-
12. How Rothschild Became Wealthy (IFA 18601)
- Jewish Publication Society
- Chapter
- Additional Information
12 How Rothschild Became Wealthy T O L D B Y H I N D A S H E I N F E R B E R T O H A D A R A H S E L A Acertain Hasid of the Rebbe* of Kozientz** used to go to the rebbe’s court for every festival. One day he fell ill and died. He left several children . They were very poor, and the neighbors took pity on them. One of them identified a child with talent, but the neighbor couldn’t pay his school fees. This man, taking pity on the child, journeyed to the rebbe’s court and told him that so-and-so had passed away and left behind a very talented boy. What could be done so he could continue his studies? “Bring him here,” the rebbe said. “Let him live with me.” The neighbor brought the boy to the rebbe. The boy was maybe eight or ten. In the interim, before he started studying with the rebbe, the shammes§ got the boy to help out. One day the shammes told the child, “Go make the rebbe’s bed.” So he made up the rebbe’s bed for the night. The next day, the rebbe asked his shammes, “Who made my bed last night?” The shammes was very frightened. Who knows how the child had made up the bed? “Don’t be frightened,” the rebbe said. “Just tell me.” “Anshel,” he replied. “From now on, I always want Anshel§§ to make up my bed for the night.” The rebbe began to take care of the boy and teach him as if he were his own son. The child grew up with the rebbe, making his bed for him and learning many secrets. Because he was very clever, the rebbe asked Anshel what he thought about every important matter. Whenever people visit a rebbe and give him a heart-rending note, they also make a contribution. If they give the rebbe gold, he puts it aside to use as dowries for poor brides. 81 * A Hasidic Rabbi. ** Yiddish for the Polish town of Kozienice.§ Synagogue caretaker.§§ Yiddish for the name “Amschel.” Once a man came and said that he was going to marry off his daughter but had no money. The rebbe went to the place where he hid the money, but it wasn’t there. He searched and the money wasn’t there. He was very sad and told everyone. He thought that maybe it was Moshe who had taken it, or perhapsYaacov, orYitzh.ak—who knew who it might be? They thought and thought and thought. Finally his associates told him, “It must be Anshel who took it.” He had married by that time and was living in a different city. They all agreed that Anshel was so close to the rebbe that he must be the one who took it. This pained the rebbe very much, but he had to go see. When the rebbe came to Anshel and told him why he had come, he replied, “Yes, Rebbe, I took it. But I don’t have it. I spent it. I have a store now. I’ll pay it back in installments.” The rebbe was very upset. He had made Anshel’s wedding. He had had so much joy from him, and he knew everything—and he had taken his money! He was ashamed to go back to his hometown. He was ashamed to go to his own house. But he went home and told the story. In the meantime, in the same city, there was a restaurant where people ate and drank. Many gentiles came on Sunday, and one of them paid in gold. The owner accepted it. The next week, on Sunday, the same man came with gold coins again. Once this was against the law, just as it’s against the law now. Back then it was against the law. The owner told the police. A policeman came in civilian clothes and stood there watching the gentile pay in gold. “Sir, where did you get that?” he asked. “I found it.” “Where did you find it?” “In the village,” he said, where his family had land. He had plowed before planting and found a bag full of gold coins. The policeman took it. The rebbe’s name was on the bag. So they summoned the rebbe to the police and asked him if he was missing something. “Yes,” he...