The Etrog That Was Meant For Someone Else

A chassid walked through the bustling Warsaw marketplace, seeking a very special etrog for his Rebbe, Rabbi Avraham of Chechanov. The price of the etrog was immaterial to him, as long as his Rebbe would be able to take pleasure in having the best of the best.

Aware of the chasid's mission, the merchants showed him their very best etrogs, each more beautiful than the one before. The chasid examined each one carefully and then returned it to its owner. In every etrog he found some sort of flaw: this one was too pointy, that one had a dirty spot, the third sported a blister.

There was just one etrog that caught the chasid's eye. It was an extremely beautiful etrog, clean and shining. The chasid wanted to buy it, but the merchant refused to sell it. This particular etrog had been designated for the saintly Rebbe, Leibele Eiger, the "Toras Emmes" of Lublin. The "Torah Emmes" was known for spending a princely sum on his etrog each year, and would surely wish to purchase this one.

The chasid would not give up. He begged. He pleaded. He raised his offer considerably, and was finally rewarded with the beautiful etrog. Joyously, he carried it back to his Rebbe.

The tzadik of Chernov accepted the etrog with joy. It was truly an outstanding etrog and had no equal.

On the first day of Sukkot, the Rebbe picked up his arba minim and was about to recite the blessing over them when he suddenly put them down again. He picked up the etrog and studied it from every angle. Finally, he summoned the chasid who had brought it to him.

The chasid came running. The Rebbe turned to him and asked, "Tell me please, how did you acquire this etrog?"

The chasid retold the whole tale to his Rebbe: how he had traveled to Warsaw to search for a special etrog, how all the merchants had clustered around him with etrogim that he had refused, and how, at last, he had spied the beautiful etrog whose owner declined to sell to him. The chasid had been forced to raise the price of his offer in order to buy it, but any price was worthwhile if it meant that he could bring his Rebbe such a perfect etrog.

"That's it!" the Rebbe exclaimed. "This etrog was intended for the Rebbe of Lublin! It is his. I have no permission to recite a blessing over it."

The Rebbe said the blessing over a different etrog -- and the chasid learned an important lesson in the proper way to conduct business.

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[Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from "Treasury of Chasidic Tales" and "Stories my Grandfather told me"(Mesorah).]

Biographic notes:
Rabbi Avraham Landau of Chechanov [1784 - 5 Adar 1875], a disciple of R. Fishel of Strikov and R. Simcha Bunim Of Pesishcha, was a renowned scholar and rabbinical judge. He served as Rav and Rebbe in his community for 56 years, refusing all offers to serve in larger, more prestigious posts. He authored Zechuta d'Avraham, Ahavas Chesed, and many others. In 1943 his grave was dug up, and his body and even his burial shrouds were completely intact.

Rabbi Yehuda-Leib ("Leibele") of Lublin [1816 - 22 Shvat 1888] was the grandson of one of the eminent Talmudic scholars of the century, Rabbi Akiva Eiger. He became a chasid of R. Menachem-Mendel of Kotsk, and subsequently of R. Mordechai-Yosef Leiner of Izbitz, upon whose death he became a Rebbe in his own right, in Lublin. One of his close followers was Rabbi Tzadik HaCohen of Lublin. His published works include Toras Emmes and Imrei Emmes, both on the weekly Torah readings and the holidays.

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