Tikkun Chatzos at the Inn

Rav Chaim Meir Hager of Vizhnitz, the author of Imrei Chaim, once told his chassidim on the Chernobyler's yahrzeit that the Meor Einayim, as the Yiddish saying goes, brightens the eyes. He told this story.

On one of his many journeys the Meor Einayim stayed the night at a Jewish inn. The innkeeper and his wife were simple people, and when the Rebbe began Tikkun Chatzos and his loud sighs, groans and weeping reached their ears, they were alarmed. “Our guest must be unwell,” said the innkeeper's wife. “Go and see.” The innkeeper took a candle and went down, and the moaning and crying continued from the guest room. He knocked and opened the door and apologized for disturbing the Rebbe, but he had overheard his pain, and could he help?

The Rebbe explained that, thank Hashem, he was well. He had been reciting Tikkun Chatzos. “What is that?” asked the innkeeper. “It is the prayer said over the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash,” the Rebbe answered patiently. “What is the Beis HaMikdash?” The Rebbe explained that all the Jews once lived in the Holy Land, Hashem commanded them to build a Temple, they served Him there until it was destroyed because of our sins, and we were scattered in exile. “And soon,” he said with longing, “Moshiach will come and gather us in from the exile and bring us back to Eretz Yisroel. Surely you await him any day, as we all do.”

The simple innkeeper was even more puzzled. “I am not sure. Let me ask my wife.” He went up and told her, and asked her opinion. She sent him back with a message: Baruch Hashem, we have saved some money, we own a flock of geese and some property, and we have a livelihood. Why should we give it all up and move to Eretz Yisroel when Moshiach comes?

“Tell your wife,” said the Rebbe, “that here in galus the nations torment us and make our lives difficult and bitter, and in Eretz Yisroel that will end.” The innkeeper told his wife, and added, “Don't you remember last week, when our neighbor Ivan got drunk and smashed all our windows? In Eretz Yisroel the Rebbe promises we will not have such trouble.” She thought for a moment, and then understanding lit her face. “I have it. Tell the Rebbe that I have a solution. Here we are comfortable and settled, and our only problem is the gentiles. When Moshiach comes he will solve all our problems by taking the gentiles with him to Eretz Yisroel.”

When the Rebbe heard her answer, he said, “Now I understand the verse in Parshas Vaera, Shemos 6:6, where Hashem says, ‘I will take you out from the burdens of Mitzrayim.’ He will make it so that we can no longer bear the exile, and then we will want to leave. That is our sin. We have grown so settled in exile, so comfortable, that we think nothing could be better. How wrong we are.”