The Sefas Emes's First Visit to Kotzk

The Sefas Emes once told of his first visit to Kotzk. He noticed that there was no order in the Kotzker's household and court, and no one guarding or watching over it. Guests came and went, and the doors were always open. As a result, various objects went missing, no doubt along with the visitors who had taken them.

On one Erev Shabbos the shamash (attendant), Feivel, was arguing with the Rebbetzin over missing silver candlesticks, presumed stolen. He was so loud that everyone in the house heard him, including the Rebbe. "Feivel, what is all the commotion?" the Kotzker demanded.

Feivel cried out, "And why shouldn't they steal? When everything here is hefker (ownerless), open and free for all, why shouldn't they steal?"

"What?" roared the Kotzker. "Feivel, how can anyone steal? It says in the Torah, 'Thou shalt not steal.'"

Years later the Sefas Emes related, "When I heard the holy Kotzker roar those words, it seemed to me at that very moment that there was no possibility of stealing anything at all, because of the commandment not to do so." That was what he took home with him from his first visit to Kotzk.