Story #1
The Kotzker Rebbe was returning home to his town by train. His compartment had three other passengers who wanted to play cards. But they needed a fourth to play. They asked him to join them, but the Rebbe (who was not known to them) declined to play saying he preferred to sit and study. The three men wouldn’t take no for an answer. They insisted he play. Still the Rebbe refused. Things got out of hand and a tussle ensued. But their train station was announced and one by one they got off the train.
To the great surprise of the three others the Rebbe was welcomed home by a throng of his hasidim.
The three men were now terribly embarrassed by their treatment of this great rabbi. They had no idea who he was! They decided to visit the Rebbe the next day to beg forgiveness.
The next day they knocked on the door of the rabbi’s home and were greeted by his son. They told him that they wanted to speak to the Rabbi and apologize for how they had treated him on the train.
The son told his father, but in reply the Rabbi told his son to tell the three men that they were mistaken. They hadn’t mistreated him nor were they disrespectful to him!
The three men couldn’t believe or understand what they were told. Upon their continuing to attempt to apologize, the Rebbe finally appeared and explained to them: You misunderstand, you didn’t offend me. You offended the person you thought I was. Only when you found out that I was a rabbi welcomed by my hasidim did you think you needed to apologize.
In order for you to be forgiven, you need to go out and find someone you don’t know or recognize and apologize and beg forgiveness from them!
Story #2 A hasid came to talk to the Kotzker Rebbe about a problem he had. Whenever he davened or sat and learned Torah he kept having intrusive thoughts interrupt his kavannah. He became so distracted that he couldn’t concentrate on his prayers or on his torah learning.
His Rebbe thought for a minute and then told him: “Just stop those thoughts! Just stop them!”
The hasid heard the rabbi, but he protested, “you don’t understand me. It’s not so simple!”
The rabbi told him to go home and think about it and come back again in a day or so.
In the meantime the Rebbe told two of his attendants to go immediately to the home of that hasid and tell the wife that the Rebbe said to take his furniture in out of the house and put it down in front. Tell the wife not to worry. Everything will be put right back soon.
So the hasid returned home and saw his furniture being put outside! He yelled at the men. “What are you doing! Put all the furniture back in the house, NOW!” The attendants did so and told the hasid “Go talk to the Rebbe.”
When the Hasid returned to his Rebbe, he couldn’t understand what that was all about!
The Rebbe explained-“You’re very much in control about what happens in your life on the outside…on your חיצוניות, you need to sharpen your skills on controlling all the things on your inside…your פנימיות! You can do it.
Rabbi Gershon Weissman
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