MIRACLE-WORKING CHASSID

The life story of R’ Boruch Sholom Schneersohn, the Rebbe’s grandfather’s grandfather; the great-grandchild whom the Alter Rebbe loved exceedingly; the great-grandchild who was with his great-grandfather until he passed away and was a broken man from then on. The tzaddik whose behavior was so modest that he was the only one of the Tzemach Tzedek’s children who did not take on an Admorus. As a reward for this, he was promised that the Admorus would come back to his descendants. In honor of his yahrtzait, 16 Shvat.

By Refael Dinari

R’ Boruch Sholom Schneersohn, the Tzemach Tzedek’s oldest son, and the Rebbe’s grandfather’s grandfather, was born sometime between the years 5564-5566 (1804-1806). The Alter Rebbe loved him dearly and from the time he began going to school he would regularly visit the Alter Rebbe. When he was six, the Alter Rebbe taught him dikduk (Hebrew grammar) and when he was seven, the Alter Rebbe taught him how to lain. The Alter Rebbe told him how he became a talmid of the Mezritcher Maggid as well as other things he heard in Mezritch.

From the day that the Alter Rebbe left Liadi (because of the war with Napoleon) until his passing on 24 Teves 5573/1812, Rabash (R’ Boruch Sholom) was with him. He sat with him in the wagon and slept in his room. Rabash said that he spent 142 days and nights with the Alter Rebbe, from 25 Av when the news came that Napoleon was headed for Liadi until 24 Teves. For the rest of his life Rabash was a broken man, because he could not bear the passing of the Alter Rebbe.

After the passing of the Alter Rebbe he was mekushar to his grandfather, the Mitteler Rebbe, and then to his father, the Tzemach Tzedek. He would travel to various towns and villages and review maamarei Chassidus. He was a modest person and throughout his life he acted with incredible humility. During his father’s lifetime he lived in the adjacent house abutting the wall of the estate. His father would call him “the balabus” and learned Kabbala with him.

When the Chassidim wanted to convey something to the Rebbe they would sometimes ask Rabash to do it. The Rebbe Rayatz related that when a certain Chassid from Horodok who had the custom to travel to Lubavitch exclusively by foot continued to do so even after reaching the ripe old age of 90, the Chassidim asked R’ Boruch Sholom to tell his father, which he did. The Tzemach Tzedek instructed that Chassid in yechidus to take care of himself.

In Cheshvan 5600/1839, R’ Boruch Sholom, with his father’s consent, entered a partnership with a new person who had come to Lubavitch by the name of Lipmann Feldman. He was a leading craftsman in the candle business. As a result, Feldman visited the Beis HaRav many times. Not long after it was discovered that he was a spy for the Maskilim and he was planning to inform on the Rebbe to the police. Fortunately, he found nothing about which to tattle, and Binyamin the Apostate, the leader of the Maskilim moles, told him to come back. One of the Chassidim in Lubavitch bought out his share of the candle business.

Rabash was the only child of the Tzemach Tzedek who did not lead a flock of Chassidim and did not serve as an Admur. He remained in Lubavitch and was a Chassid of his younger brother, the Rebbe Maharash. Nevertheless, the Rebbe Rayatz refers to him as an Admur.

He was a great oral historian and the Rebbe Rayatz quoted many stories from him. When the Rebbe Rashab was a boy, he regularly went to him to listen to stories. The Rebbe referred to his writings as “precious and dear to me.” He passed away in 5629/1862 and is buried in Lubavitch. He had three sons: R’ Levi Yitzchok, a rav in Podobaranka; R’ Mordechai, a rav in Vitebsk; and R’ Leib. His son-in-law, R’ Meshulam (Shilem) Reich was a mekurav of the Kotzker Rebbe and was often the shliach between our Rebbeim and the Admurim of Kotzk and Ger.

After his passing, many of his writings were found, as well as a will. When they read it, his brothers were amazed by his wisdom. When the Rebbe Rayatz called out an invitation to his deceased ancestors at the wedding of his daughter, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka, he also invited the ancestors of the chassan, the Rebbe, and mentioned R’ Boruch Sholom, saying that he would repeat some of his teachings in the wedding maamer, Lecha Dodi.

POWER OF SPEECH

When R’ Boruch Sholom was born, he was missing part of his right hand. His mother was extremely upset about this. The Alter Rebbe told her that it happened because when she was pregnant, a young pauper came collecting. When she saw him she said: You are young and healthy. Go and work. Why are you asking for handouts?

This is why her son was born without a part of his right hand.

GREAT GAON

When the Alter Rebbe was sick in Piena, he told his grandson, the Tzemach Tzedek, “Do you have anything to ask? Ask now.”

The Tzemach Tzedek had no idea what his grandfather was alluding to and he did not ask anything. When his son, R’ Boruch Sholom, grew up, he had a question about how he should put on t’fillin since R’ Boruch Sholom did not have separate fingers on his right hand as most people do, yet he felt that his right hand was stronger than his left.

The Tzemach Tzedek asked the gaon, R’ Nechemia of Dubrovna, to write up the question to send to the gaon, R’ Shlomo Kluger, and then to show him the text to which he would insert his own comments.

When the question was brought to R’ Shlomo Kluger, he said that a great gaon had written the question, but between the lines had written one who was a gaon amongst gaonim.

The shliach said that the one who wrote the question was not a rav but a businessman (this was while the Mitteler Rebbe was still Rebbe, and the Tzemach Tzedek was a businessman for a while before he became Rebbe). R’ Kluger was amazed and he said: You have businessmen like that?!

THE SONGS OF MALCHUS OF ATZILUS

The Alter Rebbe told R’ Boruch Sholom: You revived me by listening to the trop and learning them.

[The verse states]: “In order that you relate this to your son and your son’s son” – this means, not only to your grandson but to the end of time. However, it is only possible for a person to give over something orally to his grandson, and I would greatly desire that the tunes that you heard from me, which are according to the way that malchus of Atzilus intones, be sung to the end of time.

When Rabash was eight, the Alter Rebbe taught him all the nuances and liturgical tunes of davening. R’ Boruch Sholom was distressed all his life for forgetting one of the nuances in the davening that the Alter Rebbe taught him (a musical nuance that came from the songs of the Levites in the Mikdash).

When his younger brother, the Rebbe Maharash, was twelve, he learned the trop with him as he had learned it from his great-grandfather. The Rebbe Rayatz said that although the Rebbe Maharash had an unusually long breath, learning the notes affected his heart.

I WANT TO HEAR IT

As mentioned previously, Rabash was a broken man because he could not bear the passing of the Alter Rebbe. The Tzemach Tzedek once told him: Why can’t you get over it? Zeide is sitting in Gan Eden and revealing p’nimius ha’Torah!

R’ Boruch Sholom said: I want to hear it.

THE SPECIAL QUALITY OF CHAI ELUL WAS REVEALED THANKS TO HIM

Said the Rebbe Rayatz:

This matter, that the beginning of the avoda of the new year is on Chai Elul, became known by happenstance through something that occurred with my great-uncle, Rabash, on Monday, 16 Elul 5589, in Lubavitch. The inner, essential bond with which the Alter Rebbe was mekarev my great-uncle had a great effect on him. When the Alter Rebbe passed away, Rabash was broken, and for the twelve years following 5573 he would fast on Chai Elul, the Alter Rebbe’s birthday. When Chai Elul fell out on Shabbos he would fast on the previous Thursday.

When my great-uncle heard the sicha said by his grandfather, the Mitteler Rebbe, on Shabbos Parsha Ki Seitzei 5585, describing the great celebration up Above on the birthday of a Tzaddik, and especially that of an inclusive-soul, along with the explanation of his father the Tzemach Tzedek, he regretted having fasted on this day. He had his vow annulled and fasted on a different day.

My great-uncle was a closed person and all of his avoda was done with the utmost modesty. That year, 5585, he fasted on Monday and celebrated Chai Elul on Thursday.

My great-uncle was sick in the summer of 5589 and the doctors told him to be exceedingly careful about eating breakfast. That year Chai Elul was on a Wednesday. He fasted on Monday and due to his weakness he fell several times and had to lie in bed. Even then, nobody knew the reason for his weakness.

On Wednesday, Chai Elul, he lay in bed with a high fever. The Tzemach Tzedek went to visit him. When he walked into the room he said: Good Yom Tov. Today, Chai Elul, is the birthday of the Alter Rebbe. Chai Elul is the beginning of the avoda of the new, upcoming year. For the last 32 years starting in 5557/1797, my grandfather the Alter Rebbe says before me a maamer Chassidus and the maamer is mostly about the avoda of the upcoming year. As we know, every year of a person’s life has a different avoda.

HOW TO LEARN A MISHNA

The Rebbe Maharash once sent his son, the Rebbe Rashab, to his uncle, R’ Boruch Sholom, to be tested. The Rebbe Rashab was seven years old and had learned the Mishna in the tractate Bava Kama about four “fathers of damages,” i.e. four main categories. R’ Boruch Sholom told him that he remembers how the Alter Rebbe taught him that Mishna when he was seven and explained each of the categories in the spiritual sense.

A FOOT HERE, 
A FOOT THERE

The Rebbe Rashab related:

Once, when the Tzemach Tzedek said Chassidus, his oldest son R’ Boruch Sholom stood above the stove on one foot and wanted to put his other foot there too but could not because of the tremendous crowding. He remained like that throughout the recitation of Chassidus with one foot on the stove and one foot lower down.

REVIEWING HIS 
FATHER’S CHASSIDUS

The first Pesach after the passing of his father, on 13 Nissan 5626, Rabash said the maamer, “Ki Yishalcha Bincha.” Before saying the maamer he said that the maamer wasn’t his, but his father’s. In the days to follow his brothers spoke, each saying their own maamarim.

The Rebbe Rayatz said about him that he took double from his father over his brothers by not becoming a Rebbe.

Before he passed away, his father said to him that as a reward for not conducting himself as Rebbe he would merit that Admorus would come back to his descendants. He concluded with a quote, “The fourth generation will return here.”

When the Rebbe MH”M became engaged, his father said that now the meaning of that line was understood, if you start counting from the Rebbe Maharash.

MIRACLES OF RABASH

In the book Reshimos Inyanim V’Sippurim that was written by his grandson, he brings miracle stories of his grandfather as follows:

SOUP AND SPIDERS

R’ Boruch Sholom once attended a bris mila in Salavat. After the bris they served him a plate of meat soup. A moment later, a spider descended on the bowl. Rabash said to remove the bowl with the spider and to bring another bowl. Surprisingly, a spider descended on the next bowl too and Rabash asked that it too be removed and that they bring a third bowl.

When a spider landed on the third bowl, Rabash asked what was the source of the meat in the soup. When he was told that they had slaughtered a lamb in honor of the bris, he asked: Where did you buy the lamb? They said, from one of the gentiles in the village.

Rabash asked for the gentile to be summoned so they could find out what happened with this lamb. They called for the gentile and when he stood before Rabash, Rabash said to him: Tell me the truth – what is unusual about this lamb?

The gentile said: I will tell you the truth. After this lamb was born, its mother died and I had a pig suckle it.

Rabash said that the utensils that had been used for the meat should be broken.

A WASHING CUP

Rabash’s custom was to be from those that are shamed but never shame others and to keep his mouth closed regarding any dispute. He once went to a bathhouse and took a cup which he used. Someone else told him that the cup was his and he spoke sharply against Rabash.

Rabash did not respond but when he went home he repeated what happened. He allowed one expression of annoyance to escape his lips.

The following week, on the same day of the week and at the same time, that man bathed at the bathhouse and although he was a tall, hefty fellow, he drowned in the bath. This inspired fear in everyone.

SNOW FOR 25 RUBLES

A man once went to Rabash and complained about his parnasa. His entire business depended on snow, as he needed wintry roads to ship his merchandise by sled, and no snow had fallen yet. He said he would give 25 rubles to Rabash if he would bring down snow through his prayers.

That night it snowed heavily. The man kept his promise and gave the rav 25 rubles.

GOOD RIDDANCE

Someone went to Rabash and said he had a store in the village and that recently a gentile came and opened a store opposite his and was siphoning off his parnasa. He asked Rabash to write a pidyon nefesh to the Tzemach Tzedek. Rabash reassured him and said: May it be Hashem’s will that he start getting drunk on vodka and you will be rid of him.

This was immediately fulfilled. The gentile began drinking to the point of drunkenness until he lost his business.

CHALLA WITHOUT CHALLA

Once, on Simchas Torah, Rabash was served challa but he refused to eat it. They discovered that they had forgotten to do the mitzva of hafrashas challa and it was only after they removed a piece that he ate it.