Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Hoshanna Rabba Story Divrei Chaim of Tzanz

Rav Chuna Halberstam of Kolshitz once related that on Hoshanna Rabbah the
Sanzer Rav, author of the Divrei Chaim used to tell the following parable
which he in turn had heard and received as a tradition from his rebbe the
heilge Ropshitzer:

There was once a galach (priest) who constantly rebuked and castigated his
parishioners against drinking vodka and other forms of hard liquor.

Once when this galach passed through the marketplace he saw one of his
parishioners lying like a drunkard on the sidewalk in a dazed stupor.

When his alcohol induced state wore off he reported to the galach to await
punishment for his public misconduct. The galach proceeded to rebuke him to
his face. "I am sorry," replied the parishioner, "but there is nothing that
can make me give up my drinking habit, I am hooked on this drink and that's
that!"

When the galach heard this, he asked one of his attendants to bring him some
brandy so he could sample it for himself. "I must see for myself why this
drink is so addictive," he thought, "it must taste so wonderful and be so
tempting that he cannot give it up!"

The attendant brought his master a glass of strong brandy and the galach
sipped the drink and immediately spit it out wrinkling his nose, while
wheezing, hacking, coughing and retching violently.

"This is disgusting!," he declared, "how can you drink such strong, bitter
liquid!?" he questioned the drunkard. With a wave of dismissal the galach
said "you can go! You don't need any punishment at all! Drinking such bitter
horrible stuff such as that . . . there is no better punishment for you!"

When he concluded the story he explained the parable's message:

The same is true regarding sins and transgressions that people do. People
sin and transgress thinking of the pleasure and delight they will feel.
However anyone who has never tasted sin in his life would taste in such
actions the bitter and vile poison that they really are!

With this we can advocate on behalf of Klal Yisroel and say: Ribono Shel
Olam - Master of the World there is no need to further punish the yidden for
any of their sins! The bitter taste of sin itself should be punishment
enough!
(Sippurei Tzadikim Succos p18)

Kol Tuv,
R' Tal Moshe Zwecker
Director Machon Be'er Mayim Chaim
Chassidic Classics in the English Language
www.chassidusonline.com
chassidusonline@gmail.com
Phone: 972-2-992-1218 / Cell: 972-54-842-4725
VoIP: 516-320-6022 / eFax: 1-832-213-3135
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Monday, September 27, 2010

Taking the Esrog to Heart A Story about the Alexander Rebbe

Every year, Rav Chaim Elazar of Pietrokov would send Rav Yechiel of
Aleksander an beautiful esrog for the upcoming sukkos holiday.

One year the Rebbe took a good look at the citron fruit which the Rav of
Pietrokov had sent him and decided that this etrog was not for him. He
handed the esrog to his shamash and asked the attendant to return it and ask
for a new one in exchange.

When the attendant arrived with the Rebbe's request Rav Chaim Elazar was
distressed, he was in great sorrow since he had no other esrogim of equal
beauty and hadar such as this one. Then he had an idea. He told the Rebbe's
attendant, "Come let us visit Rabbi so and so, I also sent him a beautiful
hadar esrog, but surely when he hears that we need it for the Aleksander
Rebbe he won't be able to refuse us!" They arrived late at midnight and when
they knocked on the door they roused the sleeping rabbi in a fright. When he
saw who his guests were and heard the reason why they had come he was sorely
dissapointed to part with the beautiful esrog he had recieved but felt he
had no choice, how could he turn away the Aleksander Rebbe's gabbai and the
Rav of Pietrokov like that?"

The gabbai was delighted and he set off straight for the Rebbe's home.
However no sooner did he arrive and his foot crossed the Rebbe's threshold
when the Aleksander Rebbe turned to him in dismay and said "What despair and
black foul waves of depression have you brought with you when you entered?
Tell me what happened to you during your journey!"

When the attendant related the entire episode to his Rebbe, Rav Yechiel
urged him, "Quick make the return trip and give that poor despondant rabbi
back his own esrog!" The gabbai hurried to do as the Rebbe had asked.

A few days later Yom Kippur was fast approaching but the Rebbe still had no
esrog. Suddenly he remembered, "My son, please come here," he called. "You
know every year the Rav of Pietrokov also sends me a box of simple esrogim
to hand in the sukkah for decorations. Perhaps I should open that box and
together we will examine it's contents. Maybe there is an esrog in there for
me, who knows?"

They opened the box and sure enough the Rebbe took out one of the esrogim
and proceeded to begin lauding its praises and describing its beauty. Now
they say that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, but standing there the
Rebbe's attendant looked at the esrog in the Rebbe's hands and compared it
with both the esrog the Rebbe had given back and the other one he had
returned as well, and this one did not seem nice to him at all!

The Rebbe turned to the chassid and saw his astonishment and declared: "And
what do you know about esrogim anyway eh? You think you know what a
beautiful esrog is do you? Let me tell you, an esrog alludes to the heart!
Are you a maven in hearts? Do you understand a Jewish heart?!"

All those present understood that the Rebbe could discern using his faculty
of Divine intuition and ruach hakodesh that this was "his" esrog.

The Aleksander Rebbe used to say:

"I am very succesful, I always manage to procure and get the most beautiful
esrogim! The reason is that when they bring me my esrog I dont even look at
it until after the recitation of Selichos of the thirteen attributes of
mercy. The reason I wait is that with the tears I shed reciting those
Selichos I wash away any stain or blemish that was on my esrog!"


Kol Tuv,
R' Tal Moshe Zwecker
Director Machon Be'er Mayim Chaim
Chassidic Classics in the English Language
www.chassidusonline.com
chassidusonline@gmail.com
Phone: 972-2-992-1218 / Cell: 972-54-842-4725
VoIP: 516-320-6022 / eFax: 1-832-213-3135
join the mailing list here: http://groups.google.com/group/beermayimchaim
Noam Elimelech, Kedushas Levi, Pirkei Avos more!
Discuss Chassidus http://groups.google.com/group/torahchassidusdiscussion
Author Page https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003VH9D48
LinkedIn: http://il.linkedin.com/in/rabbitalmoshe

Sunday, September 26, 2010

An Esrog and a Heavenly Promise

From the upcoming MeOros Kedushas Levi on Moadim:

An Esrog and a Heavenly Promise

Once there was a great shortage of Esrogim for the Succos holiday, and Rav
Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev was without an Esrog.

He sent emissaries to wait on at the crossroads to see if anyone traveling
by might perchance have the fruit with them. The emissaries met a Jew who
had an Esrog however he was not traveling to Berditchev and he wished to
continue traveling. The emissaries asked him to stay in Berditchev for
Succos in order to allow Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev to have the merit
and opportunity to bless the Esrog, however the latter declined, explaining
that he had been traveling far and wide for some time and that now he wished
to spend the holidays at home with his family. He was unwilling to relent.

As they were triying to persuade him Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev himself
arrived and begged the Jew to stay for Succos and still the Jew refused. Rav
Levi Yitzchak said to him "I promise you that in exchange for staying, you
will be with me in my place in heaven." When the stranger heard this promise
from the holy Tzadik he agreed, and he traveled with them to Berditchev to
stay for Succos. He entered an inn and the entire town rejoiced.

Rav Levi Yitzchak sent a proclamation to the innkeepers and throughout
Berditchev that no one was to allow the stranger who was a guest to enter
any of the succah booths to eat! The entire town was commanded that if the
guest should ask someone to enter their succah to eat they must refuse him
entry. The guest knew nothing of the conspiracy and when he left the
synagogue after the prayers and attempted to enter the succah at the inn to
make Kiddush he was barred and refused entry. He began to shout and yell
with no avail. He went to the neighbors and asked their permission to enter
their succah, however they refused him entry as well. He understood that
something was amiss and after questioning them, they admitted that Rav Levi
Yitzchak had commanded them to bar his entry.

The guest ran to Rav Levi Yitzchak and asked him "Why have you repaid me
evil for the kindness I did for you?" Rav Levi Yitzchak answered him, "If
you relinquish the promise I made to you to be with me in heaven I will
allow you to enter the succah." An inner battle raged within the guest. What
should he do? Finally he decided to forgive Rav Levi Yitzchak his promise as
long as the Rav would allow him to fulfill the mitzvah of succos with joy!

The next day Rav Levi Yitzchak invited the guest to his own personal succah
along with the important personages in town and explained his odd behavior.
"Now I once again promise you that you shall be together with me in my
portion in heaven!," said Rav Levi Yitzchak. "I wanted you to withstand this
test, so that you should acquire the portion yourself and be worthy of my
promise, rather than having received it as a gift!"

(Shemuos VeSippurim I)

Such is the power of the mitzvah of Sukkah!

Wishing you a Gut Yom Tov,
Kol Tuv,
R' Tal Moshe Zwecker
Director Machon Be'er Mayim Chaim
Chassidic Classics in the English Language
www.chassidusonline.com
chassidusonline@gmail.com
Phone: 972-2-992-1218 / Cell: 972-54-842-4725
VoIP: 516-320-6022 / eFax: 1-832-213-3135
join the mailing list here: http://groups.google.com/group/beermayimchaim
Author Page https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003VH9D48
LinkedIn: http://il.linkedin.com/in/rabbitalmoshe