Weekly Dvar Torah: The Shine of the Jewish Woman
When the Alter Rebbe became a Chossid, he encountered tremendous opposition. The Misnagdim considered Chassidus to be against Torah. The Alter Rebbe’s father-in-law even demanded that he divorce his wife.
The Alter Rebbe went to the Beth Din in Vitebsk, who agreed to arrange a public debate. There he successfully explained and defended the Besht and the teachings of Chassidus. As a result, many Misnagdim became his followers and students.
One of the new Chassidim was Reb Gavriel, who became a passionate Chossid and follower of the Alter Rebbe. His family were among those who couldn’t accept this, and they made his life very difficult.
When the Alter Rebbe moved to Liyozna, R’ Gavriel was one of the first ones to travel to him. He became an ardent supporter of the causes that the Alter Rebbe was involved with. This angered his family to the extreme, and they did everything to hurt him. They even destroyed his business.
As was the custom, the Alter Rebbe once sent a messenger to ask R’ Gavriel to ask for a specific sum to help redeem a prisoner. R’ Gavriel realized that in no way was he able to fulfill the Rebbe’s request.
His wife Chana Rivka noticed that her husband was very upset. She couldn’t understand, usually when a messenger from the Rebbe comes, he’s overjoyed because the Rebbe had him in mind, so why is he so down hearted?
R’ Gavriel explained that for the first time he had no way to fulfill the Rebbe’s request and he can’t see any way to give him what he is asking for.
His wife Chana Rivka responded, “didn’t you tell me that the Rebbe teaches that one must always be joyful and full of confidence that G-d will help? Stop worrying and Hashem will provide”.
Without his knowledge, Chana Rivka pawned her jewelry and collected the requested amount. She then gave her husband a bag full of coins, and told him to go to the Rebbe to deliver the money.
When R’ Gavriel arrived in Liyozna, he told the Rebbe that upon the encouragement of his wife he had come as soon as he had the money. He did not wait for the Rebbe’s collector to come, because he was afraid to wait. He felt that it would be too challenging not to spend this money, since his situation was dire due to the persecutions.
The Alter Rebbe asked R’ Gavriel to open the bag and count the money. When he poured the coins onto the Rebbe’s table, he was surprised to see the most beautiful sparkling coins, as if they had just come from the mint.
Upon seeing this, the Alter Rebbe went into Dveykus (Spiritual ecstasy), and he said:
“From all the contributions to the Mishkan, which included gold, silver and copper, the only contribution that shone and sparkled were the mirrors which were donated by the women. Although they are listed last of the contributions, they were used first in the daily service of the Mishkan, because the beginning is rooted and implanted in the end.”
(What is the significance of these mirrors?
When Pharaoh decreed that all the newborn boys should be killed, the Jewish men didn’t want to have any more children. Their holy wives wouldn’t hear of this, they would beautify themselves to make themselves attractive. Then they would go with their mirrors to the fields where the men were working, and they would show their husbands in the mirrors how beautiful they look together. And this way they successfully convinced the husbands to have more children.
They donated those copper mirrors for the Mishkan.
Moshe was hesitant to accept these mirrors, he felt that it was inappropriate to use such mirrors for the holy Mishkan. But Hashem said to Moshe, “Accept them, to Me they are more precious than all the other donations, because through these mirrors these holy women raised armies of children in Egypt”.)
The Rebbe then asked R’ Gavriel, “where did you get this money”?
R’ Gavriel told the Rebbe about all his misfortunes, how he was being persecuted by his family, and how he lost all his money, and that his wife pawned her jewelry to enable him to fulfil the Rebbe’s request.
Only now did he pour his heart out to the Rebbe, telling him of all his suffering. He also told the Rebbe that he has been married for 25 years and had not been blessed with children.
Upon hearing this, the Alter Rebbe again went into Dveykus for a while. Finally, he turned to R’ Gavriel, and he said; “the decree ‘fell asleep’, so the decree is null and void. G-d will give you and your wife children and long life to see many generations. Hashem will give you much success in everything that you do. He will give you wealth and grace. Close your shop and start dealing in precious stones”.
When R’ Gavriel returned home, he asked Chana Rivka where she got the sparkling coins from. She told him that when she had collected these coins she polished them by rubbing them in sand to make them shine and sparkle like the stars in the sky. She then prayed to Hashem that He should have mercy, and that the Rebbe should lift them up so that also their Mazal should start to sparkle and glow.
R’ Gavriel did as the Rebbe instructed him, and he started dealing in precious stones. All the noblemen became his steady customers. By the years end they had their first child.
Within the next three years his name as the most gracious businessman spread far and wide, and he was nicknamed, R’ Gavriel the carrier of grace = ר’ גבריאל נושא חן.
R’ Gavriel lived to be 110 years old, and his wife outlived him by 2 years. They merited to see Nachas from generations of descendants, while enjoying abundance of wealth and happiness.
This is what the Alter Rebbe meant when he compared Chana Rivka’s sparkling coins to the shining mirrors of the Mishkan. It was the Mesiras Nefesh of the holy women then and now that brought all the blessings from Hashem, because their deeds are most precious to Him.
Have a shining sparkling Shabbos,
Gut Shabbos
Rabbi Yosef Katzman
