אות - קסב

One person from Zlatipola told me: when Rabbainu o.b.m. was residing in Zlatipola, once in the summer Rabbainu o.b.m. prayed early in the morning and afterward sent his young daughter Sarah, may she live, to call him. And he came to Rabbainu o.b.m., and Rabbainu o.b.m. said to him: Come with me to walk. And he walked with him outside the town among the grasses. Rabbainu o.b.m. answered and said: If you merited to hear the voice of the songs and praises of the grasses — how every blade of grass sings a song to Hashem Yisburach without ulterior motive and without any strange thoughts, and they do not await any reward or payment — how beautiful and pleasant when one hears their song! And it is very good to be pious [frum] among them in the service of Hashem. (And he said it in German: "Es iz zeyer gut frum tzu zayn tsvishn zey" [It is very good to be pious among them].) Afterward they walked further and came near a certain hill (called "Magila") that was near the town. And he asked him: what is this? And he answered him and told him the matter of that Magila. And he said to him that he should go with him there. And they entered there. And when they entered there they could not be seen from outside at all, for the aforementioned hill was hollow inside and somewhat deep within. And Rabbainu o.b.m. entered there with the aforementioned man. And Rabbainu o.b.m. sat down there on the ground and took from his sleeve pocket the book "Shaarei Zion" and began to say it, and wept very very greatly. And he went on from page to page and wept very greatly — without stopping. And the man stood next to him and held his tobacco pouch, and stood astonished and saw his very great weeping. And he remained there a long time doing this. And when he stopped weeping — he commanded the aforementioned man to go out and look outside where the day stands. And he went out and saw that the day had already passed and the sun was inclining to set. And he had lingered thus in his weeping close to a full summer day without stopping. Afterward he commanded him to bring fire and smoked the pipe, and sat a little and they went out. And he said to him: there will be a time when it will be very difficult to draw near to him. But I am now in your hands. And you and Rabbi Yaakov Yosef (335) — if you wish, I am able to make from you Tzadikim like myself.

335. RAK: Rabbi Yaakov Yosef of Zlatipola — Rabbainu's father-in-law [of his second marriage]. His son Aaron married Chayah the daughter of Rabbainu.