Reb Bunim of Peshichsa did not follow the “standard” pathway to becoming a Rebbe. Before he became Rebbe, he was a successful businessman who traveled all over Europe conducting business. When he became Rebbe, some were wary of him due to his unusual background. But it soon became clear that even the business trips he took in his younger years were all opportunities he used to connect with Yidden throughout his travels and draw them closer to Hashem.
Every interaction he had was approached with the mindset of understanding where each Yid was holding and what he could do to bring them closer to Yiddishkeit. The business itself was really the secondary purpose of the trip. Before long, he was recognized as one of the greatest Tzadikim in the generation.
Reb Bunim once shared with his chassidim that there were three instances in his life when he davened for something and Hashem immediately answered his tefillah. He then went on to tell his chassidim two of them, with the third remaining a mystery. The following are those two stories.
Camel Café
The first story happened when he was sitting in a café, having a business meeting with another Yid who was not very religious. Right away, Reb Bunim’s focus became to think about what he could do to inspire his fellow Jew and draw him closer to Yiddishkeit.
When it came time to order, they each asked for a cup of coffee. Reb Bunim requested his coffee black, while the other fellow asked for coffee with milk. During the conversation, the businessman couldn’t resist asking Reb Bunim why he took his coffee black. After all, they had previously met elsewhere, and at that time, Reb Bunim had asked for milk.
The reason for this change was that the establishment they were in did not have cholov yisroel milk, so he took it black. At the previous business meeting in a different location, he was able to get cholov yisroel. Reb Bunim understood that this was a perfect opportunity to teach his fellow Jew about the concept of cholov yisroel.
He explained that cholov yisroel means that the process of obtaining the milk was supervised by a Jew. Without such supervision, there is a concern that the milk might come from a non-kosher animal, which would render it non-kosher.
The businessman laughed. “Do you really think they would serve milk that isn’t from a cow? That’s such an unlikely possibility! Why would they serve anything else? Of course it’s from a cow!”
At that point, Reb Bunim offered a silent prayer to Hashem, asking Him to show this Yid that if Chazal established such a precaution, it was for a good reason.
Immediately, a waitress came over to their table and asked how the coffee was. Reb Bunim said it was wonderful, but the other Yid went even further, raving about how this was one of the best coffees he had ever had. “What’s your secret?” he asked.
The waitress replied, “You know why today’s coffee might be better than usual? It’s because today, instead of using cow’s milk, we used camel milk. Camel milk is richer and smoother. Maybe that’s why it tastes so good.”
And with that, Reb Bunim was able to demonstrate to his fellow Jew the wisdom and value of the words of Chazal.
Poker Face
The second story took place when Reb Bunim had some business dealings with a group of young men. One of them, he knew, was Jewish, although his lifestyle was far removed from Yiddishkeit. Reb Bunim began thinking of a way to build a relationship with him, so he could draw him closer to Hashem.
He quickly discovered that the young man’s favorite pastime was playing poker. Now he had found an “in,” and he understood that playing poker would be a great way to build a relationship with him. The only problem was that Reb Bunim had never played poker in his life and had no idea how to play! But he also knew that he could not ask them how to play! If he revealed that he didn’t know how to play, it would defeat the whole purpose, as it would show that they didn’t really have much in common.
So he decided to simply join the game without asking for instructions. As the game began and the cards were dealt, Reb Bunim offered a silent prayer to Hashem, asking Him to help him win the game — without anyone realizing that he didn’t even know how to play.
And so it was that Hashem answered his tefillah immediately. Reb Bunim didn’t know the rules, but he managed to play perfectly. He followed the lead of the other players to know when it was his turn, and when everyone threw up their hands and muttered, “There he goes—he won again,” he knew it was time to take the money from the pile.
When the young man saw what an “expert” Reb Bunim was at poker, it melted the ice between them. From there, a relationship developed, and eventually, Reb Bunim was able to bring him back to Torah and mitzvos.
Take It to Go
Hashem should help us to find ways to engage with our fellow Jews and draw them closer. When we daven to Hashem for help in bringing Yidden closer, may we be zocheh to see, like Reb Bunim did, that Hashem always helps answer those tefillos.
Hashem should bring all Yidden – ourselves included! — back to Him, and we should see brachos ad bli dai.
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 49.