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Weekly Chasidic Story #738 (s5772-17 / 21 Tevet 5772) Loyal Communist ComradesSoon after his wife gave birth to their first child, a son, he said that he was suing for divorce. The reason: his wife had the baby circumcised! Connection: Seasonal - Two dates that fall this week are mentioned in the story
Loyal Communist Comrades
In 1924, the Russian masses, most of whom had been fervently religious before the Revolution in 1917, were in the process of being weaned away from their religion. But, there were many - even Communist party members - who remained faithful to their religions. Many Jews retained outward appearances to show that they were good Communists, but deep within them burned the eternal Jewish spark. One such man created a sensation in the town of Gomel. Soon after his wife gave birth to their first child, a son, he said that he was suing for divorce. The reason: his wife had the baby circumcised! The Communists were enthusiastic about having a chance to display to Gomel's Jewish population how a young man was prepared to sacrifice family ties for his party. They immediately planned a public trial. The trial was well publicized and when the day arrived the galleries were filled to overflowing. The judge, who was himself Jewish, called the husband first. "Tell me, Comrade, are you a loyal party member?" he asked. "I am indeed." And the husband described his important post in the governmental hierarchy. "Until now, have you loved your wife? Have you been on good terms?" asked the judge. The husband replied in the affirmative. "What then, Comrade, has happened that you wish to divorce her?" the judge asked. "Comrade Judge, my wife gave birth to a son. I looked forward to bringing him up as a true Communist. One day, I came home and to my utter consternation found that he had been circumcised! Was I supposed to stand guard all day, neglecting my important work for the advancement of communism? I hold her responsible!" the husband said emotionally. "Let the wife step forward," the judge ordered. "Comrade, are you guilty of perpetrating this heinous crime?" "Comrade Judge," she wept, "it isn't true. He won't listen to me. We live in a single, rented room in someone else's house. One day I had to go shopping for food and I left my baby sleeping in his crib. I made sure to lock the door before I left. It took me longer than I expected. Just imagine how frightened I was when I found the door of our room wide open! I looked around and saw that nothing had been touched. But suddenly, I realized that my baby was gone! "There was no one else in the house, no one to ask, no sign of any theft. I ran out into the street like a madwoman when I suddenly saw my parents and my husband's parents. Imagine my relief when I noticed my mother carrying the baby. She tried to calm me; they had just taken the baby for a walk, she told me. "I believed them. But when I brought him home and changed his diaper I had a fit. How could my parents do this to me?" she screamed. "Terrible," the judge shook his head. "Unbelievable that in the modern Soviet Republic these religious practices still exist. Let the child's grandparents come forward." All four grandparents stood together. Both grandfathers had gray beards and wore long black coats. The grandmothers' heads were covered with kerchiefs. One of the grandmothers, who knew a little more Russian than the others, spoke for them all. "Honorable Comrade, I admit that I can't see what's wrong with our grandchild having a circumcision like all Jewish boys. But you should know that we didn't mean to do it. It just happened." The public galleries reverberated with howls of laughter. The judge called for silence and asked sarcastically. "How, Babushka, does a circumcision just happen?" "We took our little grandson out for some fresh air. We came to streets where we hardly ever go. Suddenly a young rabbi walked over to us, whom we never saw before and asked, 'Don't you want your grandson to have a bris mila like every Jewish boy?' 'Of course,' we answered. So he quickly took out a knife and before we knew what was happening our grandson was circumcised!" The gales of laughter from the galleries couldn't be contained. "Babushka, have you finished your ridiculous story?" asked the judge. "I have told you all," said the grandmother. "But I want you to know that I am very happy." "Happy?" roared the judge. "About what?" "Happy that our dear little grandson had a bris mila. Just like you, your honor! Aren't you proud to be a Jew?" Try as he might, the judge could do nothing to stop the titters and snickers. Eventually the courtroom was brought to order. The husband was called back to the witness stand. "Tell me, Comrade, hero of communism, if not for this most unfortunate affair, is there any other reason you have for divorcing your wife?" "No, Comrade Judge, none whatsoever." "If I tell you that she is not guilty, will you consider returning to her?" "Of course, Comrade," said the husband. "Then, here is the decision. Your wife is innocent. It is entirely the fault of the grandparents who persist in observing these religious practices. They will be fined 50 rubles. This is the decision of the Soviet Court of Gomel." As the spectators filed out of court, they couldn't help but admire the ingenious plan of the young party-member and his wife to have their son circumcised while still retaining his high-ranking job and party membership. The bizarre story about the stranger was, of course, to protect the mohel's identity. But, it was no secret to anyone; everyone knew the one mohel left in the city, Rabbi Yitzchok Elchonon Halevi Shagalov, a young rabbi who had studied for ten years in the famous yeshiva in Lubavitch, and was one of the chasidim left in Russia by the Previous Rebbe to continue with Lubavitcher activities at great personal sacrifice. * * * In the early hours of the morning, on the 4th of Tishrei, 5698 (September 9, 1937), while still up and studying Chasidus, as was his nightly custom, Rabbi Yitzchok Elchonon Halevi Shagalov was arrested for spreading Judaism in Russia and less than five months later, on the 25th of Tevet, was shot to death in prison at the young age of forty. In 1953, his wife Rebbetzin Mariasha Shagalov, settled in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York, where she lived until her passing, at age 106, after 70 years of widowhood!, on 20 Tevet, 5767 (January 10, 2007). By the grace of G-d, she merited to enjoy the blessings of many descendants (including GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-grandchildren!), all of them chasidim, and many of them (250!) of the Lubavitcher Rebbe on all five continents. At the time of her passing she had nearly 600 descendants! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Connection: Both the 20th and the 25th of Tevet are dates mentioned at the end of the story. ~~~~~~~~~~~
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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.