- Mekhele Zlochover was the son-in-law of a rich man. After the wedding, R. Mekhele persuaded his father-in-law to give him a special room where he could be the whole day – so that no person would be able to visit him – the food had to be brought in through a hole in the door. And a special door was built for the lavatory.
This was his conduct for a year or two. This did not please the father-in-law and when all his words did not help – he traveled to R. Isaac Drohobitcher – R. Mekhele’s father to complain about R. Mekhele.
R. Isaac advised him that he should allow him to practice his seclusion for a year. Indeed, that is how it was – but after a year R. Mekhele went away to Brody and left his wife at his in-laws.
He became a school teacher (melamed) in Brody. The wise men of Brody sensed that the schoolteacher was a “beautiful vessel” and they gave him great honor.
Once the wise men of Brody wanted to excommunicate the Besht. They were about to declare the excommunication when someone said that it was not proper to do something like this without consulting the school teacher R. Mekhele who they so greatly esteemed. When they called R. Mekhele he told them that he could not be involved in this matter and he advised them not to harass the Besht. When they heard these words from R. Mekhele they were sorry and abandoned the whole thing.
When R. Mekhele later visited the Besht – the Besht said to him: “The three years of seclusion helped you save my honor.”
I.F.
David Gelbtukh
Kopitchnitzer Hasid
