person will have during the course of the year. Therefore, the Rebbe said, since this man derived pleasure from his badchanus, he was using up the pleasure he could have had from food. If he would give up his pleasure from badchanus, he would be able to have pleasure by making a good parnassah.
A Tzadik’s Prayer:
Sefer Maaseh Hatzadikim relates the following story:
It was the Shabbos of Parshas Tazriah-Metzorah, and Rav Dov Berish of Biala zy”a was saying words of Torah at his tish when he was approached by a Gerrer chasid who told him about a certain sick person who was in need of much Heavenly mercy. The Rebbe asked him, “Did you already call the doctor? What did he say?”
The chasid answered, “The doctor says that there is almost no hope of survival!”
The Rebbe responded, “Then it is certain that he will be completely healed.”
He added, “It says in this week’s Parshah that if the tzora’as spreads to the entire body, it is tahor. If the doctor says that it is all over, it is a good sign.”
Dovid Hamelech says in Tehillim (44:26): ‘For our soul is cast down to the dust, our belly clings to the earth. Arise to assist us.’ At the time when we are down in the dust and it seems like all hope is lost, then Hashem will assist us. This is also the meaning of the pasuk (Bereishis 27:22): ‘The voice is the voice of Yaakov and the hands are the hands of Esav.’ When Esav’s hands are hurting us, then we cry out to Hashem with our voices and He hears and saves us.”
The Gerrer chasid left and the well-known chasid, R’ Yehonasan Eibeschutz zt”l of Zelichov asked the Rebbe, “Is the Rebbe so certain about this? Does the Rebbe know for a fact that the sick person will be healed? What if it doesn’t happen and the Gerrer chasid, who is not one of us, tells others about it? It will be embarrassing for us!”
The Rebbe replied, “A tzadik and leader of a generation has to act this way. When someone come to ask for a salvation, he must promise him that it will be good. Afterwards, he must daven to Hashem that his words should be fulfilled so that he should not be a liar. This is as Dovid Hamelech said (Tehillim 40:10): ‘I announced my righteousness in a great assembly. Behold, I will not withhold my lips. Hashem, You know.’ He was saying that when a great assembly of people come to someone to ask him to pray for them, he has to answer them with righteousness. He has to say that everything will be all right. He then should not withhold his lips, meaning he should daven to fulfill his words and say, ‘Hashem, You know’, that I am not a liar“.
And so it was. A few days later, the sick man fully recovered.
The Horse Was Created to Serve Man, Not The Other Way Around:
The Medrash (Rabbah 14:1) states: “’When a woman becomes pregnant and gives birth to a boy.’ If a person merits, we tell him: You take precedence to all creations. If he does not, we tell him: A mosquito takes precedence to you.”
Rav Yitzchok of Vorka zy”a (Sefer Bais Yitzchok) explains this Medrash with a moshol:
There are two types of wagon drivers. Some wagon drivers are men who asked Hashem to provide them with parnassah, so Hashem plants the idea in their brains to purchase a horse and wagon in order to transport people and freight for a fee, and they are able to support their families with the profits. There are other wagon drivers who are men who never asked Hashem to help them and don’t deserve to be supported. However, Hashem is concerned about the horse and wants to make sure that it has food to eat. Therefore, Hashem gives the man the idea to buy a horse and feed it so that it will have enough to eat.
Both of these people look the same. They both make a living from driving a horse and wagon. However, there is a big difference between them. The first type of wagon driver is held in high esteem by Hashem. He is the main thing, and the horse is working for him. The second type of wagon driver is actually working for his horse. The horse is the main thing, and he spends his life as a lowly servant of an animal.
Accordingly, the Medrash is saying that if a person merits, he takes precedence to all other creations. If he lives properly and follows the right path, all creatures are there to serve him. But if a person does not merit and does not follow the right path, even insects take precedence to him. He is only here to serve animals and to feed them.
At Times Like These, Tzadikim Speak About Emunah:
The Medrash (Shir Hashirim Rabbah 2:16) states: “In the past, ‘the perutah’ (livelihood) was commonly found, and men desired to hear words of halacha. Now that the perutah is not commonly found, they only desire to hear words of blessing and comfort.”
Rav Noach of Kobrin zy”a (Sefer Birchas La’ad) explains that a desire to hear “words of halacha” means a will to hear how to follow in the ways of Hashem. When people had sufficient livelihood, their hearts and minds were clear and free to focus on finding the correct path to serve Hashem. In those times, tzadikim would speak to the masses solely about how to best serve Hashem. Now that livelihood is scarce and hard to come by, people are constantly busy and worried, and they have no clarity of mind to focus on finding the best way to serve Hashem. They only have enough presence of mind to hear words of comfort and ethical lessons, which strengthen their emunah and bitachon. Therefore, tzadikim in such times should solely speak about matters of emunah and bitachon in order to strengthen people in the areas they are capable of focusing on.
Emunah in Yeshuas Hashem:
The Avnei Nezer zy”a once asked his attendant to prepare to take a trip to a certain city to attend a bris milah. The shamash was very surprised by this request, as the Avnei Nezer rarely traveled long distances for simchos. Since he was such a masmid, he almost never left his city.
The Avnei Nezer saw that the man was puzzled, so he explained, “The father of this baby made a big Kiddush Hashem. That is why I want to be by the bris.”
He related, “A week ago, this man came to me and said, ‘I have been married for 15 years without children and now, Hashem has helped me and He has given me a son!’
“His words were a big Kiddush Hashem in my eyes because most people who merit a yeshua say: ‘I found my yeshua in Kotzk’, or “I found my yeshua in Ger.’ This man, however, said, ‘I found my yeshua from Hashem!’”
The Punishment for Lacking Bitachon:
Before he became revealed to the word, the Magid of Mezhritz zy”a was extremely poor. His wife would feed the family by hiring herself out to go to people’s homes and to kneed their dough for them. As payment, they would allow her to take one loaf of bread for her family.
One day, no one needed her services, and she had no bread. That day, their son, Rav Avrohom Hamalach zy”a, who was then a young boy, went to cheder with nothing to eat. When he came home, there still was no food in the house, and he went to bed with an empty stomach. The same thing occurred the next day, and the boy went another entire day with no food. That night, the Rebbitzen told the Magid that their son had not eaten anything in two days because she had nothing to feed him.
When the Magid heard this, his eyes filled with tears... At that time, a commotion broke out in Shomayim. Some angels said that the tzadik was right to cry, as the way of the world is that when someone hears that a Jewish child has not eaten in two days, he begins to cry. Others disagreed and said that the only reason he was crying was because it was his own son. They claimed that if it were someone else’s child, he would not have been so upset, which proved that he was crying over a matter of gashmius.
In Shomayim, it was decreed that he must be punished by being forced to reveal his greatness. When the ruling was revealed to him, he told the Rebbitzen, “Due to our sin, we lost what we had (our anonymity), but we shall have bread to eat.”
This was right after he had finished davening. He had already taken off his tefillin shel rosh and placed it in its case. As he removed his tefilim shel yad and placed it in its case, he found a coin sitting there. He declared, “This is the work of a miracle, and we cannot derive any benefit from it!”
He told his wife, however, that he had a coin stored away in the house that she didn’t know about. He told her to use that coin to buy bread for the child. And from then on, he became known in the world.
A Person’s Main Job is to Have Bitachon:
The pasuk states (Tehillim 33:4): “And all of his acts are with emunah.”
The Kobriner Rebbe zy”a (Sefer Imros Moshe) explains by quoting the Gemara (Makkos 24A) that says that Chavakuk established the entire Torah upon one principle: “A tzadik lives with his emunah (Chavakuk 2:4).” This means that all of a Yid’s actions are only a means to strengthen his unquestioning emunah. That is where everything starts and that is where everything ends. That is the main focus of life and every aspect of life depends on remaining strong in one’s emunah.
One Who Has Bitachon Cannot be Harmed:
The Baal Shem Tov zy”a (quoted in Keser Shem Tov) said that if someone has genuine bitachon in Hashem, even if numerous harsh decrees are made against him, it is impossible for the middas hadin to harm him. He added that this is tried and tested, and found to be 100% true.
Emunah Even When One Falls:
The pasuk states (Mishlei 24:15): “A tzadik falls seven times and gets up.”
The Yesod Ha’avodah of Slonim zy”a asks how it could be said that a tzadik “falls”. He answers that the pasuk is actually speaking about a simple person who places his trust fully in Hashem, which makes him a tzadik, as the pasuk in Chavakuk says: “A tzadik lives with his emunah.” Such a person may fall seven times but he will always remain strong in his emunah, so he will always get up.
Parnassah is Withheld When One Relies on Other Sources:
The Vitebsker Rebbe zy”a (Sefer Pri Ha’aretz) writes that the reason people’s livelihoods is withheld from them is because they rely on sources other than Hashem, such as their own talents and abilities. They think that they can earn their own living through their business or store, etc.
Similarly, the Chovos Halevavos (Shaar Habitachon) and Mesilas Yesharim write that people really could sit idly and do no work, and they would have their parnassah given to them if not for the decree that man must earn his bread through the sweat of his brow. Still and all, one can fulfill the decree with a minimal amount of hishtadlus, and if one engages in excess efforts to make a living, he is actually causing his livelihood to be withheld.
There is a well-known saying that foolish people think “by the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread” is a mitzvah that they must fulfill, and they are very stringent to ensure they did enough. Therefore, they engage in unnecessary extra hishtadlus.
If You Wait a Bit, You Will Merit Wealth:
Rav Moshe Midner zt”l (quoted in Toras Avos-Emunah U’bitachon, page 154) said that the letters of the word “kesef” (money) come right after the letters of the word “ani” (poor). (The letters kuf, samech and pei of the word “kesef” are right after the letter yud, nun, and ayin of the word “ani” in the alphabet.) This is a hint that if a poor person would just wait a short while, Hashem will help him and give him money.
Saying Shema Yisroel:
Rav Pinchos of Koretz’s grandfather was also named Rav Pinchos, and he was named after him. He related (quoted in Sefer Chacham Harazim, page 59) that his grandfather would often travel to see meshumadim (Jewish men who had converted to Christianity) and he would promise them his share in Olam Haba. All he asked from them in return was that they should say “Shema Yisroel” every day. He would say to the wicked men, “You may continue living the same wicked lifestyle you are used to. I won’t try to stop you. What’s the big deal to just say Kriyas Shema?”
He would convince them to accept the deal – and many of them ultimately did full teshuva. Rav Pinchos of Koretz would say about this, “We see from this how powerful Kriyas Shema truly is. Even meshumadim who say Shema Yisroel every day can merit escaping from their sinful way and returning to Yiddishkeit. It is, therefore, certain that a Jew who has sinned but says Shema Yisroel every day is able to repent from his sins. Therefore, one should never give up hope of doing teshuva.”
Informing Others to Daven For You:
The Gemara says (Shabbos 67A): “’He shall call out: Tamei! Tamei.’ He must publicize his pain to the public and the public should daven for mercy for him.”
Rav Yonason Eibeschutz zt”l (Sefer Medrash Yehonasan) asks why a metzorah needs to publicize his pain to the public more than anyone else who is suffering.
He answers by citing the pasuk (Bereishis 21:17) that says regarding Yishmoel: “And Hashem heard the voice of the lad.” Rashi states that we learn from this verse that the prayers of a sick person for himself are more effective than the prayers that others pray for him. The Medrash Yehonasan says that this is true regarding most sick people, but is not true regarding a metzorah. The Zohar Hakadosh (Chelek 3, 53A) says that a metzorah is called “musgar” (literally “closed’) because the gates of Heaven are closed to his tefillos.
Therefore, he must ask others to daven for him because, as opposed to all other sick people, his prayers are blocked from being heard in Shomayim.
