Parshat Chukat
“He will not come to the Land that I am giving the Israelites” (Bamidbar 20:24).
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Reb Refoel of Bershid was a learned Torah scholar and wholly devoted to his Rebbe, the Baal Shem Tov. He had a burning desire to settle in Eretz Yisroel (the Land of Israel), and sought his Rebbe’s blessing to do so. “Eretz Yisroel is Eretz HaKodesh (the Holy Land) only because the Torah makes it so. The holiness of Eretz Yisroel descends from Above to below. Poland needs you and the holy Torah you can teach. You can create holiness from below to Above,” the Baal Shem Tov told Reb Refoel.
Reb Refoel understood his Rebbe’s words: That he was not yet destined to settle in Eretz Yisroel. He was disappointed but as a devoted Chassid, he accepted the Baal Shem Tov’s advice without question, and thought that perhaps at sometime in the future he would be able to fulfill his desire.
Many years passed and Reb Refoel, who had served his community as a rabbi, was now growing old. Again the desire to move to the Holy Land awakened in him. “I am too old to serve as a Rabbi,” he thought, “and would like very much to live out my last days in the Holy Land.” But he refrained from asking his Rebbe for his blessing to go. Somehow he knew that the Baal Shem Tov would not agree.
Soon thereafter, he received a letter from the Baal Shem Tov again discouraging him from the move. There was no doubt in Reb Refoel’s mind that the Baal Shem Tov knew of his renewed plan through his holy vision. Disappointed again, Reb Refoel decided to put the whole idea out of his mind. He dearly treasured the letter of the Baal Shem Tov and put it in a locked box that he put in a safe place.
Many years later, after the Baal Shem Tov had left this world, Reb Refoel who was now very old and weak, again had thoughts of moving to the Holy Land. “This is my last chance to move to the Holy Land before my time comes to leave this world.”
So he packed his possessions and put them on a wagon. When all his preparations were complete, Reb Refoel invited his friends and relatives for a farewell meal. In the midst of the celebration, he stepped outside the house to get a breath of air.
It was not windy outdoors, yet suddenly from out of nowhere, a piece of paper fluttered down landing at Reb Refoel’s feet. He bent down and picked it up. Looking at the paper in his hands, he turned white with shock! It was the Baal Shem Tov’s letter that he had put away for safekeeping all these years! How is it possible? He could not begin to guess, but he understood what had just occurred.
Reb Refoel returned to his guests, and placed the letter under the tablecloth. He then began to recount to his friends and relatives the entire history of his attempts to immigrate to the Holy Land. As he explained how the Baal Shem Tov had sent him a letter, he reached under the tablecloth, but to his amazement the letter had disappeared! Reb Refoel couldn’t believe it! He quickly retrieved the locked box where he kept the holy letter. Everyone gathered around with baited breath as he unlocked the box and lifted the lid. Sure enough, the letter was still there just as he had left it many years before.
“The bond between a chassid and his Rebbe transcends all worlds,” he exclaimed. “It is clear that my holy Rebbe, the Baal Shem Tov, knew from the very first time I asked for his blessing, that it was not my destiny to dwell in the Holy Land, but to remain here.” Reb Refoel lived to a ripe old age, and continued to enlighten his community with his wisdom and teachings of Torah, as he was destined to do.
And so it was.