Weekly Chasidic Story #642 (s5770-27 / 1 Nissan 5770)
In Place of a Temple Offering
"Leave out my 'Rebbe' and your 'Rebbe' and come with me," excalimed Rabbi Moshe-Leib of Sassov.
Connection: Weekly Reading -- the offerings
Rabbi Moshe-Leib of Sassov once came to the marketplace in Yaroslav. He
was passing among the vendors, checking the quality of the straw and hay for
sale, when he met his friend, Rabbi Shimon of Yaroslav.
"Rebbe, what are you doing here?" Shimon asked in surprise.
"Leave out my 'Rebbe' and your 'Rebbe' and come with me to carry a bale of hay to a poor widow who had no hay or straw upon which to lay her broken body," the Sassover replied pungently.
The two holy leaders went together, hauling a bale of hay on their shoulders. Astonished bystanders stared in wonder and moved aside to make room for them to pass.
As they went, Rabbi Moshe-Leib remarked, "Were the Holy Temple standing today, we would be bringing sacrifices and libations. Now we bring straw, and it is as though we have all the kavanot (spiritual intentions) that come with offering the korban mincha sacrifice."
Rabbi Moshe Leib of Sassov's father, R. Yaakov, would take a job before Passover grinding wheat at the mill, not for himself, though he was also a poor man, but for a widow and orphan who lived in his neighborhood. And he did this despite his great and abiding love for the Torah, which he learned constantly.
Moshe Leib, his son, followed in his father's footsteps. Despite his greatness in Torah, he did not worry about his honor when it came to performing acts of kindness for his fellow Jew with his own hands, even if they were beneath his status in the eyes of others.
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[Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from "Stories my Grandfather Told Me"
(Mesorah) by Zev Greenwald]
Connection: Weekly Reading - the offerings
Biographic Note:
Rabbi Moshe-Leib of Sossov (1745-4 Shvat 1807) was the leading disciple
of Reb Shmelke of Nicholsburg. He also received from the Maggid of Mezritch
and from Elimelech of Lyzhinsk. Subsequently a Rebbe in his own right with many
followers, he was famous primarily for his love of his fellow Jews and his creative
musical talent. His teachings are contained in the books, Likutei RaMal, Toras
ReMaL Hashalem, and Chidushei RaMal.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Yerachmiel
Tilles is co-founder and associate director of Ascent-of-Safed, and chief editor
of this website (and of KabbalaOnline.org). He has hundreds of published stories
to his credit, and many have been translated into other languages. He tells
them live at Ascent nearly every Saturday night.
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