Weekly Chasidic Story #1069 (s5778-38/ 21 Sivan 5778)

An Expensive Mitzvah Repair

He waited at the side of the road for several hours in the hope of encountering a passerby who would happen to be carrying the proper strings.

Connection: Weekly Reading of Shelach concludes (Num. 15:37-41) with the mitzvah of tzitzis.


An Expensive Mitzvah Repair

 

Reb Meir Refoel's was a respected community leader in Vilna until he became a chasid of Rabbi Shneur Zalman, the first Chabad Rebbe.

 

Once, during a business trip, he noticed that some of his tzitzis strings had torn and become invalid. He immediately removed his four-cornered garment and told his driver to stop, so as not to move four amos (1.92m - a bit more than 6ft) without tzitzis. He even insisted on waiting at the side of the road for several hours in the hope of encountering a passerby who would happen to be carrying tzitzis strings.

 

As it was getting dark outside they saw someone in the distance. Reb Meir called out to the man but he did not reply. He called louder until he was shouting, and finally the man turned towards him.

"Do you have any tzitzis strings by any chance?" asked Reb Meir in Yiddish.

"And if I would," said the man, "do you think I'm going to unload and rummage through my stuffed sack for just a few strings?!"

"I will pay you well," Reb Meir assured him.

"How much?" barked the man, "A few rubles? Not worth my time! I need to get back in time before nightfall!"

"I will pay you anything you ask!" begged Reb Meir. "I will give you all the money I have!"

"Alright," said the man; "give me what you have and I will do it for you."

Reb Meir promptly gave him all the money he was carrying. The man quickly rummaged through his sack, found the tzitzis and gave it to him.

Soon after, Reb Meir visited the first Lubavitcher Rebbe. As he walked in, the Alter Rebbe stood up and handed him the exact money he had paid for new tzitzis strings. Apparently, that man who 'sold' them was Eliyahu HaNavi (Elijah the Prophet); who had appeared in order to test Reb Meir's commitment to the mitzvah.

~~~~~~~~
Source: Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from an English emailing of //LlmaanYishmeu.com (#305) in 2015, based on the Hebrew Migdal Oz p. 177.


Biographical note:
Rabbi Shneur Zalman [of blessed memory: 18 Elul 5505 - 24 Tevet 5573 (1745 - Dec. 1812 C.E.)], one of the main disciples of the Maggid of Mezritch, successor to the Baal Shem Tov. He is the founder of the Chabad-Chassidic movement and the author of Shulchan Aruch HaRav and Tanya as well as many other major works in both Jewish law and the mystical teachings.

Connection: -- Weekly Reading of Shelach concludes (Num. 15:37-41) with the mitzvah of tzitzis.




Yerachmiel Tilles is co-founder and associate director of Ascent-of-Safed, and chief editor of this website (and of KabbalaOnline.org). He has hundreds of published stories to his credit, and many have been translated into other languages. He tells them live at Ascent nearly every Saturday night.

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