A Hidden Tzaddik and a Letter From His Father

Another tradition tells that in Tzfas the Shinover met one of the thirty-six hidden tzaddikim. On erev Shabbos, in the mikvah, he noticed a man immersing in an unusual manner and tried to follow him, but the man moved quickly and was gone before he could speak with him. When the Shinover asked where the man lived, he learned that this lamed-vovnik could not be found. That very day he had packed up his family and belongings and moved to nearby Biriya. On Motzei Shabbos the Shinover tried to follow him to Biriya as well, but the hidden tzaddik had run away again, and the Shinover never found him or learned who he was.

The Shinover had wanted to travel from Tzfas to Meron for Lag BaOmer. Before the trip, he opened the letter from his father and found that it contained a command not to visit Meron. This turned out to be great hashgacha pratis, for it was discovered that bandits were lying in wait to capture him on that journey and hold him for ransom.

In the summer of 5630 he traveled again to Yerushalayim and stayed there until the yahrzeit of the Ohr HaChaim HaKodosh, in order to daven at his tziyun. When he returned to Tzfas he sensed that Heaven wished him to return to Europe, and he traveled to the port of Yaffo to board a ship home.

On his return he found a group of chassidim sitting together. When he asked what they were discussing, they admitted that they were talking about why the Shinover had worked so hard to have the sefer Ohr HaChama printed. He had found it in manuscript in Yerushalayim, and it was written by the mekubal Rav Avrohom Azulai, chief rav of Chevron.

“Yes,” the tzaddik said, “printing that sefer was one achievement of mine on that journey. But my real reasons for going will be revealed only with the arrival of Moshiach.”