By Rabbi Elimelech Biderman
A chassid of Rebbe Yissacher Dov of Belz zy’a had an only child, who they loved dearly. This son didn’t grow up with fear of heaven, and he became engaged to a gentile woman. When the parents told Rebbe Yissacher Dov of Belz, the Rebbe requested that they bring their son to him. Being that he was brought up in a Chasidic home the son believed in Chasidic Rebbes, so he agreed to go. But he made it clear to his parents and later when he spoke with the Rebbe that he wouldn’t drop his plans.
The Rebbe spoke with the young man for a while, and then the Rebbe said, ‘All I ask is that when you get dressed for the wedding, wear a talis kattan under your clothing.’ To the father, the Rebbe said, ‘And all I want from you, is for you to go to the wedding.’
The young man agreed to the condition. It was a tiny sacrifice, and as a bonus, his father would be at the wedding.
The Father Reluctantly Agreed to the Rebbe’s Request
The father didn’t want to go to the wedding. However, the Rebbe’s request as strange as it sounded was sacred, and he attended the wedding.
At the wedding the guests had too much to drink, and encouraged the groom to drink too. He didn’t want to drink because he was brought up in a Jewish home and knew better, but he couldn’t say no to their constant requests.
After drinking some hard drinks, he felt hot. He took off his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt. That’s when everyone saw that he was wearing tzitzis. ‘He fooled us,’ the drunken crowd reeled in unison, pointing to his tzitzis. ‘He’s still a Jew!’ They began to lynch him. His father managed to pull him away from the mob and out of the hall. (It was now understood why the Rebbe asked the father to be at the wedding). The mitzvah of tzitzis, once again, saved this Yid from sinning.