The Piece of Candle

It is told that the Alter carried a small piece of wax candle as a token and proof of his bitachon, saying that it had been sent from Heaven. One long night in his small forest hut, where he was in hisbodedus, his candles ran out. Without light he could not continue learning Torah. Full of bitachon, he got up and went into the dark forest to look for a candle.

Out of the gloom a man came toward him holding a candle and gave it to him as a gift. The Alter kept what remained of this candle and treasured it, calling it his jar of mon, his tzintzenes hamon. It was his symbol of bitachon.

One day a fire broke out in his home and everything burned, including the candle. The Alter saw this too as a message from Heaven, that no proof of bitachon is needed.