Weekly Chasidic Story #577 (s5769-12 / 19 Kislev 5769)

Annual Rescue

Each year on Yud-Tes Kislev, the Magid of Mezritch is able to uplift souls from Gehinom

(Connection: yahrzeit date)

 

Annual Rescue

One brisk winter day, an elderly stranger wearing an expensive-looking fur coat entered the court of the holy Rhyzhiner Rebbe. When he asked to be able to speak privately with the Rebbe for a few minutes, the Rebbe's attendant escorted him in without asking any questions.

"How can I help you, by dear fellow Jew?" inquired the Rhyzhiner. "Do you wish a blessing for prosperity? It does not seem so from your appearance."

"No thank you, your honor, I have more than enough."

"Perhaps a blessing for health? Or for satisfaction from your children?"

"No, Rebbe," replied the visitor, "I am in excellent health, as are the other members of my family, and all my children are, thank G-d, doing well and are firm in their beliefs and practices."

"Then, as I said," smiled the Rebbe, "how can I help you?"

"Please, Rebbe, I apologize for taking so much of your valuable time, but may I tell you an interesting story?"

The Rebbe nodded his assent.

"I am a prosperous businessman. I gained most of my wealth through buying and selling large amounts of merchandise at the annual fair at Leipzig. However, when I became older, the physical ordeals of the long journey each way took a large toll from me. As I had a capable assistant who had worked for me for many years and had earned my complete faith in him, I decided to entrust him with the burden of conducting my annual affairs at Leipzig. Each year I gave him a significant sum of money to invest, merchandise to sell, and a list of detailed instructions.

"For a number of years things went smoothly. Then, this year, my man did not return from Leipzig together with the other merchants of our town who had been there. They told me not to worry, for they had brought a message from him. It turned out that he had been so successful that he finished all our affairs there two days early, so he decided to utilize the time to visit some relatives of his in the region. He asked them to tell me that he would arrive in a few days.

"I wasn't worried. I trusted him implicitly. Even when a few days went by and then a week, without a sign of him, I didn't waver, although I was aware that people in town were suggesting that he had absconded with the money.

"But when a week turned into two, and then into a month, I could no longer keep myself from being disturbed and nervous. A few nights later, when my feelings had become even more acute, I had a dream. In it, my agent appeared to me and told me what had happened.

"'When I went to visit my relatives I became seriously ill. The doctor's treatment did not help at all, and I realized my time had come. I requested that the rabbi of the town be brought to me, and when he came I entrusted into his possession all of your money and gems and documents of sale and purchase that I was carrying. I described you to him and also told him other signs by which he may recognize you. I hope that now you will consider that my mission had been faithfully completed.'

"'But…but,' I exclaimed frantically in my dream, for it seemed like he was starting to fade away. 'Where are you? Where are you telling me this from?'

"His face took on a look of pain as he answered with a degree of reluctance. 'When I arrived at the Divine Court, I was deemed not yet pure enough for the bliss of Heaven. I was assigned to the other place for a year. Time passed. Then, there was a surprising commotion. I asked what was going on. I was told that it was Yud-Tet [19th of the Jewish month of] Kislev, which is the yahrzeit of the Magid [of Mezritch, Rabbi Dov-Ber, successor to the Baal shem Tov], and that his soul has the merit to rescue from here all those souls that are connected to him.

"'Not only that,' he added, 'but that I was among those souls that were designated to be released! "How can that be?" I addressed the Magid. "I have no connection to you. I was only a child when you left the world." "You were born through my blessing," was his reply.

"'But there is an impediment to my release,' he continued to relate in my dream. 'My business with you was considered unfinished, even though I did all that I possibly could, because you did not know what happened to me yet and were in considerable anxiety as a result. So I was given permission to appear to you and give you the information you need to recover your assets. Now I must hurry. I fear that I may miss my "ride."'

"'Please,' I pleaded, 'just tell me one more thing. Is there any tzadik still on earth that has such a merit to be able to release souls connected to him from Gehinom?'

"He said that he would inquire and soon provided the answer: 'I am told that such a tzadik is Rabbi Yisrael in Rhyzhin, the great-grandson of the Magid.'"

The elderly Jew concluded his story by adding that he was just coming back from having collected all his property from the rabbi of the town where his associate had died. He then said earnestly to the Rhyzhiner, "the reason I am here is that I desire to be connected to you. Will you please accept me as your chasid!"

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[Heard from a Chabad Rosh Yeshiva in Tsfat, at one of the wedding-week celebrations for his daughter, which took place at the house of Ascent executive director, R. Shaul Leiter.]

Biographical notes:
Rabbi Dov Ber (c.1700-19 Kislev 1772), the son of Avraham and Chava, known as the Maggid of Mezritch, succeeded his master, the Baal Shem Tov, to become the second head of the chasidic movement. Most of the leading chasidic dynasties stem from his disciples and his descendents. The classic anthologies of his teachings are Likutei Amarim and Torah Ohr (combined by Kehos Publishing as Maggid Devorav l'Yaakov), and Ohr HaEmmes.

Rabbi Yisrael Friedmann of Ruzhin [1797 - 3 Cheshvan 1850], the great-grandson of the Maggid of Mezritch, at a young age was already a charismatic leader with an enormous following of chassidim. He was also greatly respected by the other rebbes and Jewish leaders of his generation. Six of his sons established Chassidic dynasties, several of which -Sadigora, Chortkov, etc- are still thriving today.


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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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