Reb Menachem Mendel of Kosovo* decided to go visit his Rebbe, Reb Feivish of Zabrze, who was spending Shabbat in the city of Skole. Being poor, he traveled by foot, walking slowly along the way. By Thursday evening, he came upon an inn in a village close by and decided to remain there for the night. All day not a morsel of food entered his mouth, and in addition he was tired and weary from traveling.
He asked the innkeeper if perhaps there was a room where he could rest for the night. The innkeeper answered him:
“A room to sleep I can surely give you, but for an evening meal I do not have anything to give you. The bread is finished in my house, and even my small children are asking for bread, and I have none to give them. There is no livelihood from this inn, and I owe the landowner of this village a lot of money for rent. If I do not pay up in the next few days, he will arrest me and my family, and throw us all into the dungeon. And I have no money at all.”
Reb Menachem Mendel felt terrible to hear of the travails of the innkeeper. A whole night he could not sleep. In the morning, before he left the innkeeper, he blessed him that Hashem should help him. And then he went on his way slowly.
On the way, he saw an exquisite wagon traveling down the road and a Jew was sitting inside. The traveling Jew stopped and asked him: “Young man, where are you heading?”
He answered: “to the Rebbe of Zabrze.”
“If so,” said the traveler, “come sit with me on the wagon, because I too am traveling there.”
Reb Menachem Mendel answered him: “I will not travel with you, except on the condition that you give me twenty reinish silver (a huge amount of money).”
The traveler replied: “Is it not enough that I offer to take you along for free on my wagon; you ask for a reward?! But nevertheless, I have made up my mind to give you a respectable donation, but not such a huge sum.”
Reb Menachem Mendel said: “Believe me, I do not need this money for myself. It is for the benefit of others, and for your own benefit.”
The rich man asked him what type of benefit would he be getting from this, besides the mitzvah of tzedakah? To which Reb Menachem Mendel answered: “who knows what tomorrow will bring as life is a wheel of fortune…”
These words entered the heart of the rich man, and he took out twenty reinish silver and gave it to Reb Menachem Mendel.
When he received the money, he said to him: “Now I will not move from here until you return with me to the inn which is close by, so that you may see with your own eyes the great mitzvah which you have done.”
The rich man agreed. They both sat down in the wagon and returned to the village. When they entered the inn, Reb Menachem Mendel gave the innkeeper the money which he received and told him to go into town to buy some mashke (spirits) for his inn. He promised him that from this day on, he would be successful in everything he does.
Afterwards he said to the rich man: “One mitzvah brings another in its wake” Let us daven (pray) here shacharit (morning prayers), and in the meantime give your wagon driver some money to go and buy bread for the children and for us for breakfast.”
The rich man took out some money from his pocket and gave it to the wagon driver. He did not tarry and soon came back with a full sack of bread. Reb Menachem Mendel divided the bread among the children, and the rest he gave to the innkeeper so they would have it for Shabbat; and a little bit he took with him for the way.
Before he left the innkeeper, he whispered into his ear a secret: “Know that from now on you will go up higher and higher; while in a short time, this rich man will go back ten steps; so, know what you should do to repay a good deed for a good deed. “
They left there and came to the tzadik of Zabrze. It was so packed full of people that they were unable to come close to the Rebbe. Until the tzadik felt their presence and said: “Make room for those who just performed a great mitzvah. “
When Reb Menachem Mendel entered his Rebbe’s presence, he told the Rebbe everything which had transpired with the rich man, that he saved the lives of several souls. The Rebbe said to him: “I know my son, I know. But did you tell the innkeeper that he should know how to act with the passage of time.”
“I told him,” Reb Menachem Mendel answered, “and he accepted it upon himself.”
After Shabbos the rich man traveled home, feeling happy and content. However, within a short time, the wheel of fortune turned upon him, and his mazal (luck) went down. Everything he touched suffered losses. Within a short time, he lost all his assets and became a pauper. With time, the need became so great, that he was forced to knock on the doors of philanthropic individuals, and he began to travel from city to city to collect donations.
In the meantime, Reb Menachem Mendel became famous as the Rebbe of Kosovo, and his name was widely renowned. With great love for the Jewish people, he looked for ways to help them. From far and wide people streamed to his court to receive his blessings and salvation. By example and through his teachings, he implanted in the hearts of all who came to him, the love of Torah, love of a fellow Jew, and love and awe of G-d.
A few years passed and the former rich man, who became impoverished, found himself during his travels close to the city of Kosovo. He did not know that the Rebbe of Kosovo was the young man whom he had given a ride to the Rebbe after giving him twenty silver refinish to pay the debts of the innkeeper. The poor people traveling around told him: “Come let us go to the Rebbe of Kosovo, and he will give us a nice donation, for he is known for his love of a fellow and will surely give us some tzedakah money.”
When they entered the house of the Rebbe, the tzadik recognized the previously wealthy merchant and called him into a private room. He said to him:
“I would like to give you some advice, and may Hashem be with you. I will give you a letter to a wealthy man and through him your salvation will come.”
The man was wondering about the special attention he received by did not say anything. He took the letter which the tzadik gave him and left to go to the place he was told. He gave the man the letter. The man did not recognize him, because fifteen years had already passed since that time. But even before opening the letter, he said to him: “I know that the letter is from the Rebbe of Kosovo, because today he appeared to me in my dream and told me that the time has come that I repay a good deed with a good deed. “
He reminded the poor man all that transpired before and also revealed to him the secret which the tzadik had whispered to him.
The words which were uttered by the innkeeper put joy and happiness on the face of the poor man. The innkeeper said to him: “Stay here with me until I make a true accounting of all with which Hashem blessed me, and afterwards we will both travel to Kosovo and what the Rebbe will tell us we will do.
And this is just what they did.
It is not known what was the psak din (verdict) of the Rebbe, but what is known is that the poor man received a large amount of money, and the Rebbe blessed him with success. The man began once again to do business and became even wealthier than before.
Translated and adapted from Sippurei Chassidim by Rabbi Zevin
*Reb Menachem Mendel of Kosovo – 1768-1825 was known by the name of his book, Ahavat Sholom (Lover of Peace) a Chassidic compilation on the Torah.
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