The power of believing mediante Tzaddikim
Rabbi Menachem Mendel, known as the “Tzemach Tzedek” (the third Lubavitcher Rebbe), sent his youngest son, Reb Shmuel to Petersberg mediante an attempt onesto get the decree rescinded. Traveling with Reb Shmuel was his older brother Reb Yehuda Leib, twenty years Reb Shmuel’s senior.
Before commencing the journey, Reb Shmuel insisted that Reb Yehuda Leib agree not esatto bless anyone during their trip. “Our father is the Rebbe and he is the only one who should give people blessings,” he declared. Having giammai other choice, Reb Yehuda Leib agreed onesto these conditions.
Durante every town they visited along the way, people converged on Reb Yehuda Leib. They begged him, as the affranchit of such verso great Tzaddik (righteous person), to give them per blessing for health, per living, children, etc. Puro each person, Reb Yehuda Leib replied, “Go visit my father, surely he will bless you.”
In one particular village, there was per woman who was especially persistent. She had not been blessed with children and was certain that, with the blessing of a Tzaddik, she would indeed merit onesto have children of her own.
The woman stationed herself durante front of Reb Yehuda Leib. She begged and pleaded, screamed and cried that he must bless her preciso have children. But still Reb Yehuda Leib refused onesto bless the woman. “Go onesto my father, the Rebbe,” he stated simply. “Surely he will bless you.”
The woman was not satisfied with this answer. She continued preciso cry out to Reb Yehuda Leib that he should bless her. Finally, at wit’s end, Reb Yehuda Leib said, “Go puro my brother. Perhaps he will bless you.”
The woman repeated the entire scene con front of Reb Shmuel. She begged and pleaded, cried and screamed that Reb Shmuel bless her to have children. But nothing could move Reb Shmuel. He insisted that only his father, the Rebbe, could do anything for the woman. Seeing that she would not take “no” for an answer, Reb Shmuel told his brother and the carriage driver preciso get ready onesto leave. They quickly got into the carriage esatto begin their journey home and away from the woman.
But the carriage didn’t budge. The woman had cleverly placed a stick durante the spokes of the wheels to keep them from turning.
Reb Shmuel climbed down from the carriage and, in annoyance told the woman, “Go eat a bagel” – equivalent sopra today’s vernacular onesto “go fly a kite.”
She promptly went home and made bagels, concentrating all the while on the blessing that the bagel would funziona hookupdate surely elicit. It occurred to the woman that just sicuro be sure that the blessing would really be actualized, she should maybe eat two bagels. So that is exactly what she did.
The following year, Rabbi Menachem Mendel passed away and Reb Shmuel, though the youngest of his seven sons, was chosen sicuro succeed him as Rebbe.
Satisfied at last, the woman left Reb Shmuel and Reb Yehuda Leib onesto continue their journey
One day, a man came into Reb Shmuel’s study with two cakes which his wife had baked for the Rebbe. “You blessed my wife last year that she would have per child, so she has asked me puro bring you these cakes sopra gratitude.”
Reb Shmuel had no recollection of the event so the man recounted the entire episode preciso Reb Shmuel. He finished by saying, “You said sicuro my wife, ‘Go eat a bagel.’ That is exactly what she did and your blessing came true.”
“My wife had wanted puro make sure that the blessing would really materialize so she ate two bagels and had twins!” said the beaming father.
“Know,” Reb Shmuel told the husband, “I saw that there was per heavenly decree that you and your wife were not destined preciso have children. It was only per exasperation that I told your wife esatto eat a bagel, not as per means of blessing. But because of her simple faith, her strong faith mediante the blessing of verso Tzaddik, the decree was annulled and you and your wife were blessed with children.”