Per severe decree was being formulated against the Jews
The power of believing sopra Tzaddikim
Rabbi Menachem Mendel, known as the “Tzemach Tzedek” (the third Lubavitcher Rebbe), sent his youngest chant, Reb Shmuel preciso Petersberg sopra an attempt puro get the decree rescinded.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 puro 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 ourtime other choice, Reb Yehuda Leib agreed to these conditions.
Durante every town they visited along the way, people converged on Reb Yehuda Leib. They begged him, as the bruissement of such verso great Tzaddik (righteous person), sicuro give them per blessing for health, per living, children, etc. To each person, Reb Yehuda Leib replied, “Go visit my father, surely he will bless you.”
In one particular village, there was verso woman who was especially persistent. She had not been blessed with children and was indivis that, with the blessing of verso Tzaddik, she would indeed merit onesto have children of her own.
The woman stationed herself in front of Reb Yehuda Leib. She begged and pleaded, screamed and cried that he must bless her onesto have children. But still Reb Yehuda Leib refused puro bless the woman. “Go esatto my father, the Rebbe,” he stated simply. “Surely he will bless you.”
The woman was not satisfied with this answer. She continued puro cry out puro Reb Yehuda Leib that he should bless her. Finally, at wit’s end, Reb Yehuda Leib said, “Go esatto my brother. Perhaps he will bless you.”
The woman repeated the entire scene mediante 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 onesto get ready puro leave. They quickly got into the carriage preciso begin their journey home and away from the woman.
But the carriage didn’t budge. The woman had cleverly placed verso stick durante the spokes of the wheels onesto keep them from turning.
Reb Shmuel climbed down from the carriage and, in annoyance told the woman, “Go eat per bagel” – equivalent sopra today’s vernacular to “go fly a kite.”
She promptly went home and made bagels, concentrating all the while on the blessing that the bagel would surely elicit. It occurred sicuro the woman that just onesto 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 puro succeed him as Rebbe.
Satisfied at last, the woman left Reb Shmuel and Reb Yehuda Leib puro continue their journey
One day, verso 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 esatto bring you these cakes mediante gratitude.”
Reb Shmuel had niente affatto recollection of the event so the man recounted the entire episode sicuro Reb Shmuel. He finished by saying, “You said preciso my wife, ‘Go eat a bagel.’ That is exactly what she did and your blessing came true.”
“My wife had wanted preciso 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 onesto have children. It was only in exasperation that I told your wife esatto eat verso bagel, not as a means of blessing. But because of her simple faith, her strong faith sopra the blessing of per Tzaddik, the decree was annulled and you and your wife were blessed with children.”
