R. Shalom Prohovitcher passed away Erev Sukkos around midnight. Before his passing, he got out of bed. He got ready. He put on a nice new caftan and fastened a gartel around himself. When they brought him water to wash, he did not wash himself. Later on, they found out that this was water that was prepared for negel vaser.1
He instructed that he should be moved away from the wall, and asked: “What time is it?” They told him it was a quarter to 12.
Suddenly he began to laugh. Once, twice, a third time. He said to the people that were standing around him: a great stir erupted in Heaven. The angels ran around [saying] – prepare a reception for R. Shalom. The Samach Mem approached and asked, for whom are they preparing themselves in such a way. So they threw him out. He asked a second time and was dismissed again. What do you mean you don’t know who R. Shalom was? He reminded himself: “This is Sholomke? Oh, how he fooled me! Oy, I did not know What he is.”
[Whereupon] there was an outburst of laughter in Heaven. R. Shalom concluded: since the ministering angels in Heaven are laughing, I am also laughing.
Afterward, at exactly 12 o’clock he turned around to the wall and passed away.
The Rebbetzin Chavele was very anxious and sad after his passing. But R. Avraham, the eldest son, calmed her down, and when they entered the
Sukkah, he told her: we need to rejoice2 with the guest – the Master of the Universe has a very distinguished guest for Yom Tov.
On the same day, a simple Jew also died. While the Rizhiner, R. Yisrael was in the middle of reciting Kaddish, he suddenly stopped and ran away. (Marginal note: at that time he was eleven years old. He was born in 5557. R. Shalom passed away in 5568). R. Avraham Prohovitcher went over to him later and asked him: why did you escape in the middle of Kaddish? R. Yisrael’nu replied: the soul of the Jew came to him and said: “Your father’s soul does not require [the rectification achieved through] Kaddish – my soul however does. Let my son recite the Kaddish.”
I.F.
Rabbi Reiter
Prohovitcher Rav
