RIGHTEOUS AND GENEROUS NEIGHBOR

RIGHTEOUS AND GENEROUS NEIGHBOR

Before becoming the head of the Hasidim, Reb Zusha was a student of the famous Magid from Mezherich. After his marriage, Reb Zusha visited the Rebbe several times a year (this was the custom of the Hasidim, which has survived to this day). At that time, the Anipolis righteous man lived very poorly, even on the Sabbath day he was not always able to get a few coins for wine to consecrate the Sabbath and Sabbath challah.

Reb Zushi's neighbor was a prosperous man and very generous in donations to the poor. His heart could not endure such a situation that the righteous man was in such poverty, and the neighbor decided to help him financially. Every month he separated a decent amount from his profits, and this money was quite enough to feed a young Jewish family.

Suddenly, miracles began to happen: the neighbor Reb Zushi began to prosper more and more, his income increased from month to month. He realized then that all this was not accidental, probably this was a reward for the generosity shown ...

One day he went to Reb Zusha's house to once again give him a monthly donation. But to his regret, on that day, Reb Zusha went to his Rebbe in Mezherich... The rich man became thoughtful: if his neighbor is such a great righteous man and to the merit of the fact that he supports him, G-d rewards him so generously, then even more so... Especially the Rebbe from Mezherich is even more righteous, and if you start supporting the Rebbe, you can hope for untold wealth ... No sooner said than done, and now the rich man is already riding in a wagon to Mezherich with a large sum of money for the Rebbe.

A few months passed, and a dark period began in the life of the bochag, and he began to lose profits in his business. And what is strange is that the more he helped the Rebbe from Mezherich, the faster his wealth “floated away”, and in the end, later he completely went bankrupt and was left without a penny of money in his pocket ...

He went to Reb Zusha to sort things out, as he assumed that this righteous man must be to blame for the fact that the rich man suffered complete ruin. Reb Zusha joyfully greeted the guest and explained: “When you began to support me, you did not begin to think whether I was worthy to be helped, whether I was such a great righteous man. Therefore, it was decided in heaven, since such and such a Jew helps another wholeheartedly, without making any calculations about his merits and demerits, it is fitting to reward him in the same measure, even if he may not be worthy of it. But what happened next: when you found out that there was a Rebbe, you began to calculate who was more righteous - my Rebbe or me. Then in heaven I decided to find out if you are worthy for G-d to reward you, and they decided that you are not ... "