The Dybbuk

As was his custom, Rav Boruch's sharp barbs of rebuke were reserved for his brother as well. A Shinover chassid once spent a Shabbos in Gorlitz and listened in pain and distress as jibe after jibe was aimed at his beloved Rebbe, the Shinover Rav. All Shabbos, Rav Boruch referred to his brother mockingly as the Dybbuk, because the Shinover had once chased a dybbuk out of someone. At last the chassid could no longer control himself and cried out, “Enough.”

Rav Boruch gave him a stern knock on the head. “Fool,” he said, “don't you know the meaning of Dybbuk? It means that he is constantly dovuk, bound and attached, to the Ribbono Shel Olom.”

When his own chassidim asked why he seemed to speak against his brother when there were many more deserving of his rebuke, he replied, “When I arrive before the heavenly court and they rule against me that I deserve Gehinnom because of this, they will ask me to face my brother, the tzaddik against whom I spoke. And do not worry: when he sees me, he himself will be the one to redeem me and take me out of there, as a favor.”