Rabbi Menachem Nachum of Stefanesti

Rabbi Menachem Nachum of Stefanesti (1823–1868) Yahrzeit – 14 Kislev Burial place - (Iasi, Romania) The holy Rabbi Israel Friedman of Ruzhin had six sons – each one corresponding to one of the orders of the Mishnah. The fourth son, symbolizing the fourth order of the Mishnah, Nezikin, was born in 1822 in Ruzhin and was named Menachem Nachum – after his maternal grandfather, the holy Rabbi Menachem Nachum of Chernobyl. In the spring of 1838, the tsarist authorities arrested the holy Ruzhiner based on a false denunciation. He fled to Kishinev, then to Iasi, and in 1842 the holy Ruzhiner and his entire family came to Bukovina, to Chernivtsi, which at that time belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. More precisely, not to Chernivtsi itself but to the neighboring town of Sadhora (which the Jews called by its Romanian-style name, Sadigura), where a palatial home and a magnificent synagogue were built for him. In those days he arranged the wedding of his son, Rabbi Menachem Nachum, to the daughter of Rabbi Elazar of Kashan (grandson of the holy Rabbi Gedalia of Linitz). And on Chanukah, the 2nd of Tevet, 1848, a son was born to them, whom his grandfather, the holy Ruzhiner, named Avraham Matityahu. Avraham – in honor of his great-grandfather, Avraham the "Malach" (son of the Great Maggid of Mezeritch), and Matityahu – in honor of Matityahu HaKohen the Hasmonean. The holy Ruzhiner left this world on the 3rd of Cheshvan, 1850, and already the following year Rabbi Menachem Nachum moved to Stefanesti (Romania, a suburb of Botosani), where his father had once lived for several years after his own wedding. He chose this town even though it was not known for the level of Torah learning that resounded at that time in Poland and Galicia. The new-fangled disease of the "Enlightenment" had very strongly distanced Romanian Jews from Torah and mitzvot – so the holy Rabbi Menachem Nachum did not begin by giving them lectures or teaching by example. Instead, he began openly performing wonders – and the hardened hearts of Romanian Jews opened to the ways of the Almighty that their ancestors had walked. So simple peasants and merchants began coming to him at first for a miraculous blessing, and then for advice as well. And then they themselves began sending their children to study in yeshiva rather than in secular schools – for their ignorant disbelief could only be shaken by an open miracle. The holy Ruzhiner had already hinted at this path of divine service when his son, the future Stefanesti Rav, was a small child. When the melamed complained about his strange behavior in cheder – he would freeze by the window for a whole hour, gazing into the distance with a smile, and would hear no one until pulled by the hand – the Ruzhiner said that when he grew up, he would fulfill what is written in the Book of Job (28:7), that he already "sees further" than others (in the spiritual worlds), and that his path of service would be above wisdom. "In this he will certainly be on a higher level than his grandfather, the holy Chernobyler Rebbe," his holy father said of him. And so it was – through open miracles, the holy Stefanesti Rebbe moved Romanian Jews to return to their Heavenly Father. He was once asked: "How did you become so renowned – after all, you do not give profound lectures, as it is written in Tehillim (19:4-5): 'there is no speech and there are no words' – yet nonetheless 'their voice has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world'?" The holy Stefanesti Rebbe answered with a smile: "But it is written in the Torah (Devarim 19:19): 'You shall remove the evil from your midst,' and it will come to pass on its own (Devarim 13:12): 'all Israel shall hear and fear.'" Once a simple Jew came to the holy Stefanesti Rebbe with the usual troubles of life – for as they say, "when trouble comes, one turns to G-d"... According to custom, before speaking with the tzadik one must write a "kvitel" with one's name and one's mother's name, which the attendant would bring in to the tzadik – and only then would the petitioner be admitted. The man decided to describe all his troubles in great detail – his sick daughter, his meager livelihood, geese stolen by gypsies... altogether it came to a couple of pages. When he entered the presence of the holy Stefanesti Rebbe, the Rebbe said: "If you think you need to describe your troubles in such detail – you are greatly mistaken. Even before you arrived in Stefanesti, I already knew all your troubles better than you do yourself!" And the Stefanesti Rebbe mentioned several details that the chossid had forgotten to include in his kvitel, and continued: "On top of the sin of wasted time, there is also the sin of lack of faith. And if you do not believe that I know even what you yourself do not know about yourself – then why did you come?" He once asked some Jews: "There are four types of Jews: 1. 'Something and something' – meaning he has attained a high spiritual level and knows it, and feels himself to be great; 2. 'Something and nothing' – meaning he is on a high spiritual level but pays no attention to it; 3. 'Nothing and something' – meaning there is nothing special about him, but he considers himself great; 4. 'Nothing and nothing' – meaning there is nothing special about him and he demands no special attention for himself. Which of these four types do you think is the worst?" They answered him: "Surely the arrogance of 'nothing and something' is the worst!" "You are mistaken!" said the holy Stefanesti Rebbe. "If he has nothing and boasts, then he will never attain anything – but the worst is 'something and something,' for because of his pride he will lose even what he had already achieved!" In his home, the holy Stefanesti Rebbe (after his move to Iasi) created a special room called the "Chambers of Mashiach" ("Moshiach Tzimmer"), which he allowed no one to enter. Only once did he permit several great chassidim to look inside. Before that, they had to go to the mikveh and remove their shoes. The chassidim saw a floor, walls, and ceiling carved from precious wood. In the center of the room stood a table trimmed with pearls, and six magnificent chairs. At the head of the table stood a throne with three steps. In this room were gathered items that had belonged to his holy ancestors – the Great Maggid of Mezeritch, Rabbi Avraham the Malach, the holy Chernobyler, his father the holy Ruzhiner, and many others (on the table before the throne lay the Ruzhiner's pipe). There also stood a magnificent golden crown, composed of three crowns one atop the other. A special golden case was made for the crown, over which the jeweler worked for several years, interspersing his labor with immersions in the mikveh and the recitation of Tehillim – as the Stefanesti Rebbe had instructed him. It is known that shortly before his passing from this world, the holy Stefanesti Rebbe said that this crown would disappear, no matter how well it was guarded, but that it would be found again before the coming of Mashiach. We will return to it a little later. In Kislev 1869, the holy Rabbi Menachem Nachum fell ill. The doctor who examined him said that he could do nothing to help, since the cause of the illness was that the esteemed rabbi desired something so intensely that his body could not function properly because of that desire. Let the esteemed rabbi do what he desires, and his body will recover. The holy Stefanesti Rebbe laughed: "Recover? What do you understand of this? I yearn to unite with the Creator – and my desire will be fulfilled, but what do I care for this body?!" The holy soul of Rabbi Menachem Nachum departed this world on the birthday and yahrzeit of Yaakov Avinu's firstborn, Reuven, the 14th of Kislev, 1869, and he was buried in Iasi. He was succeeded by his only son, Rav Avraham Matityahu, under whom great tzadikim and Torah sages later studied – fruits of the miracles of the holy Rabbi Menachem Nachum. Among his students were the holy Rabbi Chaim Zanvil Abramovitz (the Rybnitzer Rebbe) and Rabbi Eliezer Zusia Portugal (the Skulener Rebbe). The Chambers of Mashiach and His Golden Crown After the holy soul of Rabbi Avraham Matityahu departed this world on the 21st of Tammuz, 5693, the crown of Mashiach was placed for safekeeping in a bank vault in Iasi. But the Stefanesti Rebbe had warned: "No matter how well it is guarded..." – war broke out, in which Romania sided with the fascists, and all Jewish property migrated from the banks into the pockets of the bigwigs of the Third Reich. And then, a few years ago, this crown surfaced from a private collection belonging to some antique dealer and was put up for sale at a Sotheby's auction. It was bought for $1,325,000 by an unknown Englishman (Sotheby's refuses to disclose his name), apparently for a London museum. Thus another promise of the holy Stefanesti Rebbe is beginning to be fulfilled – that the crown of Mashiach would be found before his coming. (based on an article by Eliyahu HaKatan Getz)