Weekly Story: To Receive the Torah B’simcha Ub’pnimious

by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon

I heard the following story at a farbrengen on Rosh Chodesh Sivan, and I thought people would enjoy it and the message it projects.

As always your feedback is most welcome and appreciated.

There was an innkeeper who lived on the outskirts of Lubavitch. During the lifetime of the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek, he managed to earn a living. Even for a regular Shabbos numerous guests would come to Lubavitch, and the inns that were located in the center of the town couldn’t host everyone, so this innkeeper who we will call Yisroel always had a few customers.

However, after the histalkus of the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek and especially a few years later when a few of his sons established their courts in other towns the number of visitors to Lubavitch fell drastically, and this innkeeper felt it much more than those who were located closer to the Rebbe Maharashs’ residence and Beis hamidrash.

It was Erev Shavuos and Yisroel was downcast, it is Erev Yom Tov and he hasn’t had a customer for weeks. He had no money to buy food for his family so he decided to look for some work and perhaps earn some money.

He passed by the Rebbe’s house and the Rebbe was standing on his porch/balcony. Seeing him, the Rebbe said, Reb Yisroel it is Erev Shavuos and one is supposed to receive the Torah with joy and bpnimious (that it should permeate in you) and you are downcast.

The innkeeper replied, Rebbe what should I tell you, it is difficult to be upbeat and joyous when I haven’t had a customer in my inn for weeks.

The Rebbe Maharash raised his eyes, looked at the horizon, and then said, Reb Yisroel I see a large group coming and they will be staying in your inn for Yom Tov, go home and prepare for them.

For how many should I prepare? asked the innkeeper

A large amount replied the Rebbe

Three or four? asked Yisroel

More, replied the Rebbe

A minyan? asked the innkeeper in excitement

More, replied the Rebbe

Twenty, asked Reb Yisroel

No more, the Rebbe replied

Slowly he started adding another five and another ten with the Rebbe continuing to answer more and more. Finally, when he asked if the Rebbe meant he should prepare for seventy people, the Rebbe replied, no more than double than that.

Hearing this, Reb Yisroel was thrilled, having such a large group can provide for his family for months, however, if he had no money to buy food for his own family, how will he be able to buy provisions for 150 people? Gaining some courage, he said Rebbe I don’t have any money how will I obtain provisions to feed so many people?

The Rebbe took out some coins and gave them to him and told him, I am positive that the storekeepers will give you credit as well.

Reb Yisroel ran home and asked his family to help prepare for all their anticipated guests and then went to the market and began ordering large amounts of food. When he told each vendor that the Rebbe told him that he will have around 150 guests and that the Rebbe himself lent him some money each storekeeper was willing to give him the merchandise on credit, knowing that immediately after Yom Tov they will be paid in full. This was going to be their lucky day as well.

The butcher went to the shochet to ask him to shecht extra chickens, the baker told him he will deliver the freshly baked challah in a few hours, as he didn’t prepare for so many people, and the winemaker delivered a barrel of wine right away.

His neighbors and friends heard the wonderful news and they were all happy for him and came over to help him prepare so much food in a short time. But as the hours passed and it was becoming late in the afternoon and they didn’t see not one visitor they began questioning him. Are you positive that the Rebbe told you that you will have a large number of customers today? Perhaps the Rebbe said it is possible that you will have customers in order to uplift your spirits, they said to him.

But Reb Yisroel was firm, I heard it directly from the Rebbe, and no, it wasn’t just said as an encouragement, it was a statement a fact, and the Rebbe gave me money and told me for how many people I should prepare for. If the Rebbe said I will have guests, I will have guests.

A few more hours passed, the neighbors and friends slowly went home, many of them thinking that Reb Yisroel was dreaming or worse than that. He is now going to be ruined and what will he do with all the food, it will spoil over Yom Tov.

It came time for his wife to light the candles and not one guest had arrived. She also silently was worried about what has happened today with her husband and what will be, but Yisroel looked around and just thanked her for preparing so much for their guests in such a short amount of time.

Going outside he noticed a cloud of dust on the horizon and a few minutes later a wagon pulls up and the driver asks, where is the closest inn?

Right here, he replies, and how many individuals are you?

In this wagon, we are ten, the wagon driver said, but there are fourteen more wagons coming. It is almost sunset so if possible we will all be staying by you, as you are the first inn of the town.

My pleasure, replied Reb Yisroel, I have enough food for everyone, he said reassuringly.

Looking up Reb Yisroel saw the additional wagons coming and he ushered them all in.

After they quickly changed he led them to the Rebbes’ Shul and everyone was astonished, yes he has the guests just as the Rebbe had said he would.

One person asked but if they arrived so late, how did the Rebbe see them in the morning?

Another person responded the Rebbe was on his porch so he was higher than us and can see much farther than we can.

So since he saw them, to him it was as if they were nearby, but in actuality, they were quite a distance away and that is why it took them so long to arrive.

Concluding this story, the person said, Chevra the question only is are we conducting ourselves as the innkeeper did, whose faith in the Rebbes’ words never wavered even as the time came for his wife to light the candles and not one guest had arrived, or are we like the neighbors who thought that perhaps the Rebbe was encouraging us and praying that the geulah is coming, but never meant it as a promise and guarantee.

Sometimes we should learn from the simple and pure faith of what otherwise we would consider him being a simple Jewish innkeeper.

May we all receive the Torah bsimcha ubpnimious and be ready to greet Moshiach and then merit you learn the innermost secrets of the Torah

This weeks post is in honor of Levi Yitzchok Altein in honor of his hanachas tefillin