Page 61 - HaMizrachi #33 Sukkot 2021 USA

highlight of my family’s Sukkot; it will The merchant could not believe his The businessman paced back and forth,
be our simchat Yom Tov.” ears! thinking over his terrible problem. On
the one hand, he had only remained in
But the chassid was determined to suc- “We will not deny you food,” the host Berditchev in order to use the etrog he
ceed in his mission; he just would not assured him, “but you may not enter
take “no” for an answer. our sukkah to eat it.” had sold for the Rebbe’s World to Come.
On the other hand, every year of his
Eventually, after a lengthy debate, Angry and deeply offended, Berel life – in stormy wind, pouring rain, or
Berel was brought to the court of the stormed out of the house, vowing never frosty snow he had eaten in a sukkah,
Berditchever Rebbe and offered a very to return to such an ungracious host. or at least recited kiddush there, on the
handsome price for his etrog. Still the But when he knocked on the door of a first night of Sukkot.
merchant refused. “But you haven’t neighbor and asked if he could join him
heard my final offer yet,” Reb Levi in his sukkah, to his total astonishment, Berel thought it over again and again.
Yitzchak proposed in a soft voice. this fellow, too, refused. Finally, he concluded that no matter
what he stood to lose, he had to do what
Berel was about to raise his hand to He tried door after door, house after was right: He had to eat in a sukkah the
indicate that he would not change his house, but every chassid in Berditchev first night of Sukkot. “Very well,” the
mind for any sum of money, but before turned him away. Berel was beside businessman responded with a heavy
he managed to convey this message, himself with resentment and frustra- heart, “I will resell you your portion in
the Rebbe dropped his bombshell: “Sell tion. “What an evil town of sinners!” the World to Come in exchange for a
me your etrog in exchange for my por- he thought to himself. “Imagine deny- meal in a sukkah.”
tion in the World to Come.” ing a fellow Jew permission to eat in
a sukkah!” Reb Levi Yitzchak breathed a deep
The Rebbe’s offer was astounding! As sigh of relief and offered Berel a warm
a businessman, Berel recognized a It was already after midnight and the embrace and an explanation: “In my
terrific deal when he heard one, and merchant was as hungry as he was eagerness to secure an etrog for my
this was one proposition no Jew could furious. In desperation, he approached People, I gave away my World to Come.
afford to pass up. After all, Reb Levi a Jewish family on the other side of Once I had made the deal, however, I
Yitzchak’s piety was legendary and town and begged to be let in. This resi- deeply regretted my decision, for how
there was no doubt at all that a spe- dent refused him, too, although not as could I how dare I give away something
cial place of honor awaited him in the rudely as the others. He also hinted that so precious to a person who might
World to Come. the Berditchever Rebbe was behind the have done nothing to earn it? After
ban on Berel. Enraged, Berel made a
The Rebbe explained his proposal, all, did you not refuse at first to share
making the deal sound even more beeline for Reb Levi Yitzchak’s house your etrog with the Jews of Berditchev,
and burst through the door.
tempting “We wouldn’t want you to knowing full well that without it we
be lacking an etrog for Yom Tov, so you “What have you done to me?” the busi- would all have been deprived of the
will be our guest for the holiday, and nessman snarled through clenched mitzvah?
you may use the etrog just like every teeth, confronting the Rebbe. “Don’t I “But now that I see you have passed
other Jew in Berditchev.” have the right to fulfill the mitzvah of this difficult trial of faith and opted to
eating in a sukkah on the first night of
The merchant immediately gave his Sukkot?” “You certainly do,” the Rebbe do what is right, it is clear that you are
consent and sent word to his family. replied, “...provided that you sell me truly deserving of my World to Come.
He was then given comfortable accom- back my World to Come.” “And now, Reb Berel, please come into
modations in the home of one of the my sukkah, where it will be my honor
Rebbe’s chassidim. “What?!” Berel smacked his palms to personally serve you.”
together as he lost all control of his
On the first night of Sukkot — when the  Heard from Rabbi Yosef Zeinwerth.
Torah commands us to eat in a sukkah temper. “You,” he accused, “are sup-
posed to be the pious Reb Levi Yitzchak
– Berel joined Berditchev’s chassidim
for evening prayers in the shul. The of Berditchev, the leader and advocate
of the Jewish People. But look how low
service was moving and was chanted you have stooped, tricking me into
with an enthusiasm and an intensity abandoning my family and selling my
that he had never experienced before. etrog under false pretenses!” Rabbi Hanoch Teller is an internationally
He returned home from shul extremely acclaimed storyteller extraordinaire, an
inspired and looking forward to the fes- “My dear friend,” the Rebbe said calmly, award-winning author and a producer. A member of
tive meal he was about to enjoy. But “my World to Come is still yours, and His new podcast “Teller from Jerusalem” the Mizrachi
when he walked through the door, his our deal is still a deal. However, if you chronicles the stories of the early struggles of Speakers Bureau
host turned to him and said, “You may wish to eat in a sukkah tonight, you will the modern State of Israel. Available wherever mizrachi.org/
not eat in our sukkah.” have to sell it back to me.” you listen to podcasts, speakers

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