R' Ziskind from Kurenitz (and Niggun 85)

00:08 Harav HaChasid Reb Ziskin from Korinit. He was the Rav in the city of Korinit. He was known as Reb Ziske, and, uh, he was a chasid of Amashiv Rav Ditemach Tzadeg. They said about him that he's a spiritual man. There was once in Korinit, when he was a Rav over there, there was once a disease that was going around the city, and it was killing many kids. And, uh, there was almost no home that didn't have a child who passed away over there. So the heads of the community gathered by the Rav, Reb Ziske, and they had a meeting, and they decreed that the whole community should fast one of the following days. And not just that everyone should fast, but also on the day of the fast, everybody should not go to work, and they should all come daven at a certain specific shul. They shouldn't daven at their usual shul. And they, uh, announced a certain time that everybody should come for davening and then also for a drasha from the Rav. So the night before that fast day, the Rav, Reb Ziske, called his, uh, shamash, that he should go to the cemetery. And he told him, "Go to a certain grave and take a little stone from there. Then go to another grave and take a s- little stone that's placed over there, and, uh, bring them to me." So the shamash said, "I'm scared to go at night to the cemetery." So the Rav told him, "Take my cane and

01:39 don't be afraid." So the shamash went, and he brought the two stones. Then Reb Ziske told him, "Take this stone," and he gave him one of the stones, and he tell him to put it by the entrance of the men's section to the shul. And take the other stone and put it by the entrance to the ezras noshim, to the women's section. And that's what the shamash did. The next morning, early morning, a big crowd, all the people in the city, started to come to the shul. And then suddenly, one of the men who walked into the shul tripped over the stone that was there, and he fell, and he died on the spot. They rushed a doctor there, and he tried to revive him, but that didn't help. In the meantime, people kept coming to the shul for davening and the drasha. And then a little while later, a woman who was entering the ezras noshim tripped over the stone that was placed over there and fell and died. And from after that incident, nobody passed away from the disease anymore. And the people in the city found out that that man and woman who died actually did an aveira, and it is for that reason that the disease was going around. This story was related by the Mashpia in Lubavitch, Reb Shmuel Grainim, and he finished the story by saying that BeChasidim, it was Mekubal, the, uh, tradition BeChasidim that Reb Ziske had Ruach Hakodesh. Reb Ziskind used to travel to the Tzemach

03:05 Tzedek, and he was one of the most Chasidich Hasidim. And it happened once, when he was once in a very high spirit, he walked into the Tzemach Tzedek's room, and he said to the Tzemach Tzedek, "Rebbe, Al Tehi Birchas Hedyot Kala Beeineicha." Don't take the blessing of a simple man lightly. And then he gave the Rebbe a bracha. So the Tzemach Tzedek answered, "Azoy, azoy, a hedyot. A hedyot is a roikhe madrega." He's saying, "A hedyot, a simple man, that's a very high level." Afterwards, Reb Ziske came out of the Tzemach Tzedek's room, and he was dancing in the Gan Eden HaTachton. So the Tzemach Tzedek opened up the door, and he said, "Ich vil zen vi a hedyot tanzt." I want to see how a hedyot, a simple man, dances. Reb Ziske passed away on Shabbos, Yud Dalet Sivon, Taf Res Mem Dalet. And they say that he walked over to the window, and he looked out the window before he passed away, and he said, "A sheine velt, a sheine velt." It's a nice world. Afterwards, he asked a few times if the doctor, who was a Kohen, is still in the house because he was afraid he was about to pass away any moment, and the Kohen should have been in the house at that time, even though he was still sitting in a chair and it didn't, it didn't look like he's, uh, about to pass away. The Friediker Rebbe once related that the Rebbe Hendel told me, says the Friediker

04:32 Rebbe, that when he was a yungerman, before he became a Hasid, he came once to Reb Zishka from Korinitz, and he saw the way he conducts himself. Once, Reb Hendel told the Friediker Rebbe, "When I was going to sleep, I saw how Reb Zishka was already getting up to do Tikkun Chatzos. And after Tikkun Chatzos, he sat down to learn for a few hours. Afterwards, he went to the mikveh, and then he started with the Hachanos for Shacharis. So when I, when I saw that conduct, I had doubts in my heart whether I should become a Hasid because it looked like a very hard Avoda. Maybe it's too much for me. Then, later on throughout the day," says Reb Hendel, "I saw how a Jewish woman came to Reb Zishka, and she was telling him about somebody who became sick, and Reb Zishka just burst out crying when he heard that. I also saw," says Reb Hendel, "how Reb Zishka walked over to somebody, and he asked him, begged him, to go do a Tovah, a favor, for another Yid. In the end," said Reb Hendel, "I decided to become a Hasid. So I walked over to Reb Zishka, and I told him, 'I want to become a Hasid.' So Reb Zishka answered me, 'Okay.' So Reb Hendel asked him, 'How do, how do I become a Hasid?' And he added, 'But please don't make it too hard for me.' So Reb Zishka answered, 'It's very simple. The first thing in Chasidus is Ahavas Yisroel.'

05:59 And he explained to him at length how is Ahavas Yisroel al pi Chasidus We'll, we'll finish off with a hearty nigun. It's Nigun Peh Hey in Sefer HaNigunim, which the Hasidim in Russia would sing at the Shivere Tza'itn. And this is a new performance, a new rendition of this nigun. I hope you enjoy.