They once wanted to appoint Reb Aizel to be a rebbe in Retzitza. He was about to sit down in the carriage to leave, when he reminded himself that the Alter Rebbe had once told him, “Aizik, do my children a favor” — and he turned down the offer.
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Stories from As I Heard Them (Lesheima Ozen) by Reb Zalman Duchman · © The Duchman Family; please share this sheet as printed
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Farbreng.ing
בס״ד
Stories for the week
Parshas Vayeilech"Do My Children a Favor"As I Heard Them, Vol. 1, p. 58, no. 40 A Tzaddik's Glance in PetrogradAs I Heard Them, Vol. 1, pp. 216-217, no. 30 The Rebbe told Chaim Amstislovsky, “You became who you are from a tzaddik’s glance!” After the Rebbe left for Riga, Reb Chaim often related what happened: Reb Chaim — a good-sized lad, tall, handsome and rich — was walking along the street in Petrograd when R. Yitzchak Yoel Rafaelovitch, the Kremenchug rov’s son, grabbed him and said that the Lubavitcher Rebbe [the Rebbe Rashab ] is in town. “I want to meet him, ” said Reb Chaim. “He is not meeting with anyone, ” R. Yitzchak Yoel answered. To be brief, through great effort he was admitted to yechidus — and was so shaken that he didn’t know whether it was day or night. He only remembered how the Rebbe Rashab told him: “May you be successful wherever you turn. ” “And just the day before that, ” Reb Chaim said, “I was standing before Comrade Soldier Minister Bilyovsky, and I spoke without a trace of fear. But here — I was nonexistent (bottel gevoren)!” Yodei Teruah, Not Tokei TeruahAs I Heard Them, Vol. 1, p. 58, no. 41 In his old age Reb Chaim Avraham, the Alter Rebbe’s son, went to the Tzemach Tzedek to hear him blow the shofar. The Rebbe Maharash (the Tzemach Tzedek’s son) asked him: “Why do you trouble yourself? You can make your own minyan to hear the tekios.” “The posuk states: תרועה יודעי העם אשרי – Happy are the people who know [the sound of] the Teruah5 — who know the Teruah, not who blow the Teruah,” he replied.
Givers, Drinkers, and Simcha Shel MitzvahAs I Heard Them, Vol. 1, pp. 344-345, no. 44 According to the custom at Reb Hillel Paritcher’s farbrengens someone would write down the names of all the participants — even those who did not contribute to the expenses — with adjacent notes. “Giver,” one who contributed to the cost of the mashkeh; or “Drinker,” one who did not contribute. On one occasion, after they compiled the list, someone at the end of the table commented, “So much money for mashkeh!? Wouldn’t it be better to give the money for tzedakah?” Hearing this, Reb Hillel said, “He’s right. We should give the money for tzedakah.” Afterwards Reb Hillel added, “Nu, we’ve fulfilled the mitzvah of tzedakah; now I would like everyone to contribute for simcha shel mitzvah (joy of mitzvos).” And everyone gave even more than before. |