The Rebbetzin, the wife of Rebbe Yaakov Yitzchak, the Chozeh of Lublin, tried not to cry, she tried to stay cheerful. But what would she do if Shabbat arrived and she still had not procured the few coins she needed in order to purchase candles for the holy Sabbath?
All of the drawers had been checked. All of the pockets had been examined. There were no coins in the house. The minutes ticked away. Now it was but a few moments until candle lighting. The Rebbetzin ran into the street, to share her pain with the wind and the darkening sky.
At that moment a carriage passed by. Inside the carriage sat a young Jewish man who had for many years not been home to see the light of Shabbat candles burning in his parents' home. He was more touched by the lights that burned in the taverns and gambling halls that he frequented most Friday nights. In fact, at that moment he was on his way to meet his friends for a night of entertainment and revelry. But when he looked out his carriage window and saw an old Jewish woman crying softly, he stopped his carriage and asked her why she wept.
"It is because I have no coins to purchase candles for the holy Sabbath," the Rebbetzin whispered, "and I fear I will be unable to fulfill the mitzva commadment of lighting the Shabbat candles."
"Dear woman, take these coins. Light the candles with a joyous heart and enjoy your Sabbath," said the young man as he began returning to his carriage.
The Rebbetzin called out to the young man who stopped and turned around. "You have done a tremendous commandment. May the Almighty repay you by allowing a divine light to shine into your heart forever," the Rebbetzin blessed him. The young man smiled and entered his carriage.
Quickly the Rebbetzin purchased candles, returned hom and lit them with a truly joyous heart. As she watched the flames dance and leap, her heart filled to overflowing with happiness and gratitude to G-d.
A short while later in the synagogue, the Chozeh of Lublin began saying the prayers welcoming the Sabbath. His heart, too, danced and leapt in joy and gratitude to G-d. Whenever the Chozeh prayed, his soul soared higher and higher in the heavenly spheres. Tonight, he saw that heavenly court was in an uproar, and the Chozeh was the one at whom all were pointing an accusing finger.
"Is it not enough that you, the holy Rebbe, bless all kinds of unworthy people? And being that you are a tzadik (righteous person), we are required to make sure that your blessings are fulfilled. Now, your wife, too, pours blessings upon undeserving people!"
And with that, the heavenly court told the Chozeh about the young man who had given his wife a few coins for Shabbat candles and how his wife had blessed him that a divine light should always shine in his heart. "Such a magnificent gift should be bestowed upon one who is now, on the Sabbath, not celebrating or marking the holy day in any way?" they complained.
The Chozeh responded, "Perhaps it is true that at this moment the young man is not worthy of the great gift of which you speak. But who am I to argue if my dear wife saw so clearly revealed the precious spark of G-d, the soul, within him. Should we not at least give him a chance? Shine a divine light upon him for one half hour. Let his soul bask in G-d's glory and see if he is influenced by it. If after one half hour, nothing has changed, then I agree that you should be absolved of fulfilling my wife's blessing."
The heavenly court agreed.
In a carriage outside of Lublin, the young man began to feel a strange sensation. He looked around him and felt as if he was seeing the world for the first time. There was clarity to everything. His mind wandered to the encounter that had taken place earlier. Something inexplicable was urging him to return to that little street in Lublin, to the home where the old woman had surely already lit the Shabbat candles. He ordered his driver to turn the carriage around.
As soon as the carriage arrived at the home of the Chozeh, the young man told the driver to stop. He quickly got out of the carriage and walked up the path to the Chozeh's home. He looked inside through the window and saw the Rebbetzin sitting at the Shabbat table reciting her prayers with joy and devotion, waiting for the Rebbe to return from the synagogue.
The young man lifted his hand to knock on the door but hesitated, not wanting to interrupt the Rebbetzin's prayers. Perhaps she would be finished in a few moments and he would not have to disturb her. The minutes ticked away.
The heavenly court watched in interest as the last moments of the half hour slipped by. The Rebbetzin had finished her prayers. The young man raised his hand once again to knock on the door but stopped himself. He looked around. "What am I doing here?" he asked himself.
For a few seconds the young man stood motionless, unable to decide what to do. Involuntarily he shook himself, as if to shake off the last vestiges of indecision. He turned his back on the house and headed toward the street. But then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Rebbetzin's Shabbat candles. The flames of the candles danced and leapt in joy.
The rustling wind sounded like a sigh of contentment emerging from the heavens above as the young man knocked gently on the door.
The Rebbetzin was delighted when she saw the young man. She invited him in. He stayed for the meal and for many meals after. With time he became a devoted chasid of the Chozeh of Lublin. Eventually he helped illuminate the path for many others with the Divine light that is found in every Jewish heart.
