By Rabbi Nachman Sletzer
While the Rebbe spent his younger years learning for many hours every day, as the years passed, he stepped into the role that had been set aside for him by Hashem — acting more and more as the spiritual guide and leader of the Yidden around him.
In addition to everything else that he did for his fellow Yidden, the Ribnitzer made the rounds of various towns and villages for the express purpose of performing shechitah, ritual slaughtering of animals and fowl, and providing local Jews with kosher meat.
In addition to everything else that he did for his fellow Yidden, the Ribnitzer made the rounds of various towns and villages for the express purpose of performing shechitah, ritual slaughtering of animals and fowl, and providing local Jews with kosher meat.
One petitioner found out that the Rebbe had a feather-removing business. He asked a few questions and learned that the Rebbe defeathered the chickens that he slaughtered for the ridiculously minimal charge of ten kopeks. The man was taken aback and asked the Rebbe why he didn’t raise his price. Doing a time-consuming job such as defeathering a chicken for ten kopeks was basically doing it for free. “You don’t understand,” the Rebbe explained. “The only reason the Yidden even bring me the chickens to shecht in the first place is because they know that I will take care of the feathers. That’s the reason I offer the service in the first place — so that they will bring me the chickens to shecht, and I will be able to ensure that they eat kosher chicken.”
Shechitah was expressly forbidden in the Soviet Union, and in the years after the war and for decades to come, the KGB did their best to catch any The Rebbe managed to slaughter animals for years without being caught, but there came a day when the KGB caught him red-handed. The soldiers who arrested him joyfully pointed out what lay ahead for the Rebbe who paid them no heed.
Caught Site of the Frozen River
As they traveled down the road toward the local jail, the Rebbe caught sight of a river, and, turning to his captors, he made a request. “Could we stop for a few minutes?”
The soldiers were utterly taken aback to see that their prisoner had the nerve to talk to them, let alone make requests. “Why do you want to stop?”
“I see a river and I would like to immerse in it.” The soldiers couldn’t get over the Jew’s request. In truth, it was hard to comprehend anyone sticking their toe into the frigid waters, let alone his entire body. Just thinking about the idea of their prisoner doing such an outlandish thing sent the soldiers into spasms of laughter. “You know what?” they said, when their laughter had subsided. “If you want to go swimming in the river, we won’t stand in your way.”
So, saying, they stopped the car and let him out on the riverbank. They watched as the Rebbe made his way down the bank and over to the river, which was completely frozen over, with no visible point of entry. Every breath that the soldiers took froze in the air as soon as it was out of their mouths. Yet to their amazement, the Zhid wasn’t fazed. The Rebbe began pounding away at the ice with a branch that he found, trying to crack a hole big enough for him to slide into, while the soldiers watched, openmouthed. None of them had ever seen anything like this before, and they knew they would never forget the incredible sight of a Jew hacking away at the ice so that he could take a dip in the river.
Suddenly, one soldier turned to the other and said, “This man is no cattle slaughterer. He’s out of his mind!” Turning to the Rebbe, who was making inroads with the ice, they yelled, “Crazy man!”
They promptly returned to their vehicle and drove away, leaving the Rebbe in peace to immerse in the icy river to his heart’s content. Then he left the river behind and returned to the town where he had been before his arrest, picked up his knife, and continued with his holy work. Yidden needed kosher meat, and there was no time to waste.
Reprinted from the Parshas Noach 5785 edition of the At the ArtScroll Shabbos Table. Excerpted from the ArtScroll book – “The Ribnitzer” by Nachman Seltzer.
