A compilation of Chassidishe stories about the Chabad Rebbeim, written down by R’ Chaim Ashkenazi a”h.
BEWARE OF SHAMING ANYONE
In the days of the Alter Rebbe it was customary that after the pilpul delivered by the chassan they would discuss what he said. But they had to be careful not to question him more than he was capable of, so as not to embarrass him before his kalla and mechutanim.
Once, it seemed to the Alter Rebbe that the chassan had been asked more than he should have been. His teeth became black as a result of the fasts that he undertook to atone for shaming a Jew.
THE POOR MAN’S HANDS
The Tzemach Tzedek’s oldest son, R’ Boruch Sholom (Ravash) was born with part of his hand missing. His mother, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka, was very upset by this. When the Tzemach Tzedek went to wish her mazal tov after the birth, she turned her head to the wall and did not want to receive his bracha. Then her father, the Mitteler Rebbe, went to bless her and she did not wish to accept blessings from him either.
But when the grandfather, the Alter Rebbe, came, she looked at him and he blessed her with “mazal tov,” and said, “The Rebbetzin herself is at fault for this, so why does she complain?”
The Alter Rebbe went on to explain: During the pregnancy, a poor man came into the house and she gave him money, but afterward she thought to herself: He has two healthy hands, why doesn’t he work for a living instead of begging?
(Heard in the name of R’ Moshe Nisselevitz)
MUCH ADO
ABOUT NOTHING
They once told the Tzemach Tzedek that a certain Chassid, who owed someone a lot of money, refused to pay his debt. His Chassidishe excuse was that “the world is nothing.”
The Tzemach Tzedek gestured toward a stick and said: Take the nothing and give him some nothing until he is willing to pay the nothing.
WHAT A NIGGUN CAN DO
At the end of the Tzemach Tzedek’s life in this world, he was confined to bed. Chaim Ber, the attendant, would provide the Rebbe with whatever he asked for.
The Tzemach Tzedek once called his name several times, but Chaim Ber decided not to respond to see what the Rebbe would do without him.
The Tzemach Tzedek waited a bit and then sang the “Dalet Bavos.” After singing the niggun, he got out of bed, climbed up to the upper shelves of the bookcase, and took down a book. Then he went back to bed.
(I think I heard this from R’ Mendel Futerfas.)
SEEING BEYOND
THE PHYSICAL COINS
R’ Don Tumerkin, rav of Kremenchug, was a Chassid of the Tzemach Tzedek. He would have yechidus now and then and the Rebbe would discuss Halachic questions that had arisen.
One time, as he spoke with the Tzemach Tzedek, R’ Don absentmindedly took a pile of coins that were on the Rebbe’s desk and placed them on a different pile.
Seeing this, the Rebbe was shaken and he said: Don’t you see a difference between these coins and the other coins and that they cannot be placed on one another?
CYNICAL FISH
Once, as the Tzemach Tzedek ate fish, he stuck his fork several times into the fish but it wouldn’t stay on his fork. The Rebbe said: The soul of a big letz (scoffer, cynic) is reincarnated in this fish and even now he is still cynical. This is why it is impossible to be mevarer (elevate through sifting out the Divine energy) him through eating.
HE WILL BE A REBBE
Shortly before the Tzemach Tzedek passed away, he was holding the young boy who would later be the Rebbe Rashab on his lap and playing with him. Suddenly, the Tzemach Tzedek said: He will be a Rebbe like the shver (father-in-law, i.e. Mitteler Rebbe). This was said in the presence of R’ Peretz Chein, who was still alive in the days of the Rebbe Rashab.
SUCCESSOR
R’ Dovid of Tolna would go to the fair because many of his Chassidim went there. He was once sitting in an inn with his back to the window when he suddenly asked: Who is the man who just passed by outside?
They told him: That is the youngest son of the Tzemach Tzedek (i.e. the one who would become the Rebbe Maharash).
R’ Dovid said: I envy him his (the Tzemach Tzedek’s) successor.
Said the Chassidim: He is a businessman!
R’ Dovid repeated: I envy him his successor.
THE REBBE’S WISHES AND THE RICH MAN’S WISHES
The Rebbe Rashab officially refused to accept the Chabad leadership for ten years after the passing of his father, the Rebbe Maharash. One time, one of the wealthy men of Lubavitch tried to get him to accept the nesius by having him called to the Torah with titles reserved for the Rebbe.
This rich man gave ten rubles to the Torah reader, whose name was Yitzchok Gershon, and told him that at the next aliya to the Torah, he should call the Rebbe Rashab by the title, “Adoneinu Moreinu V’Rabbeinu.”
The rich man, who was strong minded, warned the Torah reader that if he did not call up the Rebbe with those titles, not only would he take his money back, but he would even beat him.
R’ Yitzchok Gershon went to the Rebbe Rashab and told him what the wealthy man had said. Of course, the Rebbe instructed him not to listen, and in order that he should not lose the money, he gave him ten rubles. As for getting a beating for listening to the Rebbe, so what …
SEARCH AND FIND
The Rebbe Rashab was once in Germany on Purim and he asked that a poor man be found to whom he could give Matanos LaEvyonim. R’ Shmuel Grossman (the son of R’ Asher of Nikolayev) was sent to find someone. He was a young bachur at the time, and despite searching all over, he came back and said he did not find a poor man.
Hearing this, the Rebbe Rashab said: If so, I’ll have to go myself.
And he walked a great distance until he reached the house of a poor widow and he gave her money. Then he asked that she be sent all the mishloach manos that his Chassidim had sent him.
HE GOT THE MESSAGE
Someone visited the Rebbe Rayatz in Russia and when it was time to say goodbye, the Rebbe said: As you pass by that city, go to a certain Chassid who lives there and give him regards.
The man did as the Rebbe requested, and on his way home he passed through that city and found the house of the Chassid. When he knocked on the door, the wife said that the Chassid was still davening. The man went in and waited for him to finish, and as he waited he fell asleep.
When he woke up, he saw that it was quite late and the Chassid was still davening. He waited some more until his patience ran out and he opened the door to the room a little bit in order to see what the Chassid was doing for so many hours.
To his surprise, the Chassid was still preparing for davening. He paced back and forth with his tallis folded on his shoulder as he repeated to himself: Still and all, there is a Master of the World; still and all, there is a Master of the World.
The man understood that this is what the Rebbe wanted him to take from this visit. He gave the Rebbe’s regards to the wife for her to pass on and he went on his way.
WHO IS A HIDDEN TZADDIK?
It is told about a certain Chassid that he asked the Rebbe Rayatz to show him a hidden tzaddik, and the Rebbe said he would show him one.
He was once at the Rebbe Rayatz and the Rebbe went out to escort him. A water carrier passed by who was wearing a hat that covered his head. The Rebbe said to the Chassid: See – there is a hidden tzaddik.
A strong wind suddenly blew the water carrier’s hat off his head and everybody saw that he was wearing t’fillin.
A MEETING WITH HIS FATHER
A man who lived in the United States wanted to meet with the Rebbe Rayatz. He arranged a yechidus for ten o’clock at night. When he showed up at that time, the Rebbetzin came out and said: You cannot see the Rebbe now. He might be able to see you at 12:00.
The man waited for two hours, but at twelve the Rebbetzin came out and said the Rebbe might be available at 2:00. The same thing happened again and again until six in the morning and that is when he had yechidus.
When he saw the Rebbe, the Rebbe apologized for not seeing him at the appointed time. He explained that he was busy, since his father the [long since deceased] Rebbe Rashab had been with him until that time.