Matchmaker In The World Of Clowns

On one of the Skuler Rebbe's visits to Reb Boruch of Medzibuzh, he told Reb Boruch the following story:

"Once I was sitting together with the Baal Shem Tov when two strangers entered the room. The more distinguished-looking of the two men approached the Baal Shem Tov and spoke: 'We have come to ask the advice of the tzadik,' he said. Then he continued with his story: 'I am the rabbi of a small town in this district and I have come to ask the Baal Shem Tov if I should make a match between my daughter and this man's son.'

"The Baal Shem Tov looked closely for a full minute at the speaker and then shifted his penetrating glance to the other man. Then he replied without hesitation, 'Why not?'

"The rabbi looked surprised at the response and began speaking rapidly and nervously, explaining his situation. 'You see, Rebbe, this man is a simple person, not at all learned - in fact, he had been water carrier when fortune smiled on him and he became a wealthy man. Then, he got it into his head that he wanted to make a match between his son and my daughter. Of course, he realized I would never entertain such a proposition so he approached my children's teacher with an offer: He would pay the teacher fifty rubles in advance if he would come to me every day and ask me to arrange the marriage between my daughter and the water carrier's son.'

"The Baal Shem Tov turned to the rich man and asked, 'Is all this true?'

" 'Yes, Rabbi,' he replied. 'I knew that he wouldn't go for the idea right away, but I figured if he were asked every day for a few weeks, he would begin to think about it more seriously, and it might go through.'

" 'Yes,' chimed in the rabbi, 'I can't get rid of this pest. Every day the teacher comes to me with the same story about the rich man's son, until I really can't stand it any more. Nothing will dissuade him, and so I finally agreed to come to you and accept whatever verdict that you give. If you say I should arrange the match, it's as good as done; if you say to forget it, he has agreed to leave me alone.'

" 'All right, then,' replied the Baal Shem Tov, 'tell me, is this man a G-d-fearing person? Is the family known to be engaged in good deeds and charity? Are they honest, good people?'

"The rabbi could only answer in the affirmative to all the Baal Shem Tov's questions, for the rich man and his family were known to be fine, upstanding people and no one had ever had a bad word to say against them. 'If that's the case,' said the Baal Shem Tov, 'let's arrange the marriage now. There's no reason to delay.' They sealed the agreement, l'chaims were poured, and happy mazal-tovs were exchanged all around. The two men shook hands and seemed to be satisfied with the arrangement.

"When the men departed, the Besht turned to me, and said," 'That man would make a good matchmaker in the world of clowns.' He chuckled to himself and seemed to be amused at something I couldn't understand.

"I had no idea what he meant by that odd remark, but I intended to find out, so I left and followed the two men to the local inn where I knew they were staying. When I found the rabbi I related the Baal Shem Tov's statement to him in hopes of receiving some explanation which would illuminate the mysterious remark of the Besht.

"The rabbi listened incredulously and then with great excitement, cried out, 'Now I understand where I was in my dream! Let me explain. You see, not long ago I dreamed that I was traveling around in my district to receive payment from my congregants as I usually did, in the form of all sorts of farm produce. I arrived in one village and entered the study hall where I overheard a discussion which was taking place between the men seated around a long table. They were having a heated argument about some scholarly topic which, to me, seemed an easy question to resolve. I ventured to explain it in a simple fashion when suddenly I heard a loud voice from the back of the shul saying, "How dare this man offer an opinion in such matters? Why he's nothing but an ignoramus!"'

" 'In the next part of my dream, I was in a different village where the same scene repeated itself. Then, I went to another village where it happened yet again. In each town I entered a study hall, overheard a learned dispute, and ventured my opinion, only to be derided and shamed.

"In the last part of my dream, which was similar to all the others, an elderly rabbi approached me and said, "This ignoramus still doesn't want to marry his daughter to the son of the rich man?" I woke up completely upset and confused.

" 'Now that you have told me the words of the Baal Shem Tov, I understand the meaning of these dreams. In the world of dreams I had been made sport of so that my pride would be broken and I would agree to the match between my daughter and the rich man's son. Now I understand that the marriage has been ordained in Heaven.' "

How The Rashash's Daughter Got Married

The making of a shidduch, a match between a man and a woman, is as difficult as splitting the Red Sea. In the case of the marriage of the daughter of the renown Rashash (Rabbi Shmuel Shtrashun) of Vilna and the son of Reb Zalman, maybe it was even harder.

One day, as the Rashash sat immersed in his Torah studies, a local tailor by the name of Reb Zalman came to borrow some money.

The Rashash was not only a noted scholar, but in addition to his job as a banker, he administered the free-loan fund.

When he explained his needs, Reb Zalman was given three hundred rubles which were to be paid within one year. The Rashash duly recorded the transaction in his ledger book and went back to his studies.

When Reb Zalman appeared before the Rashash exactly one year to the day later with the entire three hundred rubles in his hand, the Rashash was deeply involved in a difficult problem in the Talmud. He took the money, but since he didn't want to interrupt his studies, he inserted the money into the back of his large tome. So preoccupied was he with his learning that he completely forgot that Reb Zalman had ever been there that day.

Two months later, when the Rashash was checking over his ledger, he spotted the name of Reb Zalman, the tailor, who had borrowed three hundred rubles from the fund, and had not yet repaid the debt. He summoned Reb Zalman to his office, but when he asked that the money be repaid, as it was already overdue, Reb Zalman turned pale, and replied, "But I paid it exactly on the due date!"

The Rashash had no memory of the incident, and according to his records, the money was still outstanding. There was nothing to do but go to a rabbinical court to decide the matter. When the simple tailor and the great scholar went together to a Jewish court, the whole city was ablaze. How could Reb Zalman have the chutzpa to try to pull one over on one of the greatest scholars in Vilna! Imagine him contradicting the great Rashash, respected guardian of the city's free-loan fund!

The court ruled that since there had been a debt incurred and it was only the word of one man against another, Reb Zalman would have to solemnly swear that he had repaid the money, and then he would be absolved of the debt. Swearing, however, is no light matter. The Rashash was not willing to subject a fellow Jew to the possibility of swearing falsely, and so he decided to drop the entire matter.

But the case was not closed. In fact, it never really closed, for the townspeople were filled with disdain toward the unfortunate tailor. They stopped patronizing his shop, and wouldn't even look his way in the street. Eventually he had to close his business and move to a small village outside the city. He and his family were completely broken by the whole episode.

The following year, the Rashash was again studying the same subject he had been engrossed in when Reb Zalman had repaid the debt. Fingering the pages, he was astonished to find a pile of bills stuck in the back cover of the book. Then it all came back to him in a rush. He pictured in his mind the figure of Reb Zalman, proudly handing over every last penny of the loan, and saying, "Here is all the money I owe, and today is exactly one year to the day."

The Rashash was overcome with emotion. How much misery he had caused by his carelessness. He rushed to the home of the tailor, but he no longer lived there; then he went to his shop, but there were different occupants. After asking around, the Rashash discovered the extent of the damage that had ensued. He made his way to the small village and there, in a broken down shack he found Reb Zalman.

"Reb Zalman, please forgive me! I have just found the money you repaid! You were right all the time, and I was wrong!"

"So, I forgive you, but what does that help me? I have lost everything, my livelihood, my home, my reputation. I am a broken man."

"I will do everything humanly possible to help you regain your position. I will return your money, but that is not all. I will stand on the bima of the synagogue and announce that I have wronged you."

"That won't help. Everyone will just think, 'The Rashash is truly a great man. In his compassion for the poor tailor, he is trying to help cover up for him.'" When he heard that, the Rashash knew that the tailor was speaking the truth, for people would, indeed, think that way. What could he do that would really make amends for all the suffering Reb Zalman had endured?

"Reb Zalman, I have a daughter who is almost of marriageable age. You, I believe, have a son. If I betroth my daughter to your son, no one will be able to doubt that you are an honest and upright man, for I certainly wouldn't align our families forever if it were not so.

Reb Zalman agreed. Here was a solution that would work. The two young people agreed to the match, and the betrothal was celebrated in a fitting manner.

Reb Zalman was restored in the estimation of the community, and the Rashash had corrected the effects of his mistake. The young couple, who would never have come together except for the incident between their fathers, was blessed with great happiness. And that is how difficult it sometimes is to make a shidduch, harder even than splitting the Red Sea.

A Match Made In Heaven

"Who is this young man studying with such concentration?" wondered Rabbi Yehoshua Heshel. "He seems to be unusually dedicated to his studies."

Yehoshua Heshel was a son of the renowned Rabbi Baruch Frankel Teomim.

He had come to Tarnogrod on business. Having completed his business affairs, he went to the synagogue to spend his spare time studying. Seeing the young man sparked an idea in his mind. "I must find out who he is," he resolved. "Perhaps he will make a good husband for my sister!"

Yehoshua Heshel struck up a conversation with the young student.

"What are you learning?" the rabbi inquired of him. The young man told him. Soon the two of them were in a deep Talmudic discussion.

"This young man has a wonderful mind and a deep comprehension of the Torah," concluded Yehoshua Heshel, growing more and more amazed. "And what is your name, young man?" Yehoshua Heshel asked.

"My name is Chaim Halberstam," he replied. "I am the son of Reb Aryeh Leibush, Rabbi of Premishlan."

Yehoshua Heshel noticed that Chaim was lame in one foot. "Well, no matter," he said. "He is still an exceptional young man."

He felt he had to let his father know about him immediately, and wrote his father a letter about Chaim. The letter left out one important fact, though; the young man's limp.

It was Divine providence that when the letter arrived, Reb Aryeh Leibush, Chaim's father, was just then sitting and talking with Rabbi Baruch Frankel Teomin, Yehoshua Heshel's father. He had come to transact some business and had stopped to pay his respects to the great sage.

"Well, well," chuckled Rabbi Baruch Frankel. "Look what we have here! A letter from my son suggesting that your son meet my daughter."

His visitor was astonished by the coincidence. "Really? May I see the letter?" he requested.

"Would you agree to the shiduch?" Rav Baruch Frankel asked.

"It is obviously a shiduch made in heaven!" was the enthusiastic response.

And so the match between the Halberstam and the Frankel Teomim families was struck.

Soon word got out. What a simcha! But in the yeshiva of Rabbi Teomim, his students greeted the news skeptically.

"How does our rabbi make a match for his daughter with a perfect stranger? We must see him first to make sure he's fit to marry our rabbi's daughter."

Two students were chosen to go secretly to Tarnogrod to sneak a look at the young Chaim. They returned with appalling news. The groom was lame.

Somehow the news reached Rochel Feigel. She was horrified. She came running to her father. "Father, Father, how could you do this to me?" she cried, tears of shame and anger running down her face.

"What is it, my daughter?" asked her father, alarmed.

"How could you make me a shiduch with a cripple?" she sobbed.

"Two of your students saw the groom. He's lame! He walks with a limp!"

"How could it be?" He was incredulous. "I want you to know one thing. I will not force you to marry him. If after meeting him, you don't like him, we will call off the shiduch!"

Yehoshua Heshel appeared before his father. He could see his father was livid with anger and he guessed why.

"I trusted you and you deceived me!" Rabbi Baruch Frankel accused his son. "Why didn't you tell me the young man is handicapped?"

"I was afraid you wouldn't consider him. Please, father, see him for yourself. Once you meet and talk to him you'll forget about his limp right away."

His father agreed and Chaim was sent for.

Chaim agreed to come for he sensed that something was amiss.

Upon his arrival, he asked questions, and the people admitted that the bride was unhappy. "Let me speak to her privately," Chaim requested. Chaim and Rochel Feigel met for the first time.

He was not a bad-looking young man, Rochel Feigel confessed to herself, but he definitely had a limp. "Please, would you mind looking in the mirror?" Chaim asked her.

She thought, "What a strange request!" but she walked over to the mirror. What she saw in it made her gasp in fright. There in the mirror was her exact likeness, except for one thing...she was lame in one foot.

"You were supposed to be born lame," Chaim explained to her gently, "but knowing that I would be your partner in life, I asked heaven that I should be the lame one, instead of you."

After a moment Chaim added, "Now, do you still refuse to marry me?"

His words touched Rochel Feigel's heart. After he had revealed this fact, how could she object to the shiduch anymore? In fact, she thought, she rather liked the young man. She walked out of the room with a smile on her lips.

Everyone respected and liked the new young groom, but none more than the Rabbi of Leipnik. "My son-in-law's foot might be crooked, but his brain is very straight," he declared.

In later years, Reb Chaim Halberstam became none other than the holy Sanzer Rebbe, of blessed memory, to whom thousands turned for spiritual guidance.

Excerpted from: Why The Baal Shem Tov Laughed, by Sterna Citron, published by Jason Aronson.

The Baals Shem Tov As Shadchan

Reb David, a Chasid of the Baal Shem Tov, had a daughter of marriageable age. However, having no money, he had not pursued a match for her. When the Baal Shem Tov heard about the situation, he instructed two of his Chasidim to travel to the cities of Kasnitin and Novy Kasnitin where they would find two young men. They were to select one as a groom.

When they arrived at the home of the first young man, they were very favorably impressed. He was an affable young man and very well-versed in Torah. To round off his admirable qualities, he was the son of a wealthy family. What could be better?

"This young man would be a wonderful match for Reb David's daughter," they remarked to one another. "Let's finalize the match now!"

It would have been done on the spot, but one Chasid noted, "Our Rebbe clearly told us to check out both young men, and that is what we must do." The following day, after spending more time conversing with the young man and observing his behavior, they were even more certain that he was the right choice. However, just as they were about to depart, they mistakenly entered one of the rooms of the spacious mansion. To their horror, they saw the young scholar holding a cross.

The Chasidim thanked G-d for having shown them the hidden side of their chosen groom. "How could we have doubted the words of our Rebbe when he told us to meet both prospective grooms!" they concurred.

In the city of Novy Kasnitin they found the second candidate, and he was a fine young man. They concluded the engagement agreement, and the boy's parents sent a costly gift for the intended bride. Of course, custom dictated that a gift of similar value be sent to the groom as well.

Reb David and his daughter were pleased with the reports of the young groom, but as the weeks passed, Reb David could not manage to amass enough money to buy a respectable gift for the future groom.

Soon a letter arrived from the groom's father questioning the silence of the bride's family. No gift, not even a mazal tov, and the wedding date was fast approaching. Poor Reb David was at a complete loss. There seemed to be no way for him to raise the money.

With no solution in sight, he made the trip to Mezibuz to consult the Baal Shem Tov. When the Baal Shem Tov heard his tale of woe he responded, "Just go home and don't worry. It will all turn out very well."

Reb David returned home, and tried to be optimistic, even when a second letter arrived. But when a third letter came from his future in-law announcing his imminent arrival together with the entire wedding party, Reb David fell apart. What could he do, but to travel once again to the Baal Shem Tov?

As Reb David was about to enter the town, he and his travelling companions saw a heavily loaded wagon ahead of them. "There is your salvation!" joked one of the travellers, pointing to the wagon. Little did he suspect the truth of the words he had uttered in jest, for the occupant of the wagon had entered the Besht's room just a moment before Reb David.

Addressing Reb David, the Besht said: "Here is an interesting story: Once in Danzig there was a wealthy merchant named Reuven, who dealt in lumber. As did many other lumber dealers, he shipped his merchandise by sea. Once there was a terrible storm and the merchandise of all of the other merchants was destroyed. Only Reuven's was saved. Now lumber was scarce and Reuven realized a huge profit.

"His troubles, however, had just begun. For his workers became exceedingly jealous of his new-found wealth and went so far as to plot his death. They killed his driver and were about to murder him as well. He begged and pleaded for his life, but they were not swayed. They agreed only to allow him to pray for a few moments. It was during those seconds that Reuven vowed to give half of his fortune to the poor if G-d granted him his life.

"At that moment a nobleman and his retainers approached at a gallop. The would-be murderers fled and a shaken Reuven was rescued.

"Soon, he began to regret his vow. How could he give away such a fortune of money all at once? Instead he would give a little each year until he had paid his pledge. G-d, however, was not satisfied with this plan, and decided that Reuven's fortune would be dispensed of otherwise. Soon his wife took ill, and although great sums were meted out to many doctors, a cure was not found.

" 'Reuven,' said his wife, 'the doctors cannot cure me. Please go to the Baal Shem Tov, and see if he can help.' And here is Reuven, in this room!"

The man had realized that he was the subject of the Baal Shem Tov's story, and he stood in amazement at the accuracy of the details.

"How much money did you spend on doctors?" the Baal Shem Tov inquired. "Was it not more than the sum you had promised to the poor? Now, redeem your pledge and your wife will soon recover."

At that, Reuven poured all his money on the table. It contained the entire sum Reb David had promised as a dowry and more. True to the words of the Baal Shem Tov, the wedding was celebrated joyfully, and the young couple lived happy and content.