אות - רמח

A certain man stood before him in a village — his name, etc. And he was a distinguished Kabbalist and scholar. But his way was to always be in anger at his workers and servants and the like, and he struck them and similar behavior. Rabbainu, o.b.m., answered and said: Why is it written (Bereishis 38:7): "And Er, the firstborn of Yehudah, was evil in the eyes of Hashem"? Why does it say evil [ra] and not wicked [rasha]? (And see in the holy Zohar (I, 57a) which notes this exact precision as well.) Only: one who commits the transgression of Er, Heaven forbid, is always evil — meaning he is always an evil and wrathful man [in German, "beyz"]. And Rabbainu, o.b.m., said no more. And immediately when that man heard these words, he was shaken backward and great trembling and shaking and fear and terror fell upon him — immense and awesome beyond measure and reckoning — and he bowed his stature. And he could not lift his head. And he could no longer stand at all before the awesome holiness of Rabbainu, o.b.m. And he slipped out of the house to the outside and began to weep and wept very greatly with a flood of tears. And he greatly beseeched the teacher of his son — who was his son's teacher and was from Rabbainu's people — to bring him close to Rabbainu, o.b.m. And afterward Rabbainu, o.b.m., saw that upon the rafter above him there lay a book. And he asked what book it was. And it became known that it was a Kabbalistic work. And Rabbainu, o.b.m., told him that it was not fitting for him to study Kabbalah, etc. Afterward he traveled after Rabbainu, o.b.m. And when he returned home he repented greatly and chose for himself a special room and sat there and engaged in Torah and prayer with great arousal for several weeks. But afterward he returned to his anger. But even so he always followed after Rabbainu, o.b.m. And Rabbainu, o.b.m., told that teacher mentioned above to remain with him further — for when it is good to have one upright person near him sometimes for an hour per day. Afterward when he returned to his evil anger as mentioned, he had a quarrel with his servant and refused to pay him. And the servant stood up and went on foot from the village to the city where Rabbainu, o.b.m., was — with a great complaint against him. And Rabbainu, o.b.m., was very, very displeased with him. Afterward Rabbainu, o.b.m., began to defend him before the servant and said to him: What to do — for he is poor and has nothing to pay you, etc. And there is more to relate about this incident, etc. And in truth if we wish to relate the incidents that occurred with Rabbainu, o.b.m., and his people — even what occurred with the least of the least — the multitudes of scrolls would be exhausted and the ear would not be filled from hearing. And already Rabbainu, o.b.m., said that there will be many stories from his people — from each and every one many stories will be told. And one who was accustomed to be before his awesome holiness could see great and awesome wonders at every moment and every second. And the essential novelties and awesome wonders we saw from him, o.b.m., are only in the matter of drawing Israel close to their Father in Heaven — that immediately when someone entered before him and wished to draw close to Hashem Yisburach, he was immediately transformed into literally another person. And the great fear and arousal and blazing and thoughts of repentance in truth and truth that he instilled in each and every person who merited to stand before him — it is impossible to explain and tell even if all the days were ink, etc. For nothing like this was ever seen or heard in the world — that someone aroused toward Hashem Yisburach so greatly with such arousal as his — for every person in the world from great to small.