R. Meir of Premishlan was once tardy for Rosh Hashana prayers, and when asked why he was late, he explained, “Meir’l had been in heaven. There, Meir’l overheard a decree being made to end the Jewish people and bring a plague upon them. So Meir’l began screaming, “Gevald! How is this allowed to happen?! Meir’l started yelling, “Gevald! [help!] How can this be permitted?!” So it was decided to impose the plague upon the livestock. prompting Meir’l to object, “This cannot happen! Jews rely on livestock for sustenance. How can their livelihood be destroyed?!” He made a similar argument when they considered imposing a plague on birds. Ultimately, he prevailed in having the plague inflicted on Capons, and that is what happened. As a result, many capons perished that year.
Y. F.
Nachum Ber Hamburger
Boyaner hasid
