His Shver's Great Mitzvah

When Rav Meir married, he lived for ten years with his father-in-law, who supported him completely with room and board. Perhaps the greatness of the Panim Meiros in Torah would have remained hidden had the following incident not taken place.

As was unfortunately all too common, a blood libel landed a group of Jews in jail. They were imprisoned and threatened with execution by fire, and they would have died if not for Rav Moshe Sokotchover, the father-in-law of the Panim Meiros. He found favor with the nobility and bribed them to save the Jews, and he succeeded in redeeming all twenty-four captives from certain death.

The price, however, was heavy. He had to sell all his worldly possessions and all his assets, and he was left penniless and unable to support the Panim Meiros. This episode forced Rav Meir into the rabbinate. He served in Shidlowitz, moved eventually to Worms, and finally came to Eisenstadt, where he served as Rav until his final days.