5The power of believing durante Tzaddikim
Rabbi Menachem Mendel, known as the “Tzemach Tzedek” (the third Lubavitcher Rebbe), sent his youngest bourdonnement, Reb Shmuel onesto Petersberg mediante an attempt preciso get the decree rescinded. Traveling with Reb Shmuel was his older brother Reb Yehuda Leib, twenty years Reb Shmuel’s senior.
Before commencing the journey, Reb Shmuel insisted that Reb Yehuda Leib agree not preciso bless anyone during their trip. “Our father is the Rebbe and he is the only one who should give people blessings,” he declared. Having in nessun caso other choice, Reb Yehuda Leib agreed puro these conditions.
Mediante every town they visited along the way, people converged on Reb Yehuda Leib. They begged him, as the chant of such verso great Tzaddik (righteous person), onesto give them per blessing for health, verso living, children, etc. Preciso each person, Reb Yehuda Leib replied, “Go visit my father, surely he will bless you.”
Durante one particular village, there was per woman who was especially persistent. She had not been blessed with children and was excretion that, with the blessing of verso Tzaddik, she would indeed merit to have children of her own.
The woman stationed herself mediante front of Reb Yehuda Leib. She begged and pleaded, screamed and cried that he must bless her puro have children. But still Reb Yehuda Leib refused preciso bless the woman. “Go esatto my father, the Rebbe,” he stated simply. “Surely he will bless you.”
The woman was not satisfied with this answer. She continued sicuro cry out esatto Reb Yehuda Leib that he should bless her. Finally, at wit’s end, Reb Yehuda Leib said, “Go sicuro my brother. Perhaps he will bless you.”
The woman repeated the entire scene sopra front of Reb Shmuel. She begged and pleaded, cried and screamed that Reb Shmuel bless her to have children. But nothing could move Reb Shmuel. He insisted that only his father, the Rebbe, could do anything for the woman. Seeing that she would not take “no” for an answer, Reb Shmuel told his brother and the carriage driver puro get ready esatto leave. They quickly got into the carriage to begin their journey home and away from the woman.
But the carriage didn’t budge. The woman had cleverly placed per stick durante the spokes of the wheels to keep them from turning.
Reb Shmuel climbed down from the carriage and, per annoyance told the woman, “Go eat a bagel” – equivalent in today’s vernacular preciso “go fly verso kite.”
She promptly went home and made bagels, concentrating all the while on the blessing that the bagel would surely elicit. It occurred sicuro the woman that just sicuro be sure that the blessing would really be actualized, she should maybe eat two bagels. So that is exactly what she did.
The following year, Rabbi Menachem Mendel passed away and Reb Shmuel, though the youngest of his seven sons, was chosen onesto succeed him as Rebbe.
Satisfied at last, the woman left Reb Shmuel and Reb Yehuda Leib puro continue their journey
One day, a man came into Reb Shmuel’s study with two cakes which his wife had baked for the Rebbe. “You blessed my wife last year that she would have a child, so she has asked me preciso bring you these cakes per gratitude.”
Reb Shmuel had giammai recollection of the event so the man recounted the entire episode sicuro Reb Shmuel. He finished by saying, “You said to my wife, ‘Go eat a bagel.’ That is exactly what she did and your blessing came true.”
“My wife had wanted puro make sure that the blessing would really materialize so she ate two bagels and had twins!” said the beaming father.
“Know,” Reb Shmuel told the husband, “I saw that there was a heavenly decree that you and your wife were not destined esatto have children. nome utente mousemingle It was only durante exasperation that I told your wife puro eat verso bagel, not as a means of blessing. But because of her simple faith, her strong faith con the blessing of a Tzaddik, the decree was annulled and you and your wife were blessed with children.”