Chapter Fourteen: The Story of Rav Tzvi Rozental

Rav Tzvi Rozental was a distinguished student of the Chofetz Chaim. He came to Teveriah and I said to him that our holy Rabbenu is a matter exceedingly hidden from the world: "If you will put your mind and heart into the words of Rabbenu, something entirely different will happen to you!"

I said to him: "Rav Tzvi — today there is the book Likutay Moharan, and the whole world does not know what it is!"

So he began to study and he became a Breslov Chassid — ahh! A Breslov Chassid? His wife, his father-in-law, and the entire family all said: "What is this — Breslov!"

He said to them: "I want to be in Breslov…"

When Rav Tzvi Rozental drew close to Rabbenu, Hashem arranged that Providence worked in this way: he went out from his home to pray vatikin [at sunrise, the most auspicious time for prayer] on a Friday — and did not return all day. He saw that he was in danger, so he took his tallis and tefillin and went to pray. After prayer he would normally come home to eat and drink — but this time he did not return home.

The whole family waited every moment: "Now he will come, now he will come. How is this possible — one goes to pray and does not return?" He had left behind his father-in-law, his wife, and also his small children — and he went to Yerushalayim…

In short — the whole city came to me that I should tell them where Rav Tzvi was. Should I tell them he had gone to Yerushalayim? So I said: "I do not know."

They asked at the police: "Where is Rav Tzvi?" And the police did not know. His wife searched every synagogue — and he was nowhere. Shabbos came and he was nowhere…

There was a commotion throughout the city: "Rav Tzvi Rozental went to pray and did not return — see what the Breslovers do! On Friday, Shabbos eve, they took Rav Tzvi — he has a wife and small children — and he vanished. Who knows where he is."

Some people said the Breslovers had sent him to Uman — since Uman is the central thing for them: "He is already a Breslov Chassid." Others said: "Perhaps he is in Tzfas, perhaps in Yerushalayim." In any case no one knew where he was. But this was known — that Rav Hirsh [as Rav Tzvi was also called] had disappeared and was gone.

They sent on Friday eve — close to candle-lighting — one of the strong men of Teveriah who knew how to ride a horse like an airplane. He rode to Tzfas, where Rav Tzvi had family — they thought that perhaps because of an argument at home he had gone to Tzfas. They sent this strong man to Tzfas and he rode and managed to return to Teveriah and report that he had visited the entire area and the family — and Rav Tzvi was nowhere…

The whole city was in such an uproar: "The Breslovers — the Breslovers who took Rav Hirsh from his family on Friday! He went to pray and is gone." In any case they lit the Shabbos candles and Rav Tzvi was nowhere, nowhere, nowhere. The children and the family were weeping: "What kind of Shabbos is this — where is Rav Tzvi?"

And his wife and my mother and my wife also — they went to Rabbi Yisroel Kardoner's house and threw stones: "Where is Rav Tzvi, where is Rav Tzvi!"

Rabbi Yisroel had quite a Shabbos… They smashed all his vessels — they paid no attention to the desecration of Shabbos. They smashed the water jug that held three or four containers of water — smashed. All the stones of Teveriah were thrown toward Rabbi Yisroel. At night they were forced to sleep, so they took a break and went to sleep — but in the morning early they all rose and went with weeping: "Where is Rav Tzvi?! What is this — the Breslovers cause such troubles that people could die. What is this!"

In any case already on Friday they went to the mukhtar [the local authority, head official]. And the mukhtar looked for things like this because he loved money — he could take money from the families of both Rav Tzvi and Yisroel Ber, and there would be good business in it. So he said to his wife: "Regarding the Breslovers — everything is believable. I think they sent him to Uman. He is not in Yerushalayim, he is not in Tzfas — they sent him to Uman." The British were at war with Turkey: "Nu — this is espionage. By the Breslovers there is no relevance to war."

In any case my mother, my wife, and the family came to the prison and saw me through the windows. They said to me: "What is happening? You left in the middle of the prayer."

A few hours passed until the senior official came — the governor over the police and over everything. He already knew that he had a good friend — the mukhtar; whatever he told the mukhtar, he did. And the mukhtar, the informer, already knew what he had to do. So the mukhtar came and took me out from the prison to the senior officer — the general — and he spoke forcefully. He was a general. He said to me: "Tell us where Rav Tzvi is!"

First they laid me on the floor and raised my legs upward, and they took a rope and bound my hands — strong iron bonds. And there was one policeman on this side and one policeman on that side, and my legs were up, and they said to me: "If you tell us where Rav Tzvi is — good. If not… then you will die! We will beat you to death!"

And my family heard how he was speaking to me — and they feared that if they beat me I would die. Arab policemen give murderous blows. There was weeping — my mother and my wife. They bound me and I lay with my legs up, and they held the sticks. And the officer said to me: "Tell us where Rav Tzvi is!"

I said: "I think he went to Yerushalayim."

He said to me: "Know that we have an emissary — a soldier. If they do not find him, we will kill you — you will die. We will beat you until death. Tell the truth!"

I said: "This is the truth. Hashem knows this."

So they released me and sent men on Shabbos on the road to Yerushalayim to search for Rav Tzvi…

Rabbi Yisroel Kardoner and I were in danger. They said of us that we were spies. Russia was at war with Turkey, and the Turks said we had sent men to Russia — we were in danger of being spies. There were miracles from Heaven. In any case on Motza'ai Shabbos [the night following Shabbos] they found Rav Tzvi in Afula and said to him: "Know that Yisroel Ber and Rabbi Yisroel are in prison and in great danger. Return with us — we will take you in the automobile." He heard that it was danger, so he returned with them and they came back to Teveriah on Motza'ai Shabbos. But my family wanted me released from prison to go home — and the law was: "At night no one is released. If he is in prison he must wait until morning. At night there are no releases!"

But the mukhtar and the officer knew how to manage — and they released me on Motza'ai Shabbos at night…

But I forgot about the three wealthy men of Teveriah…

Oy — they were already among the new Zionists and they mocked all of Judaism and Torah. But even so they were native-born sons of Eretz Yisroel. The eldest among them had a flour mill and was a respected and wise man. His family — his father and grandfather had been Chassidim — so he wore his shtreimel tilted to the side according to the fashion, and he walked with his two friends. He was not old, but compared to them he was the elder. His name was Yisroel ben Zalman — Zunins.

And the two others: one was the owner of the largest pharmacy in Teveriah — a wonder even in Yerushalayim. He knew his craft well and was a great expert. That was the second one.

And the third was Leibl — Aryeh. He was the largest timber merchant in Teveriah.

So these three were friends and mocked Judaism — like the Chochom [Wise One] of the Sipuray Maasiyos [Rabbenu's Stories]. They made a mockery of it: "Going to pray!" They went to the synagogue — but as a performance, a joke. That is how they went to synagogue.

Fine — they went to the synagogue, and the house of Rabbi Yisroel was between all the synagogues. They saw a great commotion — the whole city was in an uproar. And also my family and Rav Tzvi's family were near Rabbi Yisroel's house, crying and shouting. These three, for the first time in their lives, heard such a commotion. They had never seen such a large gathering in the world. So they asked: "What is this commotion? What is here? This is a synagogue — people are praying. What happened, what occurred?"

"You haven't heard?! Yisroel Ber has become a Breslov Chassid."

"Nu — we heard. What of it?"

"They took Rav Tzvi and he vanished — he went to pray on Friday and did not return."

They heard such news — what a spectacle! So they went to the door of Rabbi Yisroel's house. It was closed — he had shut the door. He was praying Shacharis [the morning prayer]. What a prayer it was — ho… I did not hear the prayer myself, but I heard that people said it split the heavens, that it was such a prayer…

For my family and Rav Tzvi's family stood at Rabbi Yisroel's door, and Mordechai the mukhtar also stood there with policemen. They waited for Rabbi Yisroel to finish his prayer so they could take him outside. Outside they could take him; from inside the house it was forbidden to take him — but from outside it was permitted. Such was the law.

In any case these three waited at Rabbi Yisroel's door and found Mordechai the mukhtar there. And they heard Rabbi Yisroel's prayer… Fear fell upon them! They had never in their lives heard such a prayer. Ho… And they were truly aroused to dedicate their hearts to Judaism.

And all of them — Yisroel of the flour mill and the other two — said to Mordechai the mukhtar: "Go away from here!" They were a powerful group — he feared them. They were not simple people. They told him to go — and he immediately went. They remained; they did not go to the synagogue to pray. They waited until Rabbi Yisroel finished the Shmoneh Esray of the Shabbos prayer. They knocked on the door and spoke with Rabbi Yisroel: "We have sent Mordechai the mukhtar away from here. We want to speak with you."

So he opened the door and they entered. They were sharp and wise — but they were utterly annulled before the prayer that had been there of Rabbi Yisroel. They asked him several questions and he answered them one by one, first to first and last to last. He answered them all. They were in awe — they had never in their lives heard such words. They asked Rabbi Yisroel their foolish questions: "What is this Breslov and the other Chassidic groups, and all of them — the religious… What do you have from the tzadikim, from the wicked…" They asked in mockery — and Rabbi Yisroel answered them truly, with wisdom. He gave them a complete answer. And they were utterly annulled before Rabbi Yisroel and loved him for everything he spoke with them — and they drew close to Rabbenu and supported him.

On Sunday I was afraid — perhaps the mukhtar wanted money and would come again and take me back to prison: "Money — where is Rav Tzvi?" Money — money above all else. So I found a place near the synagogue — a hidden place where no one could see. I was there all day near the synagogue. Perhaps Mordechai the mukhtar would come with police — then no one would know where I was and he could search. In any case I was there until Minchah [the afternoon prayer]. At Minchah I came up to the synagogue from the place where I had been — to pray Minchah and hear Kedushah. Then the elder Rav Kehas came, and also the father of Rav Tzvi Rozental's wife was there, and they were friends. Rav Kehas went to pray Minchah and heard that the police had taken Mordechai the mukhtar to Istanbul — there was a great accusation against him that he was a spy. So Rav Kehas said: "This is the doing of Rabbi Yisroel Kardoner — Rabbi Yisroel gave the mukhtar his punishment. Hashem gave him his punishment for that Shabbos." They took the mukhtar — and from that time he vanished. Teveriah never saw him again. I think they killed him — there was an accusation that he was a spy…

In those days there were the British — they were at war with Turkey. And here in the Land there was Turkey; in Syria there was Turkey; in Lebanon there was Turkey — everything was Turkey. And the accusation was that Mordechai was spying — he was passing on to their enemy, the British, everything that was happening in Turkey. Nu — that is espionage. So after a few hours the police came and took him to prison, and from that Sunday until today he did not return — not to Teveriah and not to Eretz Yisroel. He left behind a wife and children. Where he is, no one knows. Perhaps they killed him. In any case — Teveriah was left without the mukhtar, without Mordechai. He had made such a Shabbos for Rabbi Yisroel — so his Sunday came when they took him to Istanbul and he never returned alive.

And also that senior officer who had brought me out to be beaten to death — he also loved money like Mordechai the mukhtar. He had made the accusation that we were spies, that we sent men to Russia, to Uman. Nu — so on Sunday they took him to Istanbul: "He is a spy." And he also never returned to Teveriah…

The Sefardim are a people unto themselves — they did not know what was happening among the Ashkenazim, and the Ashkenazim did not know what was with the Sefardim. Two separate communities. But the story of Rav Tzvi — the whole city, all the Sefardim — knew that such a thing had happened: that Rav Tzvi went to pray on Friday and did not return.

The uproar was throughout all of Teveriah — among the Ashkenazim and among the Sefardim. Everyone spoke of Breslov: "What is this?! Such a wondrous thing that we have never yet heard — how does one do such a thing? One goes to pray on Friday and does not return?"

Oy — when I recall to myself the story of Rav Tzvi at the entrance of Shabbos on Friday, I become a new person. Who has heard of such a thing — one goes to pray vatikin and says nothing, he goes to pray and vanishes, is gone, is nowhere. Who has heard? Everyone said: "This is only a Breslov story. The Breslovers can do such a thing — the whole world does not know; in all the world there is no such thing — only in Breslov!"

Oy — the story of Rav Tzvi Rozental is a wondrous story, such a beautiful story. Generation after generation this story of Rav Tzvi Rozental will be told. When Mashiach comes they will also tell it and there will be great joy from Rav Tzvi who walked on foot to Yerushalayim on Friday. This story must be printed and posted throughout the city — to make known that there was a Rav Tzvi Rozental!

He said to Rabbi Yisroel: "I am not Yisroel Ber — I cannot bear it. Nu, if so, I am afraid perhaps I will not be able to hold firm against the opposition. They do not let me be in Breslov — so I want to go to Yerushalayim. In Yerushalayim there is also Rav Shlomo Wexler and there are Breslov Chassidim. Here in Teveriah I cannot — I am not strong. I must go to Yerushalayim. I have no money — I will go on foot. Blessed be Hashem, my legs are strong and I have a strong body. I can reach Yerushalayim on foot."

(Portion of the conclusion of the story according to the version of Rav Shmu'el Kroyzer, son-in-law of Rabbi Yisroel.)

On Sunday an assembly was called, and in the presence of the great rabbis a written document was signed according to which Rav Tzvi obligated himself not to come within four cubits of Rabbi Yisroel. And Rav Tzvi, of blessed memory, gave a handshake on this. After the incident he came to the yeshiva and told me he had something to relate, and he related the matters to me in secret. I was pained that Rav Tzvi had not had mesiras nefesh. I entered the city and told the matters to Rabbi Yisroel. When he heard this he heaved a sigh from his heart. Not many days passed and word came that Rav Tzvi had fallen into a great weakness in the lungs, and the doctors said he was in danger. And all the young children of the schoolhouse went to the graves of the tzadikim to pray for his recovery — and Rabbi Yisroel and I were also there, and also Rav Tzvi's wife was there. When I told this to Rabbi Yisroel he said to me: "Run and tell them to tear up the document immediately."

And since he had made me his emissary I ran immediately to fulfill his mission. There I found all the members of the family, and also one very old man — Rav Kehas by name. When he heard that Rabbi Yisroel had said so, he said to Rav Tzvi's father-in-law: "Heed his voice and tear up the document." But his father-in-law absolutely refused.

That night I saw Rav Tzvi in a dream. I was going to the mikveh and he came and told me that he had received a letter not to speak with me, not to be in Breslov — he had given a handshake. I said to him: "What have you done?! Why did you do this?!"

He said to me: "The handshake does not take effect until one actually carries it out. It is like one who makes a vow to desecrate Shabbos — it cannot take effect."

He said that now he would not listen to the rav whatever would happen — he regretted it. He had signed but he was going to violate the signing. Afterwards he walked with me to the mikveh and people came and saw us together. But blessed be Hashem — we were saved from them, blessed be Hashem.

Afterwards I saw that it was a dream — we had not been at the mikveh at all. I only heard the weeping of Rav Tzvi's wife, who was crying: "Rav Tzvi has passed away! Rav Tzvi has passed away!" He had lived several days, fallen ill… and died. He was a warrior — a warrior! He said that even if he would die — he would be in Breslov…