Weekly Chasidic Story #638 (s5770-23 / 2 Adar 5770)

Saturday Afternoon Soccer

The Polish-born father said to his Israel-born son, "The Rebbe "Beis Yisrael" of Ger is here, let us go to him to receive shalom."

Connection: 33rd Yahrzeit

Saturday Afternoon Soccer

Fifty years ago or so in Jerusalem, there lived a not-so-observant boy from an observant family whose father was a simple Jew. The family eventually emigrated from Israel, but one day the boy was seen again in his old neighborhood. When asked what brought him back, he said, "I came to the Rebbe."

''Which Rebbe?'' his former acquaintances asked in surprise. No one knew of any connection between him and any Rebbe, especially not the Beis Yisrael.

This is the story he told: As a youth, he used to play for one of Israel's soccer teams. It was top-secret; nobody, not even his parents, knew about it. Once, when the Rebbe was in Zichron Yaakov, the boy and his father were there, too. The Polish-born father said to his son, "The Gerer Rebbe is here, let us go to him to receive shalom [greet him]." When they approached him, the Rebbe inquired where they were staying, and the father mentioned the name of the hotel where they were guests.

Ten minutes later there was a knock on their door. The Rebbe wanted to speak to the boy, a messenger reported. They assumed it was a mistake, but if the Gerer Rebbe summons you, you go.

In the course of the conversation the Rebbe said, "You're already a mature 15- or l6-year-old boy, you have to do something for the sake of your Yiddishkeit [Judaism]! Learn, pray, behave like a Jew!"

And then the Rebbe dropped another bombshell. "And of course, you shouldn't be playing soccer for your team." Here the Rebbe mentioned the team's full name, as fluently as if he were an avid fan.

The boy was shocked. He had never shared this secret with anyone, and just like that, his secret was out in the open. He nodded his head, unable to utter a word.

"It's not enough to nod your head," the Rebbe told him. "Think carefully about what I told you, and accept upon yourself to improve your ways."

The teenaged boy accepted upon himself to change his ways. As he left, the Rebbe presented him with a plate of fruit as a sign of encouragement.

As soon as the door closed behind him, the Chassidim fulfilled the custom of taking shirayim, ''leftovers,'' from the tzaddik, leaving the boy with nothing. His loud cries of protest could be heard inside the room too. All of a sudden the Rebbe stepped out and consoled him by preparing another package of fruit. This one he sealed well, while saying, "The most important thing is that you become a good fruit."

From that day on, his life changed completely, and he became fully observant in every aspect. Some time after the passing of the Beit Yisrael he became a chasid of a different Rebbe, but every time he comes to Israel, he visits the Rebbe's gravesite on Har HaZeisim [Mount of Olives].

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Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from heichalhanegina.blogspot.com

Connection: Yahrzeit

Biographical note:
Rabbi Yisrael Alter of Ger (1894 - 2 Adar 1977), known as the Bais Yisroel, was the fourth Rebbe in the Gur dynasty. Following the death of his father in 1948, Ger grew under his leadership to be the largest Chasidic group in Israel. He lost his wife, children and grandchildren in the Holocaust, and although he married a second time, had no further children. He was succeeded by his brother, Rabbi Simcha-Bunim Alter, and then his youngest brother, Rabbi Pinchas-Menachem Alter.

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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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