Saving Jews From Expulsion:
The following story was related by Rav Yochanon of Rachmatrivka zy”a (Yalkut Me’orei Ohr, Parshas Beshalach):
The non-Jews of the city of Zhitomir once came to the high court in the city of Petersburg and said that the Jewish community in their town had grown too big and they had no room for them. Therefore, they asked for permission to expel them. Of course, the Jews were very concerned and they sent a message to Rav Aharon of Chernobyl, asking him to intercede on their behalf.
The messengers arrived in Chernobyl on a Friday afternoon, and they had no opportunity to see the Rebbe before Shabbos. They thought that they would have to wait until Motzoei Shabbos to give him their message.
On leil Shabbos, the Rebbe spoke and said, “”Veyehi beshalach Paroh...And it was when Pharaoh sent out the nation (Shemos 3:17).’ The word ‘vayehi’ connotes tza’ar (pain). This means that there is a lot of pain when ‘Pharaoh’ - which is a reference to non-Jews - wants to send away the Jews from his city. But I say: ‘Lo nacham Elokim.’ Hashem will not allow this. ‘Derech eretz Plishtim.’ Derech eretz dictates that the non-Jews should leave and go to other places.”
The Rebbe repeated these words at the seudah on Shabbos afternoon and again by shalosh seudos. On Motzoei Shabbos, the messengers went into the Rebbe’s room and told him about the problem in their city. He replied, “I already spoke about it...”
The messengers returned home with much joy and bitachon. A short time later, the court in Petersburgh ruled that if the non-Jews don’t have enough living space, they would be given a place to live in Siberia, but they were not permitted to expel the Jews.
