Weekly Story: The Mitteler Rebbe’s
This Shabbos Tes Kislev is the 248th year since the birth of the Mitteler Rebbe (and those who say his kapital tehilllim, will begin saying Psalm 149}, as well as his 194th yahrzeit.
The Rebbe said to Reb Abba Plisken that when he farbrengs he should begin with a story of a chosid. Sensing Reb Abba’s question, the Rebbe explained, When one hears of the greatness of the Rebbe, he may say, Only a Rebbe can achieve that greatness, but who am I, to even attempt to emulate it. However, when he hears that another regular person achieved something, he says, If he achieved it, I could also.
With that in mind I am posting a story about a chossid of the Mitteler Rebbe, (which I heard from my father a”h) and hopefully, we can emulate him.
It is one of the stories and points that I plan on saying bezras Hashen in the farbrengen of Tes Kislev.
Your feedback is always appreciated
“PERETZ OF SMILIAN IS A FINE Person”
The story of how Rav Peretz Chein of Smilian was appointed as Rov of the city of Tchernigov is well known. When the position of Rov became vacant, the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek instructed Reb Peretz to join the group of candidates vying for the spot. Rav Peretz was hired almost as soon as he presented himself to the committee.
Shortly after becoming Rov, Rav Peretz had a candid conversation with one of the town’s most influential people, an individual by the name of Reb Moshe Marinoff.
“I am young and was relatively unknown to the members of this community,” Rav Peretz said. “What made you decide to help me become Rov when you opposed some other well-known Rabbonim and prevented them from being given the position?
“What’s more, at each of the community meetings that have taken place so far, you backed me as soon as I presented my opinion. You did so even when it was clear that you yourself would have chosen a different approach.
“It’s not that I don’t appreciate your continuous support,” Rav Peretz made sure to add. “I am just curious about it.”
“How can I not support you?” replied Reb Moshe. “Right before the histalkus of my Rebbe [the Mitteler Rebbe], he told me, ‘Peretz of Smilian is a fine person’!”
Reb Moshe proceeded to elaborate:
“The night before his histalkus, the [Mitteler] Rebbe said a number of maamorim. While he was saying these maamorim, he mentioned certain things that were only understood by the individual people to whom they applied. Indeed, some of these statements remained unclear to everyone. One of them was the cryptic message, ‘Peretz of Smilian is a fine person.’ None of us present understood what the Rebbe had meant. No one even knew of a person by the name of Peretz of Smilian!
“When you arrived in Tchernigov and applied for the position of Rov, I suddenly remembered the Rebbe’s words and realized that the Rebbe was speaking to me about you. If my Rebbe said that you are a fine person, I am determined to help you in every way possible!”
End of story.
Now, in general, this Reb Moshe was firm in his position, someone who normally doesn’t back down, but here, even when he disagreed with the position that Reb Peretz took, he backed him.
When asked WHY, he gave a simple and straight forth answer because I understood that is what my Rebbe wants me to do.
That is when he understood a cryptic message of the Mitteler Rebbe, he backed him without reservation.
So now let us speak about a message of the Mitteler Rebbe; not one that we have to decipher and understand, but one he repeatedly stated. “My desire is that when two chassidim meet they should discuss Yichud I’laah and Yichud Ta’taah (two levels of G-dliness). Furthermore, our Rebbe spoke numerous times of learning Chitas, Rambam, and reaching out to help another Jew, both in a material sense and a spiritual one.
It is not something we understand that he meant that, it is something that we heard from him numerous times. Yes, it may be difficult sometimes. In certain situations, it may be against our nature. But if another chossid had the inner strength to put his feelings aside, in order to fulfill the Rebbe’s will, so do we.
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
This weeks’ post is l’zecher nishmas habochur HaTomim Menachem Mendel ben Dovid, who was niftar this past Wednesday, the 28th of Cheshvan
