א חסידישער מעשה

The Great Exchange

The following story was one know of such woes!) with the melamed and so desired. This he did. related by the Frierdiker and soon after, when he enrolled the child in the He worked honestly, his Rebbe on Acharon Shel was five, he was also left run by the workshop succeeded, and Pesach 5698.1 without a mother. An uncle community. When he he contributed generously The Alter Rebbe once brought him up in his home was twelve the communal to tzedakah. One thing related: and hired a melamed to authorities decided that it caused him anguish — As is well known, before teach him, but the child was was pointless to keep him at he had remained an am my grandfather (i.e., the such a slow student that no school, and apprenticed him ha’aretz. ) revealed matter how much he was to a local tinsmith. When the time came, himself, he used to travel taught he did not learn. This pious Jew taught he married the daughter about from town to town His friends were already him his craft honestly, of a man who made pitch and from one Jewish village learning Gemara. Yet, took responsibility for his in a forest to which he to the next in order to though the child was eager conduct, and patiently had rights and lived in a rouse Jews in their avodas to learn, the melamed taught him by constant nearby village. The young Hashem and to raise their barely managed to teach repetition which brachos to man settled there too and spirits. Observing their lot, him the individual letters recite over which kinds of worked there successfully as he would intercede on their and nekudos—but nothing food. a tinsmith. Yet even when behalf and invoke heaven’s beyond that, except for He learned his trade well. he became a prosperous mercies. People did not yet memorizing the brachos to After he reached the age of property-owner, he still know who he was. be recited before eating and bar-mitzvah, though he had shed tears of distress over In a certain place in drinking. originally been apprenticed the fact that he had never which a number of Jews As time went on and his for several years, his master learned how to study Torah. lived, a child of three or relatives saw no progress, released him to set up The few Jewish families four lost his father (may no they ended the arrangement shop independently if he in that village had a place in which they davened together, as well as a shochet ONE DAY AN AILING MAN WHOSE WHOLE and a melamed. BODY WAS AFFLICTED WITH A DISTRESSFUL One day the tinsmith SKIN DISEASE ARRIVED IN TOWN... HE TOOK called on the only ben Torah in town and poured out all HIM HOME, GAVE HIM A ROOM OF HIS OWN, the pain in his heart. The WASHED HIM, AND GAVE HIM OINTMENTS TO ben Torah suggested that he EASE HIS SUFFERING. support talmidei chachamim

SHEVAT 5777 58 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER לזכות החיילת בצבאות ה' זעלדא תחי' לרגל הולדתה ביום י"ט חשון ה'תשע"ז נדפס ע"י הרה"ת ר' חיים אפרים ומרת חי' מושקא ומשפחתם שיחיו גאלדשטיין

anonymously, because what One day he asked his chapters of Tehillim as he The young man agreed Hashem most desires is an guest what it was that had could manage, for over at once, so the stranger said: ruined his health. The the years he had learned “If so, give me a document רחמנא לבא ;earnest heart He explained that the guest told him that he to read. Weeping and that transfers everything .בעי numerous unlettered folk had once been thoroughly sighing, though he did not you own — money, silver who support such people familiar with the entire understand the meaning of and gold, possessions, land are as worthy as the scholars Shas. Desperately wanting the words, he would read — to me. And come away they support. From then on, to master all the rishonim them one after another. with me for three years. the tinsmith strove more in and acharonim as well, he Looking up through his Then you’ll be a ben Torah.” this direction. had gone on to study with tears in the forest one day, The tinsmith eagerly The custom in that extreme assiduity while he was overawed by the agreed at once, but the hospitable village was undertaking numerous sight of a man with a sack stranger said: “Take your that whenever a visitor fasts, until his health on his back and a staff in time. Discuss it first with arrived, which was not collapsed. his hand. He regained his your wife and hear how often, they would cast lots A short time later the composure, however, as your father-in-law reacts. to decide who among them guest went on his way. the stranger approached Come back to this spot next would have the privilege Hearing such a story, him and asked what he was week, I’ll be here too, and of fulfilling the mitzvah of the tinsmith walked around doing here in the forest and you’ll tell me then what hachnassas orchim. One day and begged of Hashem that why he was crying. you’ve decided.” an ailing man whose whole even if it cost him all kinds The poor fellow shared And with those words, body was afflicted with of physical suffering he his story, and added that a the stranger with the sack a distressful skin disease would accept this willingly, recent visitor to his home and the staff went on his arrived in town — and the so long as He would enable had told him that fasting way. lot fell on the tinsmith. him to study, to become enabled one to study. He The tinsmith’s wife heard He took him home, gave a ben Torah. However, as had therefore decided to the whole story and her him a room of his own, the days passed and his take this advice — so long response was simple: “Since washed him, and gave ability to learn did not as G-d would enable him to you are always so sad that him ointments to ease his improve, he decided to become a Torah scholar. you cannot learn, and now suffering. A few days later, act as his guest had acted. “That is advice,” the you have been made such when the guest wanted to He began to fast for entire stranger conceded, “but an offer, then of course move on, his host asked him days. He would wander off if you like I’ll give you an you should agree to it. I’m to stay for another few days. to the forest and sit among easier way to achieve this.” agreeable, too — but on one the ants, reciting as many condition: before we give

SHEVAT 5777 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER 59 “IF SO, GIVE ME A DOCUMENT THAT TRANSFERS EVERYTHING YOU OWN — MONEY, SILVER AND GOLD, POSSESSIONS, LAND — TO ME. AND COME AWAY WITH ME FOR THREE YEARS.”

the man everything we own, your desire to study sprang years. My wife, though, has all farewell, and set out with let him be our guest for one from all the truth in your made one condition: before her husband. meal so that we can fulfill heart, then when someone this happens, please be our Left alone, the woman the mitzvah of hospitality, gave you a way of becoming guest for just one meal. Let found that the garden because we won’t be able to a ben Torah you would us fulfill the mitzvah of and the orchard were so practice hachnassas orchim certainly agree.” hachnassas orchim while we extraordinarily fruitful that when we have nothing left.” • c an .” she was able to maintain her As to his father-in-law, “Well, what have And off they went to the family throughout her long he began by saying: “True, you decided?” asked the home of the tinsmith. wait. it is written that the Torah stranger with the sack and They brought out a When the tinsmith is ‘more precious than the staff when they met in big bag and filled it with came home after three the forest. everything — money years he and his wife settled .יקרה היא מפנינים—’gems However,” he added, “I “I am agreeable to and silver and gold — as elsewhere and became don’t think the law of the everything,” said the agreed. They then wrote wealthy. In the course of Torah allows you to do tinsmith. out a document which time he became a hidden such a thing. Look, you’ve But as they sat down transferred everything they tzaddik. got a wife and children to to talk, a sigh escaped his owned, including houses After 120 years, the support, so you can’t give heart. and fields, as a gift to the tinsmith was granted a everything away. There are “Why are you sighing?” stranger, and two neighbors palatial place in Gan Eden plenty of unlettered Jews asked the stranger. “If you signed as witnesses. After in the company of Torah around. If they support have second thoughts, you the meal they retired for the scholars and his wife was talmidei chachamim and can still withdraw.” night. granted a palatial place in perform the mitzvos with The tinsmith then told Before the two men took Gan Eden in the company an unquestioning heart, him the whole truth — to the road the stranger of other righteous women. they are just as good as the what his wife had said, but told the tinsmith’s wife Moreover, whenever the scholars. So I don’t think also the fact that his father- that though the house was time came for his soul to you’re allowed to give in-law’s words had made a now his, he allowed her be elevated to a loftier level everything away and go off certain impact. and her children to live in of Gan Eden, her soul was into exile.” “Your father-in-law is it — as tenants — until her summoned there, too, and These words left their right,” said the stranger. husband came home. He it was announced that he impact. Day after day the “There are certainly many presented her with a sack of was being elevated thanks young man fasted and unlettered Jews who flour and a bag of potatoes to her. wept, confused by doubt support talmidei chachamim and told her that she could The Alter Rebbe and indecision. On the last and fulfill the mitzvos, and sow in the garden and use concluded his narration by day, when he told his wife they are even worthier than the fruit of the orchard saying that the stranger with how her father’s words had the scholars themselves.” — all as gifts between the sack and the staff was left him confused, she said: “I hear you,” said the neighbors, not by virtue of the Baal Shem Tov, before “The fact that a doubt has tinsmith, “but I have made ownership. Finally, having he became revealed. arisen in your mind proves my decision. I want to give blessed her and her two 1. Published in Likutei Diburim that all your sighs and tears everything away and to sons and daughter, he took vol. 4 p. 1389. Translation were not utterly truthful. If wander in exile for three up the big sack, bid them copyright by Kehos.

SHEVAT 5777 60 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER