11 Iyar · Yahrzeit
Rabbi Yehuda Tzvi of Stretin
Rabbi Yehuda Tzvi of Stretin (1780–1844) was a Chassidic leader and an outstanding disciple of the renowned Chassidic rabbi, Rabbi Uri of Strelisk.
Yahrzeit - 11 Iyar
Resting place - Stretin
Rabbi Yehuda was a descendant of the House of King David. He was considered one of the greatest men of his generation, and countless stories of wonders and miracles surround him.
Mashiach Is Born
"Today, Mashiach ben Yosef was born in Hungary," Rabbi Yehuda Tzvi announced. "He will be one of the Tzadikim Nistarim (hidden ones), and if G-d grants me the years, I intend to visit him there one day."
Many chassidim heard this statement, but not all of them remembered it. The Rebbe's personal shochet preserved the information for future generations.
Many years later, Rabbi Yehuda Tzvi prepared for a trip to Pest, the capital of Hungary, taking many chassidim with him, including that same shochet. The Rebbe remained there for several weeks, though no one knew the purpose of his trip.
During his stay, the Rebbe was once visited by a young man of exceptional physical beauty and great height. Without knocking, without permission, the young man entered the Rebbe's room and closed the door behind him. He remained inside, alone with the Rebbe, for many hours. The chassidim outside were astonished by such unusual behavior. However, the shochet suddenly recalled the Rebbe's statement made many years earlier, and stood by the door to greet the visitor when he came out.
Several hours later, the door opened, and the two men walked to the outer door together. Reb Yehuda Tzvi bid him farewell, and a moment later he vanished from sight. The shochet was disappointed that he had gotten nothing more than a "shalom" out of the stranger.
After this event, the Rebbe prepared to return home. On the way back, the chassidim could not help but discuss the guest. No one, of course, knew who he was - except for the shochet.
"And to this day I still feel the effect of the 'shalom' he gave me, and the new life he infused in me. The mere memory of his face still inspires me," the shochet would recount even many years later. ("Degel Machaneh Yehuda," p. 18, No. 52)
The Fifth Night of Chanukah
The chassidim looked at their teacher in bewilderment and thought to themselves: "What connection is there between Rosh Hashanah and Chanukah?" And others thought: "Why hold the banquet only on the fifth night? Why not every night!?"
The fifth night of Chanukah arrived, and the chassidim reminded their Rebbe of the promise he had made on Rosh Hashanah. His face lit up, and he immediately ordered a banquet for all the guests. After many l'chaims had been said, someone bravely stood up and asked: "Rebbe, so what is the occasion for this banquet?"
Rabbi Yehuda Tzvi began speaking in a whisper: "During the sacred prayers of Rosh Hashanah, I saw that the tzadik of our generation would be appointed as one of the judges of the heavenly court. I knew there were three candidates: either myself, the Rebbe of Buczacz, or the holy Reb Tzvi Elimelech of Dinov.
I prayed to the Creator with all my heart that I was unworthy of being a judge of the heavenly court. It was not clear to me what the heavenly decision would be. For, as you all know, Chanukah is the final seal on everything that transpires on Rosh Hashanah. Now I know that I will not be chosen. That is why I arranged this feast."
This revelation shook the chassidim. Soon after, word spread that Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech of Dinov (the Bnei Yissaschar) had been chosen as a judge of the heavenly court. He passed away on the 18th of Tevet. (Degel Machaneh Yehuda, p. 12, No. 32)
The Expert Shochet
The chassidim were full of questions which, of course, they did not dare ask their Rebbe, Yehuda Tzvi. First of all, they knew that their Rebbe had brought his personal shochet along on the trip, because he never trusted another shochet's knife. Second, the Rebbe never ate meat during the week. So why, then, did he agree to eat a seudah prepared by this peasant, a simple farmer, who slaughtered the animal without even showing the Rebbe his knife?
The whole course of events was unusual. First, the chassidim arrived at a farm, where the Rebbe asked whether they might eat a meat meal. The woman answered that her husband would soon return from the fields and prepare food for them. Soon a cart of hay arrived, with a peasant sitting atop it. Rabbi Yehuda Tzvi repeated his request, whereupon the farmer drew a slaughtering knife from his boot and slaughtered one of the animals, then examined it as halacha requires.
Only by the end of the meal was the mystery partly solved. After the Rebbe had eaten the meat, he asked the host to show him his knife. At first the farmer refused, but after the Rebbe repeated his request several times, he took out his knife for inspection.
"Believe me," he insisted, "I have never shown my knife to any rabbi or expert - except to Eliyahu HaNavi."
Only then did the chassidim realize that their host was one of the Lamed-Vav Tzadikim (the thirty-six hidden righteous ones). (Degel Machaneh Yehuda, p. 18, No. 51)
The Embarrassed Fish
There once lived a follower of the holy Rebbe Yehuda Tzvi. He was a fisherman by trade, and one day he caught a very small fish and was disappointed. Without a second thought, he spitefully cut off the fish's tail and threw it back into the water. For the next three months, he did not catch a single fish.
In the good old days, a person would go to the Rebbe for any matter at all. This follower went to the Rebbe to ask him why he could no longer catch any fish. Before he could even ask his question, the Rebbe asked him: "Tell me, have you ever done anything strange to a fish?"
The fisherman answered: "Of course not." The Rebbe asked him again: "About three months ago, did you do anything strange to a small fish?" His follower suddenly remembered the incident and confessed to his shameful act.
The Rebbe wept and said: "That little fish was so ashamed of being tailless that it begged its friends to hide with it under a large rock. They have all been hiding there this whole time because of what you did. You must understand that 'the honor of any of G-d's creatures must never be taken lightly.' If you promise never to do anything like that again, I will reveal to you where they are hiding." (Degel Machaneh Yehuda, p. 20, No. 54)
Rabbi Yehuda Tzvi had four righteous sons who, he said, were reincarnations of King David's warriors.
May the merit of the Tzadik protect Am Yisrael!
https://dailyzohar.com/tzadikim/11-Rabbi-Yehudah-Tzvi-of-Stretin