28th of Teves, The Vigor of Shabbos in Skver

The 28th of the month of teves is a day of thanksgiving in Skverer communities worldwide. It was on this date that the second Skverer Rebbe, Reb Dovid'l (1848-1919), as he was affectionately known, survived a great fall and a number of serious bodily injuries. A seudah hoda'ah (meal of thanksgiving) is held by Skverer chassidim on this date.

The Rebbe made his residence in Skvira, and later in Kiev after the outbreak of the Russian Revolution. The following story takes place during one the Rebbe's visits to the Romanian city of Kishinev. Interestingly enough, Kishinev in Romanian means "water" or "flowing water," and the story happens to take place in a mikvah (ritual bath). Although reserved and understated, in the style of Skverer chassidus, Reb Dovidl's influence was great. Upon his first visit to Kishinev he made so many new chassidim that they began work on a Skverer shtiebl a few days into his trip.

During a subsequent visit one shabbos the Rebbe had been up late into the night learning. He suddenly felt the urge to go to the mikveh. As he was still somewhat unfamiliar with the mikveh he had to feel his way around at the top of the stairs in the pitch dark. Trying to find his way he tripped and went tumbling down the entire flight of stairs, and landed straight in the mikveh with a great splash. A non-Jew who lived next door to the mikveh was awoken, and he wasn't very happy. He figured that an animal must have been wandering about in the darkness of night, and fallen down the steps to the mikvah. He grabbed a long stick and made his way there. As he approached the water he saw only a vague form, and began prodding and jabbing this form with the stick. The form in the dark only splashed around, but would not make its way out of the mikveh. So he began to poke and prod even harder. The Rebbe at this point was practically unconscious, and lying face down in the water, finally let out a scream. Upon realizing that this was, in fact, a human being, this non-Jew helped lift the Rebbe out of the water, and apologized profusely. He helped him up the stairs, apologized again, and bid him goodnight. The Rebbe, beat up and barely able to walk, then realized: he hadn't toivled (immersed) properly. He made his way back down the stairs in the dark, and went into the mikveh, this time with the proper kavanah (holy intentions).

Shabbos day was one remembered well by the chassidim of Kishinev. The Rebbe was inordinately fiery, and his davening was exuberant. His energy and enthusiasm at the tish were beyond his normal capacity. All was well.

After shabbos the Rebbe began to have pains, and a doctor was summoned. During the examination the Rebbe collapsed to the floor, and fell unconscious. With broken bones and wounds to the body the Rebbe would spend the next few months in bed. He would, however, survive. What the doctor couldn't figure out was how he made it standing from the night before, never mind his energy at davening, his words of Torah, and the tish. It was only for the sake of shabbos that the Rebbe was able to leave his physical body behind.


In a related incident, Reb Asher of Pshedborz, father of the Yid Hakadosh of P'shischa, passed away on a Friday in the year 1798. Since the funeral took place just before shabbos, the Yid Hakadosh, Reb Yaakov Yitzchak, spent shabbos in Pshedborz. Gedolim, talmidei chachomim, machers, and the rest of the town came out to lay eyes on Reb Yaakov Yitzchak. And over shabbos they could not believe what they saw. Hours after his father's passing, Reb Yaakov Yitzchak's face was radiant! He conducted himself Friday night as he would any other shabbos throughout the year. He presided at the tish, his face alight. He gave over glowing words of Torah, and led the zemiros. And on shabbos day he davened with a fiery passion. He was b'simcha throughout the day, and the chassidim became annoyed. After all, his beloved father, their beloved Rebbe, had passed away just the day before. It is known that one is forbidden to mourn on shabbos, but dancing and singing to boot? The end of shabbos came, and someone recited havdalah. As the chassidim began to sing "hamavdil," Reb Yaakov Yitchak fell off of his chair and began to wail. He pulled at his hair and banged on the ground. He lay four hours prostrate on the ground in his grief. It was only then that the locals began to get a glimpse of just who the Reb Yaakov Yitzchak, the Yid Hakadosh, was. It was all for the sake of shabbos.

Gerrer Rebbe and a shabbos driver

In light of all the rioting and kana'us (zealotry) in Jerusalem against the desecration of shabbos over the past month I think it would be nice to take account of the following two stories, one involving the Gerrer Rebbe.



When the forth Gerrer Rebbe, the Beis Yisroel, lived in Haifa, his chassidim would gather under the balcony to his house every seudas shlishis (third meal on shabbos), and the Rebbe would give over his most inspirational words of Torah for the week. On one particular shabbos, after the chassidim had congregated under the balcony, the Rebbe was nowhere to be seen. His chassidim looked around until someone spotted the Rebbe at the corner, bent over, talking to someone in a car at a red light. Word spread among the group, and no one could believe the site. There was the Rebbe talking to someone in a car on shabbos! A few chassidim rushed over, and overheard the following being said by the Rebbe in a voice of great enthusiasm: "Yes, it's yours too! It doesn't only belong to me, it belongs to you, as well! Shabbos is for every Jew. It doesn't matter that I dress one way and that you dress another. Each one of us is a tzelem Elokim (created in the image of G-d). Perhaps you've never been privileged to experience the joys of shabbos, so now it is time!" With that the Rebbe invited the man in the car over for the following shabbos. He pointed to the house, and told him that he would be in for otherworldly pleasures if he were to come. The man became a frequent guest of the Rebbe and, in time, became shomer shabbos.

In a similar story a number of years ago there was a young rebel who decided to go speeding through the streets of Mea Shearim on a shabbos afternoon with his radio at full volume. As you could imagine, the indignant shouts of "shabbos, shabbos!" could be heard block in and block out. The indentations on the car from the stones hurled by angry chassidim had already become evident after a few blocks. But at the end of a long street, up which this driver was heading, stood a chosid. Bedecked in shtreimel, bekishe, and full shabbos regalia, he stood firmly and resolutely in the middle of the street with his hand straight out. The driver had no choice but to stop. The chosid let down his arm, and walked to the driver's side of the car. "How would you like to come to my house for a shabbos meal?" he asked warmly with a bright smile on his face. "How would I like to what???" asked the driver." The chosid repeated, "how would you like to come to my house for a shabbos meal? I would love to have you at my house for a shabbos meal." The driver was dumbfounded. What happened to all of the yelling? What happened to all of the hateful stares? After all, that was the purpose of his drive through the neighborhood on shabbos. He literally didn't know how to react. The chosid continued, "perhaps you've never celebrated a shabbos in full form. I want to show you what it's like. I would really love to have you over next week." After a few more minutes of convincing, the driver really didn't know what else to do, but accept. He took the address, managed to find a yarmulke the next week, and actually made it to the chosid's house for shabbos. The rebel had no idea that one day he would become shomer shabbos.

If some of these kana'im would just do something positive; invite someone less religious over for a shabbos meal, or learn with someone secular once a week. There are so, so many possibilities for improving the world.

40 years in the midbar (desert), and the Torah records only one act of zealotry, Pinchas. This was the exalted generation that experienced the highest levels of prophesy at kriyas yam suf (the splitting of the Sea of Reeds). This was the generation that received the Torah at har sinai, and heard the voice of G-d. And only one act of zealotry. So for people who belong to a generation that has sunken so low to pick up bottles and pick up rocks, and set fires and do worse... This clearly isn't in the spirit of living a Jewish life.