Monday, April 27, 2020

Reb Sha'ayle's Awesome Power


For the Yarzheit of Reb Sha'ayle


Recently someone asked me how to get rid of ants.  I remembered a story I heard about a famous rabbi whose picture, when hung in the room, would rid the house of pests, notably mice but also other kinds of vermin.  Although I have not had a chance to test this myself, I am assured that it does work. [If you're going to try this, print out the photo below and perhaps laminate it, and put it in the room where the pests are bothering you] 

Reb Shaya'la of Kerestirer [1851- 1925] was a famous chasiddic Rebbe from Hungary in the early Twentieth century. [His yarzheit is on 3 Iyar] Many make the trip to his Kever and spend Shabbos at his house in northern Hungary. His picture is believed by many to be a segulah and a amulet of protection. Many stores have his picture to keep away mice. 

The Famous Mouse Story

Affectionately known as Reb Shaya'le [Rabbi Yeshaya Steiner of Kerestir], the Kerestirer Rebbe lived around the beginning of the 20th Century. He was a very pious man and extremely humble, always referring to himself in the diminutive [Shaya'le]. He was known as a "miraculous" person. His greatest pleasure was to host a very elaborate Melave Malka, the meal that follows Shabbos, on Saturday night. Often he would have his chassidim shecht fresh chickens for his meal.
Reb Yeshaya'le Kerestirer

One motzei Shabbos, while Reb Shaya'le was eating this special melave malka meal, a chossid came to him with an urgent request. He was a man who had a warehouse full of foodstuffs and he made his living by buying and selling food. For the past number of months, his warehouse had been taken over by mice who were eating his grain and other commodities and his entire livelihood was threatened. He asked Reb Shaya'le for a blessing that the mice should leave his warehouse. 

At that time, each small town in Europe was ruled by the local church pastor. Some of the pastors were kind towards the Jews and others were very harsh. Reb Shaya'le asked the chossid if the pastor of the town he lived in was kind or harsh. The chossid replied that he was very harsh toward the Jews. Reb Shaya'le then instructed the chossid to go to his warehouse and to tell the mice, "Reb Shaya'le says to go to the estate of the pastor." The chossid followed the Rebbe's advice and instantly hundreds of mice raced out of the warehouse all heading in the direction of the pastor's estate. 

The chossid's business was saved and ever since Jews who have been plagued with this problem have used Reb Shaya'le's picture to accomplish the ridding of mice from their homes.

Source: Jewish Gen

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm just wondering if there's a verified source such as in a sefer about the mice story. Rather than just in local publications either offline or online. Because even if thousands of people may say something or even publish something (which is the case here), rumors spread very quickly, that much i've learned. I've encountered many liars during the course of my life. I've also learned on the other hand, that there can be so many real truths which, despite efforts, never catch on.
M.M.

Devorah said...

Click on the Jewish Gen link and you will see that these stories have been passed down through the generations, and in those days they all quoted the names of who they heard the story from, not some Anonymous tale bearer. I think we can safely say it is a true story.

Anonymous said...

Devorah, i had clicked that link prior to posting, and i'm not at all disputing that the Kerestir Rav was very holy. I was only posting this, because i very-vaguely recall having [surprisedly] read somewhere that the famous mice story is a rumor. I may have seen it in an offline publication, I don't remember. Look, it makes no difference to me, I was just expressing my curiosity to know if there's an authenticated source.
M.M.

Anonymous said...


There was a boutique-style ladies wear shop on Bondi road, Bondi just close to the corner of Ocean Street. I loves 'window shopping' there. I went in one day to buy something. I explained to the (Jewish) lady about Tzius. She simply smiled and assured me that I need not explain it to her. She knew. For sure!
Then SHE explained to me that 'back home' some-place in North-East Hungary her
parents A"h owned a BAKERY and that she would deliver bread to a very beloved, saintly Rebbe. She was still a young girl yet her mother would remind her every time she would make a delivery to the Rebbe, saying: Ruchele, make sure to pull your sleeves down under your elbows!"
Well, which Rebbbe do you think it was? REB SHAYELE ! AS HE WAS FONDLY KNOWN
hAVE A gUTTE vOCH!