Once, Reb Shmuel Beliner, who was a melamed (teacher) in the city of Trampetz, was traveling to the city of Lubavitch to celebrate the High Holidays in the presence of the holy Tzadik, the Rebbe Rashab (as Rabbi Sholom DovBer was known).
Traveling by train, he met up with a group of Chassidim who were also on their way to Lubavitch. On erev Rosh Hashana, in the morning, they went to a corner of their car to pray Shacharit (morning prayers) donning their Tallit and Tefillin. Following their prayers, they sat down together in Chassidic camaraderie with a bit of l’Chaim and a bite to eat and began to sing a Chassidic melody.
From the nearby car a young man emerged and seeing the group of Chassidim, stopped in his tracks. He looked at them intently for a few moments and then asked them if they were travelling to the Rebbe of Lubavitch? When they answered in the affirmative, he sat down with them and began to relate an amazing story of how he came to know the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
“I come from the city of Dvinsk,” he began. “For several years, I lived in Navarabisov where I worked in a factory which produced matches. Here I married my wife and both of us worked in the factory, where we earned a decent living. However, suddenly our world turned dark. The match factory burned down, and we were left without a livelihood. My wife was not able to find another job because of medical issues and in a short time, all our savings were depleted.
“When we found ourselves without any money, we decided to return to my parent’s home in Dvinsk. When some of the Chassidim in Dvinsk heard about our sorry plight, they advised me to travel to the Lubavitcher Rebbe and ask for a Blessing and Guidance. Though this seemed strange to me, as I was not raised in a Chassidic home, I decided to follow their caring suggestion and traveled to Lubavitch to see the Rebbe. I shared with the Rebbe the difficult situation we were in. The Rebbe told me that I should travel with my wife to Kovno. There I should rent a storefront, and my wife should knit hats which I will sell.
“I asked the Rebbe why I should travel so far and to a strange city? Perhaps we could do the same business in Dvinsk where we have many friends. But the Rebbe was clear. He suggested that we should go to Kovno.
“We decided to follow the Rebbe’s advice and left for Kovno. For a few days, I walked around the city but could not find a suitable store to rent in the center of town because the prices were exorbitant there. Finally, I found a small storefront at the edge of town which was cheap. I rented the place, put up a sign ‘Hats for sale’ and placed a few hats in the window. I waited for customers to come.
“A few days passed and not even one hat was purchased. Hardly any customers came to even look at the hats. I became so sad and depressed thinking about days bygone when life was going well. All I could do now was sit and cry bitter tears at our lot. Realizing that I would not achieve anything by crying, I wiped my tears and looked expectantly outside my door. Suddenly I saw a Poritz (a non-Jewish landowner) standing at my door and examining the hats in the window. He came into the store and asked to purchase a hat for himself. I mentioned a cheap price for the hat in the hope of getting a sale. The Poritz sat down on a stool to examine the hat and took out a cigarette to smoke. As he was doing this, he noticed my tearful face. He asked me what happened. I tried to act as if I’m ok, but he would not relent. Finally, I told him everything which happened to me and my wife.
“To my utter amazement and surprise, the Poritz said to me, ‘Your Rebbe did not send you here in vain.’ He continued to tell me that his brother has a big factory of matches in Kiev. It’s already a few weeks that the machinery which produces the matches stopped working. The mechanics cannot seem to figure out what is wrong, and all the work has stopped. ‘Now you,’ the Poritz continued, ‘if you are ready to take upon yourself to fix the machine, surely my brother will reward you handsomely.’”
“I explained to him that I am not a mechanic, but I would be ready to try to see if I can fix the problem because of my many years of experience in this field. The Poritz gave me a letter of recommendation to his brother and even handed me the money to travel to Kiev, and I went on my way.
“The brother of the Poritz, owner of the factory, promised me that if I succeeded in fixing the machine, I would receive the sum of 500 rubles and I would have a job in his factory for double salary. It took me three days to figure out what was the problem and miraculously, with G-d’s kindness, I found the problem and was able to fix the machine. The owner was extremely grateful and paid me handsomely. From then on, I have worked there and am very successful.
“And for all of this, I am so grateful to your Rebbe to whom you are traveling at this time!” the young man concluded.
Translated from Hebrew from Ki Korov magazine Pg 10-11- originally from Shmuos v’Sippurim by Rabbi Refael Nachman haKohen a’h
*Rabbi Sholom DovBer Schneerson 1860-1920. Rabbi Sholom DovBer, known as the Rebbe Rashab, devoted himself to the future of the Jewish nation by involving himself in education on all levels. He founded the flagship Chabad Yeshiva Tomchei Temimim in the city of Lubavitch. Lubavitch was the seat of Chabad for 102 years until the Ree Rashabe was forced to leave and resettle in Rostov due to WWI.
The Rebbe Rashab is known as the Maimonides of Chassidic teachings. This is due to his singular ability to amplify and clearly explain the most erudite subjects of Kabbalah and Chassidut.
The Rebbe Rashab’s activities strengthened Jewish awareness in the spirit of Chassidism and secured the future for coming generations. With complete self-sacrifice, the students of Tomchei Temimim became the lamplighters who resisted communism and kept the flame of Judaism alive under the most cruel regime. Today, Tomchei Temimim Yeshivot in New York and branches around the world continue to educate young men in the spirit of the Rebbe Rashab and with this knowledge and love of a fellow Jew become Rabbis and leaders in communities around the world. The Rebbe Rashab’s work continues on.
For more details on the life of the illustrious Rebbe Rashab, please see: chabad.org/rabbi sholom dovber schneerson.
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