Weekly Story: No Doubts!!
by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon
This week is parshas zochor, which is a mitzvah not only to remember what Amalek did to our ancestors when they finally left the bondage of Mitzrayim (Egypt), but more importantly to eradicate the Amaleki perspective from within us. Our sages inform us that the four Hebrew letters in the word Amalek (Ayin, Mem, Lamed and Kouf) have the numerical value of 240 (70+40+30+100), which is also the numerical value of the word sufek (Samach, Pheh and Kouf, (60=80=100)), which means doubt.
The way Amalek attacked them then and nowadays is by placing a doubt in the person’s mind. It can be in different ways and shapes. The obvious one is as a complete skeptic, not believing that the miracle was miracle, it was a natural event. Or it can be more subtle, such as; obviously, Hashem controls the world, but why do you have to be so excited, etc?
With that in mind, I will now relate the weekly story, (which by Divine Providence, I heard just this week).
A friend came over to me and asked, Do you happen to know why the Maggid, who for most of his lifetime lived in Mezritch, moved to Annipol?
I replied, I heard various thoughts, but I don’t know for certain.
He replied that he saw in a sefer the following story.
A person went to visit kivrei tzaddikim and when he came to Annipol, he asked this question. The townspeople replied there is an elderly man, around ninety years old that probably can answer your question. The elderly man related the following:
Around 5530 (1770) there was an epidemic that was affecting the entire province around Mezritch, and numerous people were passing away. Reb Zushe who lived in Annopol, was fearful that the Maggid who was already an elderly person, might come into contact with this virus, and chas v’sholom would become ill, so he thought that the Maggid should move to Annopol, where the epidemic didn’t arrive.
However, the local governor was adamant that no one is allowed to move into the area from the affected area. [Sorry, but sounds extremely familiar to us nowadays]. Reb Zushe, tried to bribe him, but there is somethings that money can’t buy, and the governor remained steadfast in his position.
However, Reb Zushe would not relent, he felt, his Rebbe’s life was in danger and he offered the governor whatever he wants, as long as the Maggid can come.
The governor replied, My dear Rabbi, you know that I normally grant your requests, but this one I can’t because the doctors (health department) say that is how the illness spreads, one person from the affected area brings it to another area. And even if he is not ill, he may still be carrying the virus and it will spread among us.
However, I know the Rabbi is a holy person, If the honorable Rabbi would give me in writing that no one in the community will become sick and die as a result of this epidemic, I will allow his Rabbi to to an exemption.
Reb Zushe took a piece of paper and wrote, I promise that no one in this city will die in the next twelve months, and signed his name.
Receiving this gift, the governor immediately allowed the Maggid to move in.
When the person heard this, he was astounded and went back to the cemetery and looked at all of the tombstones. He noticed that indeed there was a period of over twelve months that there was no burial.
That is called belief without a doubt. The governor was so positive that the tzaddik’s words would be fulfilled, that he acted on it, not only intellectually or emotionally, but in actuality, even if intellectually and emotionally, he wasn’t convinced but his faith in the tzaddik’s words overcame them.
I heard from Rabbi Mangel sheyiche, that this is a deeper meaning in the words that we read in Beshalach about the battle with Amalek, And his [Moshe’s] hands were faithful until the sun set. Rashi explains it to mean that Moshe raised his hands heavenward and reminded the Jewish people to have faith in Hashem.
But why did he have to do it with his hands? Why not speaking to them about having faith?
However, there are leve;s of faith. The Talmud states that a thief before he enters the place he is breaking into, prays to Hashem that he will be successful. So if he knows that everything comes from Hashem, why would he steal and rob? But the answer is, there is a separation between his belief and conduct. Some people just believe that there is a Higher Entity, others may even comprehend it intellectually or even emotionally.
However, Moshe was telling us, that our belief has to permeate us to such an extent that our conduct is in accordance to that belief.
True, we don’t understand how this past year can be called good, so many lives were lost and there is upheavals. However, it didn’t come from nature or someplace us, it came from Hashem, and it came to bring out the best in us.
This weeks’ post is l’zechus the complete and immediate recovery of my sister Chaya Rivkah bas Cheyena and all those who are in need of a brocha.
Rabbi Avtzon is a veteran mechanech and the author of numerous books on the Rebbeim and their chassidim. He can be contacted at avtzonbooks@gmail.com
