Chassidic Story #255

SHOFAR MEDITATIONS x THREE

To Know or To Blow
The holy Rabbi Chayim Avraham, son of the first Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, would come when he was very old to the third Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch-the Tzemach Tzedek, to hear the shofar, even though it entailed great bother at his age. Once the Rebbe asked him why he troubled himself so much; after all, he could arrange for his own minyan. Rabbi Chayim Avraham answered, "It is written, 'Happy is the people who know the teruah." It does not say 'who blow the shofar,' but "who know the teruah."

The Ax
The Baal Shem Tov once instructed his disciple Rabbi Wolf Kitzis to study the Kabalistic meditations on which he would meditate while blowing he various blasts of the shofar. Reb Wolf studied the mystical significance of the Divine Names associated with this mitzva and made notes of them on a sheet of paper which he put away in a pocket, so he would be able to read them while blowing the shofar. The Baal Shem Tov was not pleased that he had committed these secrets to writing; the paper slipped out of his pocket and was lost.
The awesome moment drew near. Reb Wolf searched his pockets in vain, and was obliged to blow the shofar without knowing which Divine mysteries to meditate upon. This grieved him no end, and he wept with a broken and humbled heart.
After the prayers the Baal Shem Tov said to him: "In a king's palace there are many chambers, and each door has its own particular key. But there is one implement which can open all the doors, and that is the ax.
The Kabalistic meditations are the keys to the gates in the World Above, each gate requiring its own particular meditation, but a broken and humble heart can burst open all the gates and all the heavenly palaces."

The Deal
One year Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev spent a long time in search of a man who would be worthy of blowing the shofar in his shul. Rosh Hashana was fast approaching and though many righteous folk sought the privilege, vying with each other in demonstrating their expertise in the abstruse Kabalistic secrets associated with the shofar, none of them were to his taste.
One day a new applicant came along, and Rabbi Levi Yitzchak asked him on what mysteries he meditated while he was performing the awesome mitzva.
"Rebbe," said the newcomer, "I'm only a simple fellow; I don't understand too much about the hidden things in the Torah. But I have four daughters of marriageable age, and when I blow the shofar, this is what I have in mind: 'Master of the Universe! Right now I am carrying out Your will. I'm doing Your mitzva and blowing the shofar. Now supposing You too do what I want, and help me marry off my daughters?' "
"My friend," said Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, "you will blow the shofar for us!"

Selected by Yrachmiel Tilles from Treasury of Chassidic Tales - Festivals (Artscroll)