The Rebbe's Advice

When Rav Leibush Ber Halpert, later the Rav of Vasloi, was a yungerman, he tried his hand at buying and selling grain, but he was unsuccessful. Toward the end of Iyar, his uncle went to Grossvardein and brought a kvitel to the Ahavas Yisrael of Vizhnitz to ask his advice. These were the last days of the Rebbe's life, and he was lying sick in bed. The gabbaim would not let the uncle in to see him, but they gave the kvitel to the Rebbe, and he answered, "Let him try something else."

After the Ahavas Yisrael passed away, Rav Halpert tried other business ventures, but he met failure again and again. One night he had a dream in which he saw the Vizhnitzer Rebbe and told him of his difficulty with parnassah. The Rebbe replied, "I think you should go back to study Torah. I will have you appointed as the Rav of one of the towns." When he awoke, he was taken by surprise, because this was not among the possibilities he had even considered.

A few days later, before Shabbos, a telegram arrived from a town in Romania inviting him to apply for the open post of Rav. The trip would take more than twenty-four hours and Shabbos was approaching, so he let the mysterious matter rest. After a few days, another telegram arrived from the former Rav, asking why he had not come. He packed his bags and made his way to Romania. There he was chosen from among the other candidates and appointed Rav, and he served in the rabbanus for the rest of his life.