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Weekly Chasidic Story #603 (s5769-38 / 24 Sivan 5769) Loyalty The Tzemach Tsedek answered him, "Since it has always been your custom to visit your teacher it is not proper to change now." (Connection: )
Loyalty
One of the loyal chasidim of the Tzemach Tzedek of Lubavitch was a successful merchant in the city of Petersburg. Every year he would travel to the great fair which was held in Nizhni-Novgorod to make his purchases. He made it an annual practice to first visit Lubavitch to see the Rebbe. While in Lubavitch he drank in the vibrant atmosphere of the Rebbe's court, and listened to words of Torah which would serve to enrich his spiritual life for the rest of the year. Then, he would make a detour and continue on to the town of Dobromishl. In that town lived the old rabbi who had been his teacher many years before. This old rabbi looked forward to the yearly visit of his former pupil, enjoying the lively company and the stories his guest brought from the Rebbe's court. It wasn't every day that he had guests, and it was a happy event in the old man's life. One year the merchant's plans for his yearly circuit through Lubavitch were disrupted. One of his biggest customers had trouble raising the money for his usual order, and the merchant was forced to postpone his departure. Finally, he received payment, and with his business now in order, he was able to set off. Even though the fair was well under way, the merchant couldn't imagine missing his yearly visit to the Rebbe, and he headed, as usual, to Lubavitch. The merchant was invigorated by the time he spent with the Rebbe, and after
a few days he prepared to continue on his trip. By this time he was becoming
concerned about the business days he had lost at the fair, and he wondered if
perhaps he should skip his usual visit to his old teacher. He felt guilty about
not seeing the old rabbi, but figured that would be the only way to save time. The merchant took the Rebbe's counsel to heart and headed immediately to Dobromishl, where he was warmly received by his old teacher. The old man's joy couldn't be contained as he rushed about his tiny kitchen heating up his samovar and setting out a plate of warm bread and butter. The merchant begged his teacher not to bother, as he had to be on his way after the afternoon prayers, but the old man would not forego this pleasure. As the merchant was completing his prayers, the sky darkened and soon the village
was pelted with a fierce downpour. His desire to finally get to the Nizhni-Novgorod
fair had become so intense that the merchant was prepared to continue his journey
in spite of the weather. The old rabbi implored him to stay overnight, since
the local roads became thick with mud after a heavy rain. With one look outside,
the merchant realized that it would be impossible to continue and so, he reluctantly
agreed to stay. But first he went to Lubavitch to present the Rebbe with his grievance. With tears running from his eyes the merchant entered the Rebbe's study and in a voice choked with emotion asked why the Rebbe had advised him to go visit his old teacher. Why, if he hadn't gone there and exposed himself to the terrible rain storm and caught a chill, he wouldn't have become so dangerously ill. So why had the Rebbe given him such advice? The Rebbe looked at his distraught chasid and replied: "There is a teaching
in the Talmud which says that 'A man's legs may be depended upon to take him
wherever he is "called to be".' This means that a man's feet will
carry him to that place where he is destined to die, no matter where that is.
But this verse may also be interpreted to mean that a man's feet will carry
him to a place where there is someone to pray for him. Be grateful that you
went there; know that your life was saved by the prayers of your old teacher
who entreated G-d on your behalf. He was able to intercede for you and save
your life." [Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from the rendition on www.lchaimweekly.org (#845), with permission.] Connection: ??? (I can see one for parshat Baalotecha, but it's afew weeks late for that. Any ideas? Biographic note:
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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.