Reb Eliezer (Leizer) Nanes was a chosid of legendary mesirus nefesh, who endured 20 years of terrible hardships in the wastelands of Siberia, all the while never compromising on his principles. Many of his experiences are known, having been publicized in the book “Subbota” which he published under the pseudonym Avrohom Neftach. However, many of his stories could not be publicized in the book, as he still needed to be concerned about protecting those left behind. Following is a story of one of his experiences.
More than once, Reb Leizer was sentenced to death r”l, and only miraculously did he manage to survive. The following is what he later recounted about one of those occasions:
Reb Leizer was being led to be executed by a Russian prison guard. While they were walking, Reb Leizer learned (or, perhaps, he had known from before) that his guard was, in fact, a former yeshiva bochur. In his youth he had studied in a Litvishe yeshiva (in Telz), and over the years of turmoil, he found himself in the position of a prison guard in Siberia.
Reb Leizer was incredulous. “And you, a yeshiva bochur, are actually planning to kill me?!” But the guard was unfazed. “Yes”, he replied. “I have no choice in the matter. If I don’t kill you, then they will kill me. In such a case the gemoro says: יאמא זחא מדדך דיד קמוס, יפט אמלידא מדידיד קמוס יפט”.
Reb Leizer was shocked. “Had you studied chassidus”, he exclaimed, “you would not contemplate such an act!”
Apparently Reb Leizer’s heartfelt exclamation had an impact on his companion. After a few moments of thought, he said to him: “You know what, I’m prepared to spare your life, even though I know that I am risking my own life. I’ll figure out some excuse to tell them, and I’ll accept any consequences. But on one condition: You have to start teaching me chassidus”.
Reb Leizer happily agreed. Thereafter, they would meet at night, and study Tanya together. Of course, they had no seforim, but Reb Leizer taught him many perokim of Tanya from memory.
Their arrangement was that they would meet up at designated nights. Reb Leizer would call out אתניכש אתולגב, and, if the coast was clear, the bochur would reply ייווייוו. Then they would get together and have their learning session.
Years passed, and Reb Leizer was released from Siberia, and, finally, managed to emigrate to Eretz Yisroel. Once, he was visited by a man, an olamisher, with his children. The man greeted Reb Leizer with tremendous respect, and he told him “Finally my children had the zechus to meet the man who had giluy Eliyahu”. Reb Leizer looked at him in surprise. “Giluy Eliyahu? What are you speaking about? You must be mistaken! I have no connection with Eliyahu hanovi!” But the man wouldn’t relent. “We know all about it. My children all heard the story. They were always waiting for the zechus to meet this holy man in person”. And Reb Leizer, for his part, continued to deny that he knows what they’re talking about.
Finally, the man tells him: “Listen, you can’t hide from us. I have a very close relative who was with you in Siberia, and he personally witnessed it. More than once he heard you call out, late at night, אתניכש אתולגב, and he actually heard a voice answer ייווייוו!”
Reb Leizer laughed, and told the man: “What your friend witnessed is accurate, but it has nothing to do with Eliyahu hanovi”, and he related the above story. The man became visibly upset. “What did you do?” he complained, “you just destroyed my childrens’ emunas chachomim!”
[There was a story that was printed once in the hamodia magazine about Reb Leizer Nanes, that was shared by a grandson of the baal hamaaseh, that had many similarities to the above, but also significant differences. I assume that they were 2 different incidents).
Of course – in my humble opinion – this individual who visited Reb Leizer was a bit foolish: he was bemoaning the lack of giluy Eliyahu, instead of appreciating (after hearing the story) that in fact he was witnessing something much greater. We all know the story in which one of the talmidei hamagid (R’ Shlomo Karliner or R’ Chaim Chaik’l from Amdur) showed the Alter Rebbe one of his chassidim who had giluy eliyahu. The Alter Rebbe, in response, showed him R’ Benyomin Kletzker, who was davening, saying “He is now experiencing giluy yechida shebinefesh, unerlacht zich ois fun zein giluy eliyahu”.
What is yechida? It is mesirus nefesh! In this story, in which 2 yidden reached such great mesirus nefesh, one can see something that far surpasses giluy Eliyahu, and one should be able to appreciate that.
