A man by the name of … came to the Rebbe in a village. He was a great scholar and Kabbalist, but was always angry with his workers and servants. He beat them and degraded them in every possible manner.
The Rebbe said to him, “Why is it written, ‘Er, Judah’s firstborn, was bad (ra) in God’s sight’ (Genesis 38:7)? Why is the word ra (bad) used rather than the word rasha (wicked)?” [The Zohar (I, 57a) poses a similar question.] “The reason is because one who commits the sin of Er is always bad-tempered and unpleasant. He is disagreeable and always angry.”
As soon as the other man heard these words, he fell backward and was stricken with great trembling and agitation. His terror and panic were beyond measure. His posture became humbled and he could no longer even lift his head to stand before the Rebbe’s holy splendor.
Then the man fled from the house. He stood outside and began to cry, tears flowing freely down his cheeks. One of this man’s employees, a tutor, was also one of the Rebbe’s followers. The man begged this tutor to help him attach himself to the Rebbe.
Later, the Rebbe visited the man and saw a book resting on a shelf right next to him. The Rebbe asked him what kind of book it was. When informed that it was a Kabbalistic text, the Rebbe told him, “You are not fit to study the Kabbalah” (cf. Tzaddik #526).
When the man returned home, he repented with all his might. He designated an isolated room and devoted himself arduously to Torah and prayer for many weeks. It helped for a while, but his ugly temper eventually returned. Still, he constantly followed the Rebbe.
The Rebbe told the tutor, “Stay with your employer a while longer. It is good for you to be with him, for you can cause him to be a righteous person for at least an hour a day.”
After the man regained his evil temper, he had a disagreement with one of his servants and refused to pay him. The servant walked all the way from the village to the city where the Rebbe lived and complained bitterly. The Rebbe was very upset with the employer for doing this.
But then the Rebbe began to seek out the employer’s good points. He told the servant, “What can be done? He is very poor. Perhaps he doesn’t have enough [money] to pay you ….”
12
וְעוֹד יֵשׁ בָּזֶה מַעֲשֶׂה לְסַפֵּר וְכוּ':
And there is yet another story that can be told ….
But there are many stories we could tell about the Rebbe with his followers, even the very least of them; this would consume many volumes. As it is written, “The ear would not be satisfied with hearing” (Ecclesiastes 1:8).
If you were accustomed to being in the Rebbe’s holy presence, you would see extraordinary miracles every minute. But the Rebbe’s greatest miracles involved drawing people near to God. If a man truly wanted to come close to God, he would go in and see the Rebbe and immediately be transformed into a new person. Everyone who was worthy of standing in the Rebbe’s presence was infused with tremendous awe and inspiration, true repentance, and a great spiritual arousal. Words cannot express it. If all the seas were ink … (Shabbat 11a).
The world has never seen a miracle like this, where one man should be able to arouse so many, great and small, to such great feeling and emotion toward God.
אֶחָד עָמַד לְפָנָיו בִּכְפָר וּשְׁמוֹ וְכוּ'. וְהָיָה מְקֻבָּל גָּדוֹל וְלַמְדָן. אֲבָל דַּרְכּוֹ הָיָה שֶׁהָיָה בְּכַעַס תָּמִיד עַל פּוֹעֲלָיו וּמְשָׁרְתָיו וְכַיּוֹצֵא, וְהִכָּה אוֹתָם וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה.
A man by the name of … came to the Rebbe in a village. He was a great scholar and Kabbalist, but was always angry with his workers and servants. He beat them and degraded them in every possible manner.
עָנָה רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל וְאָמַר: מִפְּנֵי מָה כְּתִיב (בְּרֵאשִׁית לח): "וַיְהִי עֵר בְּכוֹר יְהוּדָה רַע בְּעֵינֵי ה'"? מַדּוּעַ רַע וְלֹא רָשָׁע? (וְעַיֵּן בַּזֹּהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ (א נז.) שֶׁמְּדַקְדֵּק גַּם כֵּן דִּקְדּוּק זֶה) אַךְ מִי שֶׁעוֹבֵר עֲבֵרָה זוֹ שֶׁל עֵר ח"ו, הוּא רַע תָּמִיד (שֶׁקּוֹרִין בִּלְשׁוֹן אַשְׁכְּנַז בֵּייז), דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁהוּא אִישׁ רַע וּבְכַעַס תָּמִיד.
The Rebbe said to him, “Why is it written, ‘Er, Judah’s firstborn, was bad (ra) in God’s sight’ (Genesis 38:7)? Why is the word ra (bad) used rather than the word rasha (wicked)?” [The Zohar (I, 57a) poses a similar question.] “The reason is because one who commits the sin of Er is always bad-tempered and unpleasant. He is disagreeable and always angry.”
וְלֹא אָמַר רַבֵּנוּ, ז"ל יוֹתֵר.
The Rebbe said no more.
וְתֵכֶף כְּשֶׁשָּׁמַע הָאִישׁ הַנַּ"ל דִּבּוּרִים אֵלּוּ, נִזְדַּעְזַע לַאֲחוֹרָיו וְנָפַל עָלָיו רֶתֶת וְזִיעַ וּפַחַד וְאֵימָה גְּדוֹלָה וְנוֹרָאָה מְאֹד בְּלִי שִׁעוּר וְעֵרֶךְ וְכָפַף קוֹמָתוֹ. וְלֹא הָיָה יָכוֹל לְהַגְבִּיהַּ ראֹשׁוֹ. וְלֹא הָיָה יָכוֹל עוֹד לַעֲמֹד כְּלָל לִפְנֵי הַדְרַת קְדֻשַּׁת רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל.
As soon as the other man heard these words, he fell backward and was stricken with great trembling and agitation. His terror and panic were beyond measure. His posture became humbled and he could no longer even lift his head to stand before the Rebbe’s holy splendor.
וְנִשְׁמַט מִן הַבַּיִת אֶל הַחוּץ וְהִתְחִיל לִבְכּוֹת וּבָכָה הַרְבֵּה הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד בִּדְמָעוֹת שָׁלִישׁ. וּבִקֵּשׁ מְאֹד מְאֹד מְהַמְלַמֵּד שֶׁלּוֹ, שֶׁהָיָה הַמְלַמֵּד שֶׁלּוֹ מֵאַנְשֵׁי רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל, שֶׁיְּקָרֵב אוֹתוֹ לְרַבֵּנוּ ז"ל.
Then the man fled from the house. He stood outside and began to cry, tears flowing freely down his cheeks. One of this man’s employees, a tutor, was also one of the Rebbe’s followers. The man begged this tutor to help him attach himself to the Rebbe.
וְאַחַר כָּךְ רָאָה רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל, שֶׁמֻּנָּח אֶצְלוֹ עַל הַקּוֹרָה סֵפֶר. וְשָׁאַל אֵיזֶה סֵפֶר הוּא?. וְנוֹדַע לוֹ שֶׁהוּא סֵפֶר קַבָּלָה. וְאָמַר לוֹ רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל: שֶׁאֵין רָאוּי לוֹ לִלְמֹד קַבָּלָה וְכוּ'.
Later, the Rebbe visited the man and saw a book resting on a shelf right next to him. The Rebbe asked him what kind of book it was. When informed that it was a Kabbalistic text, the Rebbe told him, “You are not fit to study the Kabbalah” (cf. Tzaddik #526).
אַחַר כָּךְ נָסַע אַחֲרֵי רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל.
The man then followed the Rebbe in his travels.
וּכְשֶׁשָּׁב לְבֵיתוֹ חָזַר בִּתְשׁוּבָה גְּדוֹלָה וּבָחַר לוֹ חֶדֶר מְיֻחָד וְיָשַׁב שָׁם וְעָסַק בְּתוֹרָה וּתְפִלָּה בְּהִתְעוֹרְרוּת גָּדוֹל כַּמָּה שָׁבוּעוֹת. אַךְ אַחַר כָּךְ חָזַר לְכַעֲסוֹ. אַךְ אַף עַל פִּי כֵן הָיָה כָּרוּךְ תָּמִיד אַחַר רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל.
When the man returned home, he repented with all his might. He designated an isolated room and devoted himself arduously to Torah and prayer for many weeks. It helped for a while, but his ugly temper eventually returned. Still, he constantly followed the Rebbe.
וְאָמַר רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל לְהַמְלַמֵּד הַנַּ"ל, שֶׁיֵּשֵׁב אֶצְלוֹ עוֹד: כִּי כְּשֶׁתִּהְיֶה אֶצְלוֹ טוֹב שֶׁיִּהְיֶה אִישׁ כָּשֵׁר עַל יָדְךָ לִפְעָמִים שָׁעָה אַחַת בַּיּוֹם.
The Rebbe told the tutor, “Stay with your employer a while longer. It is good for you to be with him, for you can cause him to be a righteous person for at least an hour a day.”
אַחַר כָּךְ כְּשֶׁחָזַר לְרֹעַ כַּעַס כַּנַּ"ל הָיָה לוֹ קְטָטָה עִם מְשָׁרְתוֹ וְלֹא רָצָה לְשַׁלֵּם לוֹ. וְעָמַד הַמְשָׁרֵת וְהָלַךְ רַגְלִי מִן הַכְּפָר אֶל הָעִיר לִמְקוֹם רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל, בְּקֻבְלָנָא רַבָּה עָלָיו. וְהִקְפִּיד רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל עָלָיו מְאֹד מְאֹד.
After the man regained his evil temper, he had a disagreement with one of his servants and refused to pay him. The servant walked all the way from the village to the city where the Rebbe lived and complained bitterly. The Rebbe was very upset with the employer for doing this.
אַחַר כָּךְ הִתְחִיל רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל, לְלַמֵּד עָלָיו זְכוּת לִפְנֵי הַמְשָׁרֵת, וְאָמַר לוֹ: מַה לַּעֲשׂוֹת?, הֲלֹא הוּא עָנִי וְאֵין לוֹ לְשַׁלֵּם לְךָ וְכוּ'.
But then the Rebbe began to seek out the employer’s good points. He told the servant, “What can be done? He is very poor. Perhaps he doesn’t have enough [money] to pay you ….”
וְעוֹד יֵשׁ בָּזֶה מַעֲשֶׂה לְסַפֵּר וְכוּ':
And there is yet another story that can be told ….
וּבֶאֱמֶת אִם נִרְצֶה לְסַפֵּר מַעֲשִׂיּוֹת שֶׁעָבְרוּ אֵצֶל רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל, עִם אֲנָשָׁיו אֲפִלּוּ מַה שֶּׁעָבַר עִם הַקָּטָן שֶׁבַּקְּטַנִּים, יִכְלוּ הֲמוֹן יְרִיעוֹת וְלֹא תִּמָּלֵא הָאֹזֶן מִשְּׁמוֹעַ.
But there are many stories we could tell about the Rebbe with his followers, even the very least of them; this would consume many volumes. As it is written, “The ear would not be satisfied with hearing” (Ecclesiastes 1:8).
וּכְבָר אָמַר רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל: שֶׁיִּהְיֶה כַּמָּה מַעֲשִׂיּוֹת מֵאֲנָשָׁיו, שֶׁמִּכָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד יְסַפְּרוּ הַרְבֵּה מַעֲשִׂיּוֹת. וּמִי שֶׁהָיָה רָגִיל לִפְנֵי קְדֻשָּׁתוֹ הַנּוֹרָאָה, הָיָה יָכוֹל לִרְאוֹת מוֹפְתִים גְּדוֹלִים וְנוֹרָאִים בְּכָל עֵת וּבְכָל רֶגַע.
The Rebbe himself said that many things would happen to his followers and that many tales would be told about each one.
וְעִקַּר הַחִדּוּשִׁים וְהַמּוֹפְתִים הַנּוֹרָאִים שֶׁרָאִינוּ מִמֶּנּוּ ז"ל: הוּא רַק בְּעִנְיַן הִתְקָרְבוּת יִשְׂרָאֵל לַאֲבִיהֶם שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם. שֶׁתֵּכֶף כְּשֶׁנִּכְנַס אֶחָד אֶצְלוֹ וְרָצָה לְהִתְקָרֵב לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, תֵּכֶף נֶהְפַּךְ מִיָּד לְאִישׁ אַחֵר מַמָּשׁ. וְעֹצֶם הַיִּרְאָה וְהַהִתְעוֹרְרוּת וְהַהִתְלַהֲבוּת וְהַהִרְהוּרֵי תְּשׁוּבָה בֶּאֱמֶת לַאֲמִתּוֹ שֶׁהִכְנִיס בְּכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד שֶׁזָּכָה לַעֲמֹד לְפָנָיו, אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְבָאֵר וּלְסַפֵּר אִלּוּ כָּל הַיַּמִים דְּיוֹ וְכוּ'.
If you were accustomed to being in the Rebbe’s holy presence, you would see extraordinary miracles every minute. But the Rebbe’s greatest miracles involved drawing people near to God. If a man truly wanted to come close to God, he would go in and see the Rebbe and immediately be transformed into a new person. Everyone who was worthy of standing in the Rebbe’s presence was infused with tremendous awe and inspiration, true repentance, and a great spiritual arousal. Words cannot express it. If all the seas were ink … (Shabbat 11a).
כִּי לֹא נִרְאָה כָּזֹאת וְלֹא נִשְׁמַע בָּעוֹלָם שֶׁיְּעוֹרֵר לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ כָּל כָּךְ בְּהִתְעוֹרְרוּת כָּזֶה לְכָל אָדָם שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם מִגָּדוֹל וְעַד קָטֹן.
The world has never seen a miracle like this, where one man should be able to arouse so many, great and small, to such great feeling and emotion toward God.