[The city] of Ostroh consisted of an old city and a new one. R. Yeivi lived in the old city. In the new city, there lived a wealthy man, a Chasid of R. Pinchas Koritzer. He did not have any children. Both he and his wife pestered R. Pinchas Koritzer that he should pray that they have a child. However, R. Pinchas told them: that it is not good for you to have children. 

When R. Pinchas left for Koritz, they followed him and continued to wail: how long do we need to wait, we are already old – it is high time that we are blessed with children. But R. Pinchas stuck to his position – it is not good for you to have children.

The wealthy man had already given up and started to donate large sums of money – more than he could afford.

R. Yeivi was deeply involved in [the mitzvah of] Pidyon Shvuyim.¹ When he heard that the wealthy man was distributing such large sums, he decided to visit him and ask for a sizeable sum. He required a large sum, and he was missing 300 rendlach.

R. Yeivi arrived in the new city where the philanthropist lived. Just then, the wealthy man was sleeping, and the servant who did not recognize R. Yeivi did not want to let him in. He believed that the Jew was an average person and he wanted to make do with a ruble or two because the philanthropist already told him to give beggars a sum of 1-5 rubles.

But R. Yeivi insisted on seeing the wealthy person. The servant was ready to give him 5 rubles, as long as he would get rid of him – but R. Yeivi refused. The servant got angry and “honored” R. Yeivi with a heavy blow. R. Yeivi suffered the insult and returned to his residence in the old city.

On the following day, the rich man became gravely ill and the doctors did not have any cure. The servant remembered that he hit a Jew, and when he started describing the Jew, they realized that this must be R. Yeivi. They quickly ran to him to appease him, R. Yeivi forgave him, and the rich man recovered. In gratitude, the philanthropist gave him all the 300 rendlach that he lacked to ransom the captives.

R. Yeivi was overjoyed that he received such an enormous donation, and he asked the philanthropist if he had any requests. So he told him that he didn’t have any children. R. Yeivi promised him that in a year he would have a son. He just stipulated that when she gives birth he should be notified.

Time passed – the woman became pregnant and she started going into labor. But they forgot to notify R. Yeivi, perhaps because he did not officiate as a rebbe.

She became severely ill, and her labor pains lasted for 2-3 days. She was almost dead – so they

remembered R. Yeivi and quickly ran to him pleading for mercy. He said: Mazal Tov, a boy was born.

When the woman was revived she related that she was already in the “world of truth” and she met R. Pinchas Koritzer and pleaded for mercy. He told her: I told you that it is not suitable for you to have children. 

So she saw R. Yeivi – he told her: what are you doing here – back! And he gave her back her soul. 

I.F.

Kinever Rebbe

1. Ransoming captives. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pidyon_Shvuyim

    

   Pidyon Shvuyim (Hebrew: פִּדְיוֹן שְׁבוּיִים, literally: Redemption of Captives) is a religious duty in Judaism to bring about the release of a fellow Jew captured by slave dealers or robbers, or imprisoned unjustly by the authorities. The release of the prisoner is typically secured by a ransom paid by the Jewish community. It is considered an important commandment in Jewish law.