When One Thinks of Something Else…
Once, during Chanuka, when the Alter Rebbe was sitting with his Chassidim for a Melaveh Malka, a distraught woman and her daughter burst into the Beis Medrash crying: “Rebbe! Please save us! Our Zev is with the chief priest and wants to become a meshumad!”
It turned out that their son-in-law, a gifted talmid chacham, had begun debating with the local priest. The priest offered him great honor - a deference he didn’t receive from the local scholars. Being a baal gaavah, he fell into the priest’s trap. He informed his wife of his decision in a letter, and realizing the severity of the situation, they immediately traveled to the Alter Rebbe.
All present in the Beis Medrash were profoundly shaken and horrified by the heartbroken cries of the mother and daughter.
The Rebbe responded: “I cannot help in any way. I can only relate an incident that occurred with my Rebbe when I was in Mezeritch:”
“It was in the winter of 5529 (1768-1769). Near Mezeritch was a gentile town where one Jewish family lived. One of the sons - a learned and G-d-fearing young man - was seized by a spirit of folly that drew him toward conversion. The cause was not kefira (heresy) but gaavah (pride). When he went to the priest, his father accompanied him, trying to dissuade him, but to no avail.”
“The father journeyed to Mezeritch. Entering the presence of the Maggid, he broke down, pleading: ‘Rebbe, save my son from shmad!’”
“The Maggid listened with a broken heart, then entered dveikus. He delivered a Torah discourse on the verse: ‘Nefesh ki secheta u’maalah maal baHashem’ — A soul that sins and commits a treachery against G-d...’”. He posed the question: ‘Tavha’ [—astonishment], what connection does a soul have with sin?! He repeated the words again: ‘V’nefesh ki secheta - when one thinks about something else - such a thing happens. He said again:
‘V’nefesh ki secheta’, implying it should be interpreted as ‘purification’ as in ‘v’chiteisa es ha’mizbeach’ (and you shall purify the altar).”
“When the Rebbe,” the Alter Rebbe continued, “finished the Torah, he instructed a minyan of his talmidim to say Tehillim the entire night until daybreak. I was one of those talmidim, and at dawn, the young man came to the Maggid’s Beis Medrash. None of the students questioned him. He stayed in Mezeritch for a few days, visited the Maggid, and returned home.”
When the Alter Rebbe finished the story, he recited Birkas HaMazon and retired to his room.
After he left, a minyan of students was chosen to say Tehillim all night. At dawn, the mother and daughter returned home. A short time later, a young man entered the Beis Medrash with a sack on his shoulder. Hearing the students reciting Tehillim with broken hearts, he joined them, weeping profusely.
Everyone understood that this was Zev, but they did not speak to him about it. During the week of Chanuka, the Rebbe delivered Chassidus discourses every night, and the yungerman remained in Liozna that entire week. The following week, he had a yechidus (private audience) with the Alter Rebbe, and then left for home.
A few weeks later, he moved with his family to another town, married off his sister-in-law to a yeshiva bachur from Vitebsk, and became one of the Chassidishe yungeleit.
When the Rebbe Rayatz related this story to the Rebbe, the Rebbe asked for the explanation of “when one thinks about something else”. The Rebbe responded: “They explained it as relating to kiddush av v’eim (the thought of the father and mother during conception).”
(Likkutei Dibburim, Part 2, page 371; Reshimos HaYoman, page 339)
Recipe of the week
Air-Fried Banana Split
By Batsheva Burack, Kosher.com
We all love a hot brownie or apple cobbler with freezing cold ice cream. Well then, you gotta try an air-fried banana split. It’s hot and creamy, and a banana split, but better!
20 Minutes DURATION
1 SERVINGS
INGREDIENTS
1 banana
2 tablespoons Gefen
Peanut Butter
2 tablespoons chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Tuscanini
Sea Salt
1/4 cup granola scoop of ice cream chocolate syrup, for drizzling
PREPARATION
1. Slice the banana down the middle the long way, and keep the peel on. Spread on peanut butter and add some chocolate chips.
2. Air fry the banana at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.
3. Smoosh the melted chocolate and peanut butter and spread it around a bit.
4. Scoop out your ice cream onto your banana, add toppings, and enjoy!
Zmanim
Shabbat Times
Rambam
05:42 07:10 09:29 04:29 05:01 Sun DEC 07
05:39 07:07 09:27 04:28 05:01 Mon
05:40 07:08 09:27 04:28 05:01 Tue DEC 09
05:41 07:09 09:28 04:28 05:01
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