|
Weekly Chasidic Story #631 (s5770-16 / 12 Tevet 5770) With a Few Drops of Vodka Some Jews confronted Rabbi Yisrael of Ruzhin. "We pray the morning prayer at first opportunity, daybreak. But the chasidim pray after the statutory time." Connection: ?
With a Few Drops of VodkaOn their way through Ruzhin, a group of Jews from Sanik who were opposed to the ways of the chasidim decided to call on Rabbi Yisrael of Ruzhin in order to enjoy a little argument with him about what they perceived were the deviant innovations of the chasidic movement. "We, at least, walk in the path of G-d," they began. "We set aside times for the study of Torah; we pray the Shacharit morning prayer with a minyan at first opportunity, daybreak; and when prayers are over, while we are still wearing our talit and tefilin, we settle down to study Mishnayot. But the chasidim - not only do they pray after the statutory time, but when they have done their prayers they sit down to drink vodka together. And then they call themselves Chassidim, which means 'pious ones,' and us they call misnagdim, their antagonists. Why, it should be the other way round!" ** The rebbe's attendant, who was standing nearby, could not contain himself and came out with his own jocular yet passionate reply: "You misnagdim serve the Creator frigidly - you are as lacking in warmth as a corpse, G-d forbid. And everyone knows that after a death the traditional custom is to study Mishnayot for the elevation of the departed soul. But when chasidim serve their Maker, be it ever so little, at least they do it with enthusiasm, and their heart is on fire, just as a living man is full of warmth - and doesn't a living man need a drop of vodka now and again?" The tzadik of Ruzhin quickly interjected: "This answer, of course, is not to be taken seriously. Allow me to explain. "The fact is that from the day on which the Temple was destroyed, it is prayer that substitutes for the sacrifices which can no longer be offered, as it is written: 'And our lips will compensate for oxen.' Moreover, the Sages teach us that the daily prayer services were timed so as to correspond to the daily sacrifices. Just as a sacrifice is rendered invalid by an improper thought, and becomes an abomination which is not acceptable On High, so too is a man's prayer invalidated by the admixture of an alien thought. "The Evil Inclination therefore devises various stratagems by which to introduce all manner of alien thoughts into the mind of the worshiper in order to distract him. And that is why the chasidim invented a counter-strategy of their own. After their prayers they sit down to drink vodka together, and wish each other LeChaim; and as each man gives expression to what he most needs, his friends says: 'May G-d grant your request!' Now according to the law of the Torah, prayer may be uttered in any language, so these informal words are of course reckoned in heaven as prayer. The Evil Inclination, however, does not get involved, because he thinks that this toasting is a mere bodily activity and does not even realize that this is prayer!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Connection: ??? ** Editor's note: Biographical note:
~~~~~~~~~~~
To receive the Story by e-mail every Wednesday--sign up here! A 48 page soft-covered booklet containing eleven of his most popular stories may be ordered on our store site.
|
|
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.