It happened once in the time of the Rebbe Reb Elimelech that the government had a case against a certain Jew. The courts ruled, found him guilty, and he was sentenced to death by hanging. As was the custom, the courts granted him one last request, and he asked that they notify his sons of the verdict.
The sons were notified, and they immediately set out to see their father. On the way they stopped in Lizhensk to see Rebbe Elimelech and ask his advice and guidance. When they related the whole story to the Rebbe, he answered, in his holy manner, that they had nothing to fear - their father would not be hanged.
They left Lizhensk comforted, reassured by the words of the holy Tzaddik, believing that his promise would come true. However, when they arrived they saw that nothing had changed. On the designated day, their father was brought forth to be hanged and no-one said a word to save him.
According to the law, before a sentence was carried out, they would read the charges and the verdict that had been pronounced. But when the officials went to retrieve the necessary documents, they could not find any of the papers relating to the judgment and could not proceed with the execution. They hastened back to the courthouse, but they found not a trace of the ruling nor even a memory of the case. The judges themselves were no longer able to recall the case, nor were they able to remember who the witnesses were or what testimony had been given. Everything was totally forgotten. After a lengthy delay and numerous searches, they reluctantly released the prisoner since they could bring no charge against him.
On the trip back home, the sons, this time with their father, stopped once more in Lizhensk to see Rebbe Elimelech. The Rebbe told them: "I had no other alternative except to make use of the angel of forgetfulness to cause them to forget the whole matter completely."
[Ohel Elimelech 283]
Source: Mipeninei Noam Elimelech compiled by Tal Moshe Zwecker
3 comments:
That was such a sweet story. I guess it is a true story.
Now, if there was someone out there, who could summon this angel of forgetfulness and make all the enemies of Am Israel forget the bad things they want to do to them... instead, put thoughts of good things and be helpful to Am Israel and the world in general... wow! Just the thought makes me wish it could happen
Am Israel Chai!
In one of Rav Shlomo Brevda's zt"l Droshes that he pointed out, that as much as we admire the men who learn Torah (we surely all do), we should admire their spouses and any spouse taking care of the home even more.
The men feel the tremendous pleasure of Toiling in Torah. Working on a difficult piece an eventually seeing even a drop of light can be a tremendous feeling of ecstasy.
However, what satisfaction do the women feel? She works hard day and night and then the kids get hurt and she* has to calm them, clean them, make supper, clean the house, laundry, Pesach clean too.......
A woman who encourages their spouses to go and learn Torah while they take care of the home will get the fullest reward of learning Torah on the highest level in the world to come!
Rav Brevda zt"l concluded this point by assuring that he has a very good source for this. He recalled that he heard it from Rav Aharon Kotler,z.t.l. 65 years ago (1949) the Rosh Hayeshivah and founder of the Lakewood Yeshiva the following.
Rav Aharon said that men get a Sippuk-sense of fulfillment from learning Torah. What do the women get? We sometimes "Batul"-waste our time in middle of learning-but women are constantly busy, non stop, they don’t have Bain Hazmanim to wake up late like some men do etc.
Rav Aharon zt"l stressed that the women will share in the reward for our learning Torah but they won’t share in any part of our Bitul Torah.
Rav Brevda recalls that some of the "Yunger-Leit"-members of the Kolel in Lakewood where surprised and ask Rav Aharon for clarification, "Are you saying that my wife will get more out of my own Torah learning than I will?
Rav Aharon answered emphatically, "Yah”!! Gleib Mir Vos Ich Zog!!-Yes!!! Believe me what I say!! Women are sacrificing more than men, especially in our generation. They are fully assured that they will be rewarded in full. We can never be sure if we have fully fulfilled our Tachlis in this world.
I'll take stories that never happened for 500$
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