bs"D    From: http://www.ascentofsafed.com Story #293 (s5763-39) 26 Iyar 5763
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Salmon on Shavuot

Yitzchak Dorfman

Among the followers of Rebbe Yechezkel of Kuzmir was Rebbe Shlomo HaCohen of Radomsk, author of the "Tiferet Shlomo". One year, word reached Kuzmir that Reb Shlomo was planning to come to Kuzmir for Shavuot. The Kuzmirer chassidim began feverishly preparing for the event.

That year Shavuot came out on Sunday night through Tuesday. Reb Shlomo and his entourage, as well as many other chassidim, arrived in Kuzmir for the preceding Shabbat. The tumult in Rebbe Yechezkel's court was great, with tremendous preparations being made for both Shabbat and the holiday which followed. Chassidim would say that on Shavuot in Kuzmir, one could experience the same spiritual arousal as the Jews had on Mount Sinai when they received the Torah.

Special attention was given to the preparation of fish for both Shabbat and Yom Tov meals in Kuzmir. Often the Rebbe himself would "meditate" on the fish before allowing it to be brought into the kitchen. In addition, he always came into the kitchen to add salt and pepper to the huge copper pot in which the fish was being cooked.

On Friday morning, the Rebbe's attendant came to him with a query from the Rebbetzin: since the coming Sunday was Erev Yom Tov, and the [non-Jewish] fisherman wouldn't be bringing their fish to town that day, should she leave over some of the Shabbat fish for the Yom Tov meals?

"G-d forbid!" answered the Rebbe. "The fish that have come to us for Shabbat cannot wait for their tikun (rectification) until Yom Tov. For Yom Tov, the Almighty will provide us with other fish."

Towards sunset, as the Rebbe was making his final preparations for Shabbat, he summoned his distinguished guest, Rebbe Shlomo of Radomsk, to his room. "Radomsker Rebbe! I order you to harness your horses and return to Radomsk to spend Shavuot with your chassidim!"

"Really, Rebbe?" replied Reb Shlomo. "I've just come, and I still have much to learn from the Rebbe in serving G-d. I need to see how the Rebbe receives the Torah! And now you're sending me home, to all the common folk? Now that I'm here, please allow me to spend the holiday with you!"

"I'll tell you," answered Reb Chatzkel, “when the Torah was given, it says, 'And Moses went down from the mountain to the people' (Ex. 19:14). Rashi explains that this indicates that Moses did not occupy himself with his own business affairs, but went directly from the mountain to the people. One could ask, did Moses have a private business? Was he a merchant, that the Torah praises him for not occupying himself with his business?"

"No!" he continued. "It means that Moses, upon receiving the Torah from G-d, didn't think about himself - he didn't consider that maybe he should grasp things 100 percent, discuss them with Yehoshua, and then transmit them to the people. At that time, he wasn't concerned with himself, with his “affairs”, even though these, too, were connected to Torah and serving G-d. Rather, he went directly from the mountain to the people."

"So now, Radomsker Rebbe, you would like to ascend undisturbed to the heights. But I'm telling you, you must go down from the mountain to the people, and return home for Shavuot."

In the midst of this conversation, the two tzadikim heard a commotion from just outside the door. Someone wanted to see the Rebbe about an urgent matter; but the attendants, knowing that he was involved with the Radomsker, tried to hold him back. Upon hearing the tumult, Reb Chatzkel opened the door and asked the man to come in. It was a simple Jewish fisherman. The Rebbe remained seated in his chair, and motioned to the Radomsker to remain there while he talked to the man.

"Rebbe, I'm a poor fisherman," the man exclaimed. "I rented a place on the Vistula River for a year, and every day I send my non-Jewish workers there to catch some fish. But I have no mazel (good fortune), for even if they catch something, the market is flooded with that kind of fish, and it's so cheap and in such low demand that I can't even sell it. I'm at my wit's end! Rebbe, my financial situation has gotten so bad that the only thing I have left is this winter coat. And that's why I've come to the Rebbe. I must sell this coat in any case, but what should I do with the money? Should I try one more time, and send my men out on Saturday night to try to catch something? Or am I better off using the money for Yom Tov?"

The Radomsker Rebbe understood from this exchange that Rebbe Yechezkel was going to show him how to descend "from the mountain to the people". He watched intently as Reb Chatzkel prepared his response. The Kuzmirer pondered the matter for quite a while, in the same manner as when he was asked about a lofty spiritual matter.

"Of course, you must send your men out to fish! Our brethren need fish for Yom Tov! Even my own Rebbetzin told me that she was worried that she wouldn't have fish for the holiday."

"But Rebbe," the fisherman argued, "I've tried so many times, without success..."

"Listen, my dear friend, if you happen to catch a huge salmon, bring it to me. The chassidim will eat it and enjoy it for Yom Tov."

"Ha, ha," laughed the fisherman. "Please forgive me, Rebbe, but there are never any salmon in the Vistula! It has never happened that one of us has caught a salmon!"

"Listen,” responded the Rebbe, “I only ask that if you should catch a salmon, you promise to bring it to me. We need fish for Yom Tov."

"But Rebbe…", the fisherman started. But just then, the attendant approached the fisherman and whispered to him, "You fool, what's the difference? Just promise him and leave!"

"Yes, Rebbe, the attendant is right! If I catch a salmon, I'll bring it to you, even though…." At this point, the Rebbe interrupted him and blessed him with success.

After spending Shabbat with his Rebbe, the Radomsker had his horses harnessed and ready to return to Radomsk on Saturday night, so that he would get home on time for the holiday. ***

Sunday morning arrived, and the Jewish homemakers went to the market place to buy fish for Yom Tov. To their dismay, there was not a fish to buy! After all, it was Sunday, and the non-Jews did not cancel their day of rest just to supply the Jews of Kuzmir with fish.

Suddenly a man appeared, carrying a huge salmon. Behind him was the Jewish fisherman who had received the blessing from the Kuzmirer. The women surrounded him from all sides, trying to persuade him to sell them the fish, but he refused all offers.

"This fish is for the Rebbe's Table, for his Festival meal with the chassidim," he explained. "He ordered it. Did you ever see a salmon from the Vistula? However, G-d prepared a lot of fish for you as well. Soon my workers will be bringing them. There hasn't been such an abundance of fish in ages!"

At that time, the village of Kuzmir was filling up with multitudes of chassidim for Shavuot. The fervor over the holiday and the air of anticipation were so great - almost like at Mount Sinai. At the festive meals, each chassid received a generous portion of salmon, and it had a wonderful taste. The taste of that fish remained in the memories of the Kuzmirer chassidim for their entire lives!

 

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Selected and lightly edited by Yrachmiel Tilles from the translation of his good friend, Reb Yitzchak Dorfman from Negina v'Chassidus b'Veis Kuzmir U'Vnoseha by R. Meir S. Geshuri, as it appears on the excellent Moditzer Chassidim website: http://www.modzitz.org.

 

***Editor's note:

In another version of the story (Sippurei Chassidim by HaRav Zevin), the Radomsker made a reply to the Mount Sinai analogy which persuaded the Kuzmirer to allow him to stay for Shavuot.

 

Biographical note:

Rebbe Yechezkel of Kuzmir [? - 17 Shvat 1856], a disciple of the Seer of Lublin, was the grandfather of the first Modzitzer Rebbe, a famous chassidic dynasty best known for its creative and exciting chassidic music.