אות - רנ

I heard in his name that he said: Why worry about livelihood? Is there truly any concern or worry except perhaps that one might die of hunger if one has no livelihood? And what of it if one dies? For even without this one must die.

During the days of Elul and the Ten Days of Repentance and the Awesome Days until Hoshana Rabbah,[434] he commanded several people to recite all the books of Tanach from beginning to end. And he himself also practiced this several times. He also completed several books during those days, and I do not remember to explain them well.

434. RAK: The last day of Sukkos — the conclusion of the days of judgment. (Jerusalem Talmud, Rosh HaShanah 4:8; Zohar II, 142; III, 32; Rokach 221; Ramban on the Torah, Bamidbar 14:9; Sefer Chassidim 453.)

I heard in his name that he said: When one draws close to the true Tzadik, one tastes the flavor of the Garden of Eden. For it is brought in the holy Zohar (II, 166b): that the Tzadik is the "guardian of the garden" [gananah d'ginta].

A certain man who was childless was one of Rabbainu's people. And once he was in the house of Rabbainu, o.b.m., and it was a day when several childless people entered before him and beseeched him to help them. And that man mentioned — one of his people — also entered, and he too requested for children. He replied to him: What is this noise? Is it not the case that the primary offspring of the righteous are good deeds[435] — and this is the essence? Therefore the primary request should be for Jewishness — that you merit to go in the right path, etc. Certainly if it is possible to merit physical children — certainly how good. But the essence is to set one's heart to draw close to Hashem Yisburach — for this is the essential offspring, etc., as mentioned above. And from that time on, that man mentioned stopped pressing him for children and went and engaged only in the service of Hashem as is the way of Rabbainu's people.

Afterward again another time Rabbainu was there and childless people also entered before him and beseeched him for children. And that man mentioned from his people no longer opened his mouth to beseech him about this. And Rabbainu, o.b.m., began of his own accord and told him: Even so it is good that you should have children. And told him: Go and bring me a hundred silver rubles, and he went quickly and brought them to him. And that same night was a night of immersion and his wife conceived and she gave birth to a son. May it be His will that they merit to raise him for Torah and for marriage and for good deeds. Amen.

435. RAK: Rashi, Bereishis 6:9.