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Thursday, November 6, 2008

Introduction

A Story

Once upon a time in Galicia, Poland a beautiful bride was waiting for her Chosson to come to the wedding.

Due to a series of unavoidable events, the Chosson and Kallah had never met.

She knew her parents only wanted the best for her, and that he was a very learned and pious man, so she waited in trepidation and expectation.
Finally a carriage pulled up and she stared intently trying to catch her first sight of her Chosson. As he stepped out of the carriage she saw her future husband for the first time.

Unfortunately she categorically refused to marry him! Her Chosson might be pious, and learned and all the things her parents wished for her, but she would not marry a cripple!!!

Her parents, the Rov and all who could influence her were called on to try and change her mind, to no avail. Finally the Chosson himself begged for 5 minutes alone with his Kallah.

After five minutes, the Kallah came out smiling, and ready for the wedding.

It is told that the Chosson told his Kallah that, forty days before the embryo is formed a bas kol goes out and announces 'so and so will marry so and so.'" When he heard the Bas Kol announcing the birth of his future Kallah, he asked to be zoche to see her. He was shown a beautiful girl who was afflicted with a terrible limp. The Chosson then davened that he should be the one afflicted with the limp, not his beautiful Kallah.

When the kallah heard this she immediately agreed to marry him.

Who was this couple? Rebbe Chaim of Sanz* and his wife Rochel.

[*Rabbi Chaim Halberstam of Sanz [1793 - 10 Nissan 1876] was the first Rebbe of the Sanz-Klausenberg dynasty. He is famous for his extraordinary dedication to the mitzvah of tzedaka and also as a renowned Torah scholar; his voluminous and wide-ranging writings were all published under the title Divrei Chaim.]

1 comments:

Desperate Faith said...

Wow, that is a beautiful story! So encouraging... :-)