Baruch pressed a button on the mailbox and went back in time in his neighbor’s Time Machine, where he met the great Ribnitzer Rebbe. Now he is returning back to the current day, hungry to go home for supper. Or at least that’s where he thought he was going…
Baruch spun and spun… and then the tunnel disappeared, and he landed. Wherever it was that he landed was quite muddy – and rainy. Storefronts and occasional large oil lamps on poles lined the street. Horses pulled carts down the muddy road. Baruch stood up to clean himself off, and saw two men walking past him. One wore a fur hat and a coat with a fur lining, the other’s coat was full of holes, his hat patchy and worn. The two men were walking towards an inn. Baruch, feeling cold himself, followed them.
The inn was dimly lit, and many peasants milled about, drinking, laughing, playing cards. “Elimelech, I guess this is where we are staying the night.” “Zusha, it definitely seems so,” said the other. Baruch froze. Elimelech? Zusha? Reb Elimelech of Lizhensk? Reb Zusha of Anipoli?! Baruch yelped in surprise. He expected the two tzadikim to turn his way, but it was as if they couldn’t even hear him at all… strange. The innkeeper came up, wiping his hands on his apron. “What do you two want?!” Reb Elimelech answered, ” We simply want a place to sleep for the night.” “Okay, look – I’ve no more beds. But you can sleep here, next to the stove. Now hurry up!” He pointed to the ground next to a huge oven that was heating the room. The two tzadikim thanked the man and got ready to sleep.
They said “Shema” – (Baruch had never seen anything like it!) – and laid down on the floor: Reb Zusha on the left and Reb Elimelech on the right, next to the oven.
It only took a few minutes. One of the peasants, looking for fun, stumbled over to the oven. “Zhid! Zhid, wake up! Wake up!” He grabbed Reb Zushe and stood him up. Reb Zusha looked confused. The peasant gave Reb Zusha a shove and screamed, “Dance!” Reb Zusha… began to dance in the middle of the room. As he danced, the peasants jeered and screamed, threw plates and bottles at Reb Zusha, and punched him and kicked him as he went by. After about a half hour, the peasants collapsed in a fit of laughter, enjoying their joke. “Go back to sleep!” the ringleader gasped through peels of laughter. Reb Zusha, sore and aching, crept back to his “bed”. However, a few minutes later, the drunks were back. They pulled up Reb Zusha and made him dance – the blows coming harder this time. When they were done, they tossed Reb Zusha back in the corner. Baruch couldn’t believe what he was seeing! Reb Elimelech couldn’t stand it either. “ Zusha,” he whispered, “change places with me. Next time they’ll take me instead. They only took you because you were closer.” Reb Elimelech took his place on the outside, and Reb Zusha, in pain, laid down next to the oven.
Sure enough soon the ruffians were back. As they were about to pull Reb Elimelech up, one of them yelled across the room, “Igor, lay off that one! We already bothered him twice! Have some pity!” The ringleader laughed and, instead of bothering the Jew sleeping on the left, grabbed the one sleeping next to the oven…. Reb Zusha…again.
Reb Zusha spun and danced and faced the same torture as before. Finally finished, he crawled back to the oven. Reb Elimelech, crying, said, “My dear heiligeh brother! I’m so sorry! I… “ Reb Zisha shushed him. “It had nothing to do with you. We see from here, that if someone deserves petch, he’ll get it no matter what he does. So too, if someone deserves goodness from Shomayim, Hashem will get it to him. Not to worry.”
The ruffians seemed to have had enough fun for the night, and they started to file out of the tavern – at least the ones who could still walk.
Baruch stood frozen to the spot, shocked by the emunah of Reb Zusha and all he had seen that night. Frozen that is, until he began to spin…
To be continued…
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 20.