The Shepherd's Blessing

A chassid, himself a rabbi, came to Rav Yissocher Dov Ber. He and his wife had been childless for many years, and he said he would not leave until the Rebbe promised to help. The Rebbe answered, "I am not the one to help you, but in your own village there is someone who can: Chananele the shepherd. Go to him and ask his blessing. If he makes excuses, tell him I sent you and that he must help you."

The rabbi went home trusting the Rebbe's word. To his dismay he found Chananele drunk, staggering down the street while village boys threw stones and dirt at him, until he collapsed in a doorway to sleep it off. Someone explained that it happened every time he was paid, since he spent the money on drink and ended up senseless on a street corner. The rabbi, who had full faith in the Rebbe, kept his vigil.

When the shepherd lifted his head, he asked why the rabbi stood watching him. "I want you to bless me," the rabbi said. "I am childless." The shepherd burst out laughing. "The rabbi wants a drunken shepherd to bless him? Who sent you?" When he heard it was the Radoshitzer Rebbe, he grew serious. He agreed on two conditions: the rabbi must tell no one, and he must never come to the shepherd's defense when the village youths threw dirt or insulted him.

The shepherd gave his blessing, and a year later the rabbi's wife gave birth to a son. When the boy grew up and went to school, he joined the village boys who threw stones at the shepherd. His father was deeply pained but could not scold him because of his promise. When the shepherd, later known as Rav Elchanan, passed away, Rav Yissocher Dov Ber gave a great hesped (eulogy) for him. He revealed to the villagers the hidden deeds he had done far from people's eyes and that he had been a great tzaddik nistar (hidden tzaddik).