STORIES AND SAYINGS FROM THE GREATS

A compilation of stories about great Chassidim of previous generations

By R’ Chaim Ashkenazi a”h

STRENGTH AND MIGHT HE GAVE TO THEM

Two people once went to R’ Hillel of Paritch for a Din Torah. R’ Hillel ruled in favor of one of them. The man who lost the case was a tough guy, and he became angry about the p’sak din and did not want to follow it.

R’ Hillel said to him: I will explain to you the meaning of the words “Goodly are the luminaries that our G-d created,” which we say in the Shabbos Shacharis prayer. It refers to the rabbis, who are our luminaries, about whom it is said, “He created them with daas, bina and intelligence.” But you need to know that “strength and might He gave to them, to be rulers b’kerev teivel – in the midst of the earth.” If they are not obeyed, they have the ability to rule the kerev – the middle – of the word teivel. In other words, they have the ability to remove the middle letter beis, which leaves the word tel [a pile of dust].

Hearing this, the man who lost the case was frightened, and he said: I will obey the p’sak din.

THEY DON’T KNOW HOW TO READ

A rabbi went to R’ Hillel of Paritch and complained that the people of his town did not appreciate him and did not listen to him. He even showed R’ Hillel his smicha certificates that he was given by great rabbis in order to prove that he deserved people’s respect.

R’ Hillel said to him, “The residents of your town are simple people, who don’t know how to read your certificates. They merely form an impression of you based on your personality and how you treat them.”

DON’T WORRY

A certain chazan cried copiously during the davening on the Yomim Nora’im. After the davening, R’ Hillel of Paritch went over to him and said: Don’t cry, don’t cry, they will pay you for your davening.

ACCEPTED WITH A SONG

The bachur Nosson Nota of Pahar, who was the leader of a group of singers of niggunim in Lubavitch, was almost not accepted to Yeshivas Tomchei T’mimim. When he arrived in Lubavitch and was given an entrance exam, he did not pass and he was told that he would not be accepted.

R’ Nosson Nota was quite upset by this and he went off to a side room and began singing to himself. Some bachurim heard him and followed the sound and stopped nearby to listen to him sing. More and more bachurim joined them and listened in. When the mashgiach noticed this, he went over to listen and enjoyed it very much.

When the mashgiach heard that the singing came from the broken heart of a bachur who wasn’t accepted into the yeshiva, he went to the committee in charge and said that since the bachur had a good ear for music, he should be accepted.

That is how he came to be accepted and was one of the founders of the Seder HaNiggunim in Yeshivas Tomchei T’mimim.

R’ SHMUEL MUNKES’ BRACHA

R’ Shmuel Munkes and a group of Chassidim once went to the Alter Rebbe. On their way, they stopped at an inn where R’ Shmuel paced back and forth, deep in thought.

The innkeeper, who was a simple man, saw him and thought he was a big tzaddik and asked R’ Shmuel to bless the baby in the cradle.

R’ Shmuel looked in the cradle and said, “He’ll have a good old age.” The innkeeper was happy to hear this bracha, but wanted to know what R’ Shmuel meant by it.

R’ Shmuel said: If you give our group of Chassidim room and board, I’ll explain it to you.

The innkeeper treated them royally and after the meal, R’ Shmuel explained: When I looked at the baby’s nose I saw that it was turned up a bit at the tip. That is why I said he’ll have a good old age, because in his old age his glasses will stay in place on his nose and won’t fall off.

TO BURN THE YESHUS

R’ Isaac of Homil’s last name was Epstein and his family was known for its scholars and geniuses. They once saw R’ Isaac sitting on a hot stove and they asked him what he was doing. He said: I need to burn out the Epstein (i.e. his ego) [perhaps related in part to his illustrious rabbinic lineage].

Once, when R’ Isaac was at the holy Ruzhiner tzaddik, the tzaddik tried to convince him to stay with him and said he’d make him into a person of stature. R’ Isaac said his entire avoda was not to raise himself up but to “nullify the Epstein” (i.e. his ego).

THE RABBINATE OR HONOR

A young man went to R’ Izel (of Homil) to receive smicha from him. Then R’ Isaac said: If you want to be a rav to earn a living, I wish you success; if you want to be a rav in order to pasken halachos, I also wish you success. But if you want to be a rav in order to receive honor, I hope that wherever you go, they throw you out.

The young man received a rabbinic position in a certain town. It was the practice there that the attendant took the rabbi’s coat off when he came. One time, the rabbi waited until the attendant came to remove his coat. When the people saw him waiting for this honor, they fired him.

HOW CAN YOU MAKE A BLESSING ON A CRAVING?

R’ Itche the Masmid (may Hashem avenge his blood) once told R’ Efraim Wolf: If you eat something out of taava (craving), don’t say a bracha.

R’ Efraim asked in surprise: Is it better to eat it without a bracha?!

R’ Itche said: No, don’t eat it altogether!

BURIAL PLOT

Before R’ Alter Simchovitz died, they asked him where he wanted to be buried: On the Mt of Olives? Which section?

He said: In the ground.

SHORT THOUGHTS – CHASSIDIC APHORISMS

JUST AS YOU KNOW …

Regarding a Misnaged it is said: Just as you know your good points, so too, you should know what you lack. To a Chassid you say: Just as you know what you lack, so too, you should know your good qualities.

PLACE VERSUS SPACE

R’ Peretz Mochkin explained the Mishna in Avos, “There is nothing (davar) that does not have a place (makom) and no person (adam) that does not have his time (shaa).”

Something that does not have a place – that is a Misnaged, for he is a thing and he takes up space. A Chassid, on the other hand, is a person – adam – Adameh L’Elyon, and there is no person who won’t have a shaa throughout his years of avoda, shaa also meaning a turn for the good in Avodas Hashem.

A FARBRENGEN IS WHAT MAKES IT STICK TOGETHER

What does a farbrengen contribute?

Learning Nigleh is like the bricks of a building. Learning Chassidus is like the cement that is placed between the bricks. A farbrengen is like water; it makes it all stick together as one complete, stable structure.

PLACING THE BLAME

The Rebbe Rayatz said to a Chassid: What is a shliach?

The good things he does are attributed to him, while the foolish things that he does are attributed to the one who sent him. So, don’t do foolish things and they won’t say it about me.

(From R’ Zalman Gurary)

REBBE IN YOUR HEART

A Chassid once asked the Rebbe Rashab to keep him in mind. The Rebbe said: If I am with you in your heart, then you will be with me in my mind.

WITH HIS OWN EYES

It is said in the name of R’ Chaim of Sanz that when a Chassid relates a miracle story and says that he saw it himself, he actually heard the story tenth hand.

But the Chassid so fully believes that his Rebbe did this miracle that he is sure he saw it with his own eyes.

WHERE IS THE
SHULCHAN ARUCH?

A Chassidic aphorism: When you are at the Rebbe, the Rebbe is your Shulchan Aruch. When you return home, the Shulchan Aruch is your Rebbe.

SHAMA-MOSHE

R’ Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev would explain the verse, “You will seek His dwelling place u’vasa shama (and you will come there), that the letters of “shama” are the same as Moshe. If you seek Hashem, go to the Moshe of the generation, to the Rebbe.

YOU NEED TO OBEY

R’ Yisroel Jacobson would say that the Rebbe Rayatz would say:

The grandfather (Rebbe Maharash) would command, my father (the Rebbe Rashab) would say, and I request. But you still need to obey.

R’ Jacobson would add: and the Rebbe Shlita advises.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AYIN AND EFES

R’ Shmuel Levitin explained:

What is the difference between ayin and efes? Ayin is like a person who had money and lost it. Efes is like someone who never had money.

THREE PRINCIPLES

The Rebbe Rashab said that Yeshivas Tomchei T’mimim was founded on three principles: 1) Brotherly love, 2) diligence in learning, and 3) Shmiras HaLashon

LIFT ME UP

Chassidim would comment regarding what Yona the Prophet said, “Lift me up and lower me into the sea … because I know that this big storm is because of me” –

if you know that it’s your fault and admit as much, then jump into the sea and save the passengers! Why are you asking them to pick you up and lower you? Are you still expecting them to think how great you are?!

COLD AND HEAT

Chassidim say: There used to be cold mikvaos and warm t’fillos; today the mikvaos are warm and the t’fillos are cold.

WHO IS LEARNING? WHO IS RESTING?

Chassidim used to sit and learn and the Rebbe was able to go on vacation. Today, Chassidim go on vacation, which is why the Rebbe needs to stay home and learn.

AFRAID OF A DEAF ANGEL

R’ Avrohom Maiyor said that he was not afraid of destructive angels after he would be 120, because he had excuses and reasons for everything. Rather, he was afraid of one thing: lest it be a deaf angel who won’t be able to hear his excuses.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BEE AND A SPIDER

What is the difference between a bee and a spider? A bee gives that which comes from others, since it sips the nectar from the flowers; what it produces is sweet honey.

A spider gives of itself; it spins a web which can trap, catch and kill.

It goes to show that not everybody who innovates in Torah on his own produces sweetness, but one who can transmit what he received and learned from others, he is like a bee and his words are sweet.

(I heard this from R’ Shneur Zalman Garelik a”h)