A Gifted Son

The Avnei Nezer's father, Rav Zev Nachum, was the rav in Biala. His future father-in-law, Rav Menachem Mendel of Kotzk, once revealed to Rav Zev Nachum how he merited such a holy son. It was Purim, and all over the world the Jews were rejoicing. Even the greatest lomdim, who were always sitting and learning, were busy with the preparations and joyful business of Purim, and no one was learning Torah. No one, that is, except Rav Zev Nachum. Since the world cannot exist without Torah, Rav Zev Nachum was at that time supporting the entire world.

Meanwhile in Heaven there was a great uproar, for no one was learning Torah, until they saw Rav Zev Nachum. It was decided on high that his reward would be a gifted son, a child whose light of Torah would illuminate the entire world that he had saved. This was why his firstborn son was the Avnei Nezer. So the Kotzker revealed.

Even in his youth the Avnei Nezer's power in Torah was apparent. He was once learning in the bais medrash when a crowd of weeping Jews came in. They began to recite Tehillim tearfully and to daven for the recovery of a terribly sick Jew whose end was near, hoping that Heaven would have mercy. Their cries and loud tefillos disturbed his learning. "Listen," he told them, "if you promise to daven quietly and not disturb my study, I promise you that he will recover." The crowd listened to the young scholar, and the dying man recovered.