A Taste of Paradise by Shlomo Carlebach, from Shlomo’s Stories 
Rav Avraham Haim, one of the pupils of Rav Moishe Leib Sasover, wrote the following story about his teacher:
Once, when I was with my Rebbe, Levi Yitzhak of Berdichev came to visit Reb Moishele Leib Sasover late on a Friday afternoon.
“Moishe, I’d like to be with you for Shabbes.”
“Then you’ll have to come with me, because I’m going to the water carrier’s te eat.”
I thought to myself that if Rav Moishe Leib Sasover was to spend Shabbes with the water carrier, he must be one of “them,” one of the lamed-vav zaddikim*. So I asked if I might come.
“Sure. Why not?”
We went out to the outskirts of the city. The water carrier had a wife and eight children and the whole family lived in a hole. Everything was crammed into one little room. I don’t want to say anything bad, but the place smelled terrible.
Rav Moishe Leib brought a little wine with him and Reb Levi Yitzhak, two challas for Shabbes. We prayed, made kiddush over the wine, a motzi over the bread. Then Rav Moishele Sasover said, “Do you have a little something to eat, kekoved Shabbes, in honor Shabbes?”
The wife of the lamed-vav zaddik said to my rebbe: “I knew you were coming, Rav Moishele, so I saved some of my sauerkraut from Pesah.”
Saurkraut from Pesah! In the middle of the summer. It goes without saying there was no refrigerator!
Friends, you can’t imagine. She barely opened the lid of the jar and I almost fainted from the smell. But I didn’t say anything. First she gave a little bit to Rav Levi Yitzhak, who started to yell: “Gan Eden! Gan Eden – Paradise!!”
Then she gave a taste to Rav Moishele Sasover who, with the barest drop in his mouth, mamash, keeled over and began yelling “Gan Eden! Gan Eden! This sauerkraut is straight from Paradise!” Then she gave a little bit to me. I barely made it to the door before I began vomitting everything I’d eaten since my bar mitzvah.
Rav Moishele came outside and helped me to my feet. “Let’s face it, Rav Haim. You’re not on the level yet. I think it’s time for you to home.”
*Lamed-vav is the number 36 in Hebrew. The lamed-vav zaddikim are the 36 most righteous beings who hold up the world. Because of their great powers as holy men and women, they remain hidden.
Leave a Reply
Posted in Activities for home and classroom
