טז

R' Reuven Yosef dwelt in the city of Hoyssin, whose inhabitants were followers of the Rav of Savran. When the anash of Breslov were traveling to Uman — the road passing through the city of Hoyssin — they would sleep at the home of the aforementioned Reuven Yosef, and he would welcome them warmly and with food and drink for all their needs. Some years before the aforementioned dispute, the anash passed through there on the 28th of Adar in order to arrive the next day, Erev Rosh Chodesh Nissan, at the holy tziyun in Uman. When they came to the house of the aforementioned R' Reuven Yosef, they found him lying on his bed with a dangerous illness, close to death, unable to taste anything, nor able any longer to speak. When the anash saw this, their hearts ached greatly over it — both out of their love for him, and for the loss of such a good and precious lodging which would be lost through his death, for they had already despaired in their hearts. They accepted upon themselves that when they arrived the next day, Erev Rosh Chodesh, at the holy tziyun in Uman, their first request and prayer would be for his recovery — for Hashem Yisborach is abundant in salvation. And so they did; and through the mercies of Hashem Yisborach their prayer was accepted. And I heard from my father za'l who grew up in his house — for he was the uncle of my father za'l, and he himself was standing there — that at this very hour in the morning of Erev Rosh Chodesh, when the anash were praying at the holy tziyun for his recovery, there was a turn for the better; and from then onward he began to recover day by day until he was completely healed. But afterward, when some years passed and the fire of the aforementioned dispute was aroused, and the letters of the Savraner went forth and spread — R' Reuven Yosef became afraid of the opponents that they would do him harm; so his household members began to speak to his heart to travel to the Rav of Savran to humble himself before him. And he was persuaded by their words, imagining it was clear to him that if he did not humble himself and travel to him, the opponents would certainly kill him. And when he came to the house of the Rav of Savran, he commanded him to give a handshake [tekias kaf] pledging not to let Moharan"as or his people lodge at his home. And there, in the assembly of the followers who surrounded him as he stood before the Rav — if he had not agreed to his words, they certainly would have beaten him murderously, as had once happened to a Rav who was not at all of the anash, against whom the Rav of Savran had a grievance for other reasons; that Rav sat at the table of the Rav of Savran but did not wish to humble himself sufficiently before him, and his followers beat him on his left side until he fell ill and died. And because of all this, the aforementioned Reuven Yosef humbled himself and gave him the handshake. He returned home afterward and was immediately punished upon his arrival home — for his aforementioned illness returned upon him and weighed heavily until he passed away. And then they saw with open eyes that all his life and his recovery from his illness had been solely through the prayer of Moharan"as's people at the tziyun of Admor zatzal.