The Strelisker has a son-in-law R. Isaac who was very poor and had to marry off a daughter and very much needed [money] for a dowry. So he came to R. Shalom Belzer to see perhaps there he’ll manage to gather [funds] for a dowry.
He arrived in Belz for the Sabbath. After the evening prayers, when he came into the Belzer, R. Shalom told him to lie down on the divan in the meantime and take a nap because he was not finished and there would still be time before Kiddush.
R. Isaac listened to him – he took a short nap – and then afterward they recited Kiddush and enjoyed a happy Sabbath.
After the Sabbath, R. Shalom told him to travel to Jassy. R. Isaac didn’t have a penny of his own – but the Belzer gave him some money. The money, however, barely covered the cost of the wagon driver.
The wagon driver took him to the Jewish street in Jassy and left him there.
As he was standing there, a Jew came over to him – a wild stranger who said “Greetings, R. Isaac!” and invited him to his home – and gave him all good things and invited him to stay for the Sabbath. All Sabbath he wondered how this Jew knew him – perhaps he saw him at his father-in-law, the Strelisker. After the Sabbath, he asked him “How do you actually know me?” The Jew told him the following story.
The Jew had an insane daughter and he Led R. Isaac into the room where she sat until a few {See the book Dover Shalom pg. 58, paragraph 125 where there is a similar story} days ago she at least feared her father. Last Friday, when R. Isaac was in Belz she got very angry and slapped her father and shut herself in her room.
The father was very pained by this – Friday night he was unable to even recite the Kiddush that is how pained he was. So he lay down – and took a nap. His father came to him in a dream and he wept bitterly to him – his father, who had been a disciple of the Seer [of Lublin], promised him that he would pray for mercy for his daughter in the palace of the Seer.
But the Seer refused – he claimed – that he was unable to help – it has been too long since he has passed away from the world but he advised that they should go to his disciple the Strelisker “and I will go along” – When they came to the palace of the Strelisker he said the same thing and told them to go to the Belzer who had been his disciple. So they both went to the Belzer to achieve salvation for the insane daughter.
The Belzer said – that he was prepared [to do so] – “but for this, I want a daughter for a daughter – your daughter to be healed and another daughter to marry off.” In his dream, the Jews asked “How will I recognize [the person]?” The Belzer showed him R. Isaac, the Strelisker’s son-in-law napping on the divan, and when he came to Jassy he recognized him.
They both later traveled to the Belzer – the daughter was healed – and the Jew married off R. Isaac’s daughter.
I.F.
Alexander Bistritzky
