tzadikim – Page 2 – Melava Malka Stories

The lost money

The Chozeh of Lublin had a Chasid by the name of Reb Avraham Ponzier. This Reb Avraham had three daughters of marriageable age. In those days, the father was expected to offer a sizable dowry to marry off his daughter. Unfortunately, Reb Avraham did not have the money. His wife suggested that he should go to the Chozeh and ask what to do.

Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar in the lion’s den

While Rabbi Chaim was still a student in his grandfather’s Yeshiva he learned the skills of a goldsmith, so that he would earn his livelihood without having to make his Torah knowledge “a spade to dig with.”
Later, when he had already become famous for his learning and saintliness and could have held an honored position as a great Rabbi and Rosh Yeshiva (head of a Yeshiva), he declined to be paid for these services. He preferred to earn his money from the work of his hands, for he was a very skilled goldsmith.

A Jewish priest

I was born and raised in Basel, Switzerland in 1937. When I was fifteen, my family moved to the Netherlands, where my father became the Chief Rabbi of the Hague. Here he opened a yeshivah for Hungarian refugees from the war. Five years later, I came to New York to enroll in the central Lubavitch yeshivah in Crown Heights.

Purim of the Curtains

Purim of the Curtains used to be celebrated in the middle of the winter, on the twenty-second of Tevet, two months before our regular Purim. Its story happened more than 400 years ago in the once-famous large Jewish ghetto of Prague, in Bohemia (now in the Czech Republic). As far as we know, this is how it originated:

Reb Mordechai of Chernobyl and his 5 sons

The Tzadik Reb Mordechai of Chernobyl known as the Maggid of Chernobyl, was the son in law of Rabbi Aharon of Karlin the Great. from this marriage, he merited to have five sons, all of whom became famous scholars and rabbis when they grew up.
After his wife passed away, for a long time, the Maggid did not yet think about remarrying.

The power of a Tzaddik

An upright young man once set out from his home in Vilkomir to buy up merchandise in Niezhin. Though not a chassid himself, he was on very friendly terms with a celebrated chassid by the name of Reb Yaakov Kadaner*.
Before he left home, he called on Reb Yaakov, to say his ‘good-byes’ and receive his blessing for his trip, as is customary among good friends.

Jews and the Government

The saintly Rabbi Yisroel, the famed Ruzhiner Tzaddik – Rabbi Yisroel Friedman – was born in the year 1796 in Pszedborsz, near Kiev, the capital of the Ukraine province. His father Rabbi Sholom Shachne was a son of Rabbi Avrohom known as the “Malach” (Angel), the son of the Mezritcher Maggid, Rabbi Dov Ber (successor to the Baal Shem Tov). In 1838, Rabbi Yisroel was denounced as a “rebel” against the Czar, and was imprisoned in Kiev and, later, in Kamenetz-Podolsk, for almost two years.
When he was temporarily released on Shushan-Purim 1840, he managed to escape Russia. He eventually settled in the Town of Sadigora, Austria, continuing his leadership of his followers until his passing in 1850.

Shabbos Spent with Barbary Lions

Our story takes us back some 250 years to the city of Fez, today in Morocco.

Fez lies in the western part of northern Africa, known as the Barbary Coast. Rabbi Masoud Refael Alfassi lived in Fez. He and a group of friends longed to live in the Holy Land and one day they finally decided to travel 3,000 miles, through the Sahara Desert, to the Land of Israel.
They joined a caravan of traders, travelers, and camels, that was leaving Fez for the East and the Holy Land.

Reb Zusya of Hanipoli and a Tailor

Penniless as always, patient as always, Reb Zusya of Hanipoli knew no rest – and now his wife was nagging him for a new dress. In the end he had no option but to somehow put together the money needed. He bought the material and handed it to his wife to give to the tailor. Now, surely, he would enjoy some peace and quiet.
But when Friday came, he saw clouds gathering over the features of his Rebbetzin.

The life of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai

Once, during the difficult days under the Romans, Rabbi Shimon sat with his fellow rabbis, Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Yose ben Chalafta. During their conversation, they were discussing the Roman rule. Rabbi Yehuda spoke first saying, “The Romans aren’t all bad. They have invested in dozens of beneficial projects, beautiful cities, bridges and roads, which all serve to enhance public life.” Rabbi Yose remained silent.
Only Rabbi Shimon spoke up in fearless disdain of the wicked conquerors. “How can you say that? Everything they have done was only to satisfy their own greedy desires. They built cities to contain their houses of vice and bridges as an excellent source of revenue to fill their coffers!”