Page 119 - HANUKIYA

Ifirst heard about the wonderful holiness on a visit to Israel at my
parents, may their memory be blessed, at their home in Kiryat Kaliv in
Rishon LeZion, from a Russian Jewish immigrant, Rabbi Einhorn Shichi.
He told me about a Jew who had sought the blessing of the Admor
Ribnitzer Rebbe, who was still trapped in communist Russia behind the
iron curtain. The man had been able to leave the sealed land of Russia,
and left immediately. Afterwards, Rabbi Einhorn also applied to leave,
but holy blessing replied with the words, “When the time comes, and his
time came, and by a miracle we left the land of Russia. He also told me
how he used to break ice in the rivers of frozen Russia in order to be
immersed every day before his prayers, and once a gentile came to him
during the immersion and wanted to disturb him from the holy service.
The rabbi looked into the eyes of God and the gentile immediately fell
and dropped dead.
I first met him in the US, when I once visited him for Shabbat slichot
prayers together with my significant other. On Saturday night, after
Havdalah, at 3 am, I received from the synagogue sexton a challah
from the 12 challahs that were on the table on the holy Shabbat. I still
had the challah even though many years had passed, they were still as
whole as when I had received it. Not even a crumb was missing, and as is
written in the Gemara, the showbread remains fresh (each year, I sell in
the chametz sale before Passover). On Shabbat, I met there the famous
Chazan Hershtik and greatly wondered what had brought him there,
when I knew that he served as a Chazan in South Africa. He told me that
he had come to the rabbi for a blessing for the recovery of his voice
after he had gone hoarse. The rabbi told him to fly to Johannesburg
where his voice would recover as before, and that is what happened.
Immediately when the plane landed, his voice recovered as an old and
ordinary Chazan and obtained the position of the city Chazan. However,
he stipulated with them that one Shabbat a year he goes to the Rebbe
and chooses the Shabbat slichot.
On another occasion, We entered the holy place and I asked his opinion
on bringing in a partner in our sweater factory. When he heard our
statement, he rose from his place, held my hand, and told me that all
beginning are hard and I promise you great success.
The next day, I arrived late at the factory, knowing from the past few
days that there would be little work. Unexpectedly, one of my largest
customers was waiting for me with a list for a large order. After he left, assume a large part of the financial burden and would help complete
more customers arrived. His promise was fulfilled, there was never a
lack of work thanks to the holy man’s blessing.
Since then, I have been close to him and tried to support him any way I
could. For years, I paid the salaries of the two synagogue sextons from
the factory for holy work and I even named the factor RH.
When my son, Menachem Mendel, may God live and preserve him, was
born, I honored my friend, a cousin of my teacher and rabbi, the Admor
of Erlau ZTSVK"L, the Hassidic Rabbi Moshe Yosef Peshkes, to be the
godfather, and in his great wisdom replied that if I sought a righteous
and God-fearing godfather, I should honor the Ribnitzer Rebbe.
I did so, and when he came to circumcision celebration, the synagogue
sexton asked me whether I had honored someone before him. Moshe
Yosef was present, indicated with his foot that I should say, no, because
he refused to be received.
Afterwards, I understood that in his great righteousness he did not
want to be a godfather before Moshe Yosef who would carry out the
circumcision wholeheartedly.
When he was ill at home, I continued my regular practice of going up to
his residence every month. The synagogue sexton told me that when I
came, the Rebbe would gaze up.
Once, I brought a spice holder as a gift. He told me that he accepted
it, but that I should keep it, because he feared someone would steal
it. I was greatly astonished. I asked Rabbi Mordechai Polchak ZTSVK"L,
the greatest charity sexton in Williamsburg, whom I strongly supported,
what the rabbi meant. He replied that the rabbi apparently referring
to the percentage of the factory profits that I give him. I heard his
proposal, and when he passed away, I said that I would pay for the plot
and headstone from the rabbi’s funds.
Once, I dreamed that I was asked to give money to the rebbitzen. I
immediately went to give it to her, and when she accepted it, she said
that it exactly what she needed for a trip to Miami. With great emotion,
she took out sacred utensils from his estate and told me to choose what
I wanted. I chose a spoon and handwashing cup. My son, Avraham, the
light of Israel, chose the tzitzit.
Later, the rebbitzen sold me may other sacred objects from his estate,
and you can see them in this book.
Every year, on the jahrzeit, 24 Tishrei, I prepare a large meal in honor
of the righteous and blessed on the cup, the participants of which have
reached 500 in recent years.
In view of the above, when I was informed that a Talmud Torah for 600
boys would be built in the name of the Rebnitzer Rebbe, I said that I
the construction in great glory and splendor. In this way, I would honor
the memory of the righteous man, the foundation of the world, whose
advice and resourcefulness I had enjoyed, and all the sacred objects he
had used were in my possession, except for one cup, which had been
stolen from his home while he was still alive to the great distress of
the rebbitzen. To encourage her, the Rebnitzer Rebbe, told her not
to worry, you will see it returned. Just as he said, it was done, and the
cup was returned to the home three years later. I therefore left this
cup with the rebbitzen, as well as the hannukiah that she lit, so that she
could continue her custom to bring the hannukiah on the holiday nights
to the homes that had helped her.
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