Weekly Story: From Mourning to Rejoicing

Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon

Being that I am still in midst of Shiva for my sister Chaya Rivkah bas HaRav Meir, I wasn’t going to write something new, so therefore this week was going to be blank. Then as many people contacted the family because of last week’s story, I decided to post a story from my collection of my father’s stories.

Just as in that story, the family went from mourning to rejoicing, so too may all of our families have reason to rejoice and celebrate. In the Introductory paragraph the word I, is referring to my father.

When the Rebbe Rayatz was arrested, chassidim took his kesovim (writings) and hid them so they would not be confiscated by the authorities. One of them later moved to Rostov, taking his precious bundle of kesovim with him. When I was in Rostov, I was shown some of the Rebbe Rayatz’s writings. The following is one of the stories I read there.

Rav Ephraim was the head of the Beis Din in the city of Brod. Once, he himself was involved in a dispute with another Jew in the city, and both parties had to appear before a Beis din to settle it. To prevent the slightest suspicion that the Rabbonim of the Beis Din were prejudiced toward him, Rav Ephraim agreed to travel with the other party to a distant city where no one knew who he was.

One evening, on their way to that city, they stopped at an inn in a small village. The Baal Shem Tov, who was then serving as a melamed for the innkeeper’s young children,^[1] saw with his ruach hakodesh that Rav Ephraim’s daughter, Leah Rochel, was destined to become his wife.

Knowing that the Av Beis Din (Chief Rabbi) of Brod would never agree to marry off his daughter to a simple melamed, the Besht decided to reveal part of his true greatness and began a learned discussion with the two travelers involving a deep concept in Torah.

After witnessing his incredible brilliance and clarity of mind, the two litigants said to each other: “Why should we go through the trouble of traveling for another few days when we have a true scholar right here? Let us present our case to him!”

The Besht agreed to hear the case and settled it to their mutual satisfaction. Rav Ephraim proceeded to have another learned discussion with the Besht, and he was overcome with admiration for the depth of knowledge and scholarship of this melamed, who was so young yet so wise. After discovering that the melamed was not married, he asked him if he would agree to marry his daughter Leah Rochel, and the Besht answered in the affirmative.

However, the Besht stipulated that when the tna’im outlining the agreement would be written, no title should accompany his name. “Instead,” he stated, “just write that you arranged a shidduch for your daughter with Yisroel ben Eliezer.” Rav Ephraim obliged and they wrote the tna’im, both of them receiving a copy.

Rav Ephraim took leave of his future son-in-law and prepared to return home and inform his daughter of her wonderful fortune: she was engaged to a remarkable man, a tremendous talmid chochom and outstanding in all other virtues as well. However, since he was the Chief Rabbi not only of Brod but of all the surrounding towns as well, and since he wasn’t expected to return home for another few days anyway, he decided to utilize the extra time to visit some of the nearby villages and affirm that everything was in order.

As fate would have it, in one of these villages Rav Ephraim suddenly took ill and passed away, without having had the opportunity to inform his family about the wonderful match.

Rav Ephraim’s son Rav Gershon Kitover assumed his father’s position as Av Beis Din of Brod. After getting up from shiva, he was surprised to find among his father’s belongings a copy of an agreement concerning his sister’s engagement. His surprise turned to bewilderment when he didn’t see any great titles written next to the chosson’s name. “Can it be that the chosson is an unlearned person?” he wondered. Nevertheless, he consoled himself, saying, “My father, of blessed memory, would never have arranged or agreed to such a match, unless the chosson is indeed a genuine talmid chochom. Probably the chosson is not only a true gaon but also extremely humble and did not wish to be identified with any titles.”

Not knowing who the chosson was or where he lived, the only thing the family could do was to wait and see.

Some weeks later, when the Besht concluded teaching his students, he informed their parents that they should hire a new teacher for the next term, as he was leaving town.

Arriving in Brod, the Besht put on the clothing of a simple laborer and went to meet the family of the kallah. Since Rav Gershon had assumed all of his father’s responsibilities and spent most of his day in the Beis Din, that is where the Besht went to meet him.

Seeing a poor laborer standing at the door, Rav Gershon immediately instructed one of his attendants to give him some food and money. However, the attendant returned and said: “The person told me that he did not come for a donation, but rather to speak with the Rov about a private matter.”

Although puzzled as to what this could be about, Rav Gershon agreed, and after everyone else had left the room, the visitor entered. Studying his visitor, Rav Gershon saw that as he entered he raised his hand to the mezuzah but did not touch it.

Taking out his own copy of the tna’im, the Besht said, “I am Yisroel ben Eliezer who, according to your father’s agreement, is to marry your sister.”

Rav Gershon was dumbstruck. He couldn’t believe his eyes and ears. “How could my father have agreed to arrange a match with such an ignoramus?!” he thought. “Surely this is a mistake!” However, being a true Rov, he knew he had to investigate the matter and uncover the truth.

Rav Gershon took out his father’s copy and began comparing it to that of the Besht. After a thorough examination of both documents, he saw that they were indeed identical. No, it was not a mistake; his father had arranged an unthinkable match.

Quickly composing himself, Rav Gershon offered Yisroel a substantial amount of money to annul the agreement.

“I will not take any money from you,” the Besht replied, “nor would I allow you to go against your father’s wishes. The only one who has the right to make such a decision is your sister, the kallah. Call your sister and I will speak to her for a few moments. If she then decides that she does not want to go through with the marriage, I agree to cancel the shidduch without any payment whatsoever.”

Rav Gershon immediately summoned his sister. When she arrived, he informed her that her chosson had appeared. “However,” he continued with great sadness and dismay, “he is a total ignoramus and seems to be a mere beggar. I can’t understand why Father agreed to such a shidduch. But Boruch Hashem there is some good news: he is willing to release you from this obligation after meeting with you for just a few minutes.”

Moving to a quiet corner out of earshot from Reb Gershon, the Besht revealed to Leah Rochel who he really was. He told her, though, that for the foreseeable future he would have to hide his greatness, even from the members of her own family. In addition, he warned her that during that time they would be forced to live in great deprivation. He then added: “Your brother is wondering why I didn’t kiss the mezuzah. However, he is unaware that the mezuzah is possul.”

Leah Rochel approached her brother, but before she could say anything, he said: “Now that you have met him, you can see for yourself that he is a total ignoramus. Let’s go ahead and cancel the shidduch without further ado. You will surely marry someone much greater than him!”

“Dear brother!” she replied, “Since Father arranged it, he must have seen some special quality in him we have yet to recognize. And if he himself possesses no special quality, perhaps we are destined to have a great son. I am going to marry him and fulfill our father’s wishes.”

Rav Gershon was horrified at her answer, and he tried once more to convince her to change her mind. He then mentioned the fact that when the man had entered the room, he had just raised his hand but hadn’t touched the mezuzah. “You see, it’s not just that he isn’t a talmid chochom,” he bemoaned. “He doesn’t even know the basics of Yiddishkeit!”

Knowing who he really was but not allowed to publicize it, she answered her brother in an off-handed manner: “Perhaps the mezuzah is not kosher.”

Hoping to prove her wrong, Rav Gershon immediately took down the mezuzah and checked it. To his horror, it was indeed possul, just as his sister had stated, but that didn’t make him change his mind. After all, how could such a person sense something like that? He was still mortified by the match.

Having no recourse, Rav Gershon arranged a modest wedding for them, much smaller than what he would have arranged had his sister married a remarkable talmid chochom. After the wedding, Rav Gershon supplied the couple with enough money to buy a horse and wagon so his brother-in-law could earn a livelihood. Knowing how painful their marriage was for Rav Gershon, they moved away a few months later.

Rabbi Avtzon is a veteran mehanech and the author of numerous books on the Rebbeim and their chassidim. He can be contacted atavtzonbooks@gmail.com

^[1]. Compiler’s note: It’s possible that he was the melamed of the other children in the area as well.