Rabbi Menachem Nachum of Chernobyl - "Meor Einayim"

Rabbi Menachem Nachum bar Tzvi Hirsch Twersky - the Rebbe of Chernobyl - "Meor Einayim"

Yahrzeit - 11 Cheshvan

Our master, mentor and teacher, a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov, founder of the Chernobyl branch of Hasidism, known throughout the Jewish world by the title of his primary work, "Meor Einayim", was born in 1730 in the Volhynian town of Narinsk. At his Brit he was named after his paternal grandfather, the Kabbalist Rabbi Nachum Gaon, known in his time as Rabbi Adam Baal Shem. His contemporaries said that he had so perfected himself that he attained the level of the first man, Adam, before the sin. Secret manuscripts remained from him, which the Baal Shem Tov treasured as a great precious possession and constantly studied.

Gifts from Father

Rabbi Menachem Nachum was orphaned in early childhood, losing both his father and mother, and was raised in the home of his uncle. As often happens, from a young age the orphan clearly sensed his special position in the household where he lived, and this led him to turn sincerely to the Father and Protector of all the destitute and unfortunate, Who, as we are taught, personally watches over orphans, granting them special help.

Within the family, his uncle always drew a clear line between his own children and the nephew he was raising.

So it happened that little Menachem Nachum did not receive the gifts and childhood joys that the other children received.

The uncle felt it was enough that he kept the boy in his home, provided him with food and clothing, and paid for his studies with the melamed in cheder.

But one day the uncle noticed something strange. Whenever he gave his own children some gift - a little whistle, sweets, or small coins as Chanukah gelt - after some time the very same gift would appear with Menachem Nachum as well.

- Where did you get this? - he asked.

- Father gave it to me, - the boy answered.

- Don't talk nonsense, - the uncle replied irritably.

- Your father has long been in his grave and can give you nothing.

The uncle was, of course, entirely right, but the gifts kept on coming, so in the end he decided to look into the matter himself. He gave his own children some small trinket, waited long enough for them to boast of it in front of Menachem, and then began watching him closely.

At night, once the children had fallen asleep, his nephew got up, quietly climbed out through the window, and went to the synagogue, whose door was never locked. The uncle followed him.

The boy opens the Aron HaKodesh and begins to plead:

- Father, please, give me a gift too. Like the one... - and he names one of the cousins.

What happened next was simply incredible - the uncle could not believe his eyes and ears.

Several coins fell out of the Aron HaKodesh onto the floor with a clatter. The boy picked them up, said, "Thank You, Father," closed the Aron HaKodesh, kissed the parochet, and went to sleep. After this incident, the uncle began to treat his nephew differently. For a Father Who watches over an orphan in such a way surely knows how to do more than just hand out coins...