עבודה זרה טו

Known for his great love of בני ישראל, the great ר׳ וולווילה מזבאראז׳ would refer to everyone as צדיק.  Once, the watch that his חסידים bought him was missing. When asked where it was, ר׳ וולווילה said that it was probably taken by a צדיק.  Surprised, one of his חסידים asked: “Someone steals your watch and you call him a צדיק?!”  The רבי responded: “Perhaps he needs to go to work in the morning and is concerned that without a watch he won’t get up in time to make שחרית.”  His חסידים bought him another watch and placed it high up on the top shelf of a cabinet.  Within days, that watch was gone as well.  “Was the new watch also taken by a צדיק?” the חסידים asked.  ר׳ וולווילה responded:  “A סתם צדיק couldn’t reach that high.  It must have been a חוזר בתשובה.  As it says: ‏במקום שבעלי תשובה עומדים אין צדיקים גמורים יכולים לעמוד.”

06/10/2021