צדק צדק תרדף למען תחיה (שופטים טז:ג)

The holy Sar Shalom of Belz zt’’l was once in Lublin by his holy Rebbe, the Rebbe of Lublin zt’’l.  When he bid farewell to the Rebbe of Lublin, his Rebbe told him: “If you encounter a person walking on foot, what would you do?” The Sar Shalom replied: “I’ll for sure welcome him onto my wagon!”

The Chozeh of Lublin continued asking: “And if you will encounter a person limping with a walking stick who will surely ask for a hitch with your wagon, what would you do?” The Sar Shalom responded: “I’ll for sure take him into our wagon!”

The Rebbe of Lublin said, “I feel that you shouldn’t give him a hitch.  Because a healthy person walks on foot if perhaps he doesn’t have money to rent a wagon, but a person who limps, why didn’t he originally take a wagon – it must be that he is a liar and is pretending to limp.” The Chozeh finished bidding farewell to the Sar Shalom with these words.

The Sar Shalom headed out and fell asleep in the middle of the way.  He suddenly awoke to the sound of screaming.  He asked what the commotion was about and was told that a person with a limp was yelling to be taken into their wagon.  The Sar Shalom reminded himself of his Rebbe’s departing words and said not to take him in, just continue traveling.

The man with the limp started running after them, and the Sar Shalom requested that they travel faster.  When the person saw them speeding up, he dropped his sticks and started running after them, until he suddenly vanished. 

The next time the Sar Shalom was in Lublin, the Rebbe of Lublin explained what had occurred.  The limping Yid once lived in Belz and didn’t act appropriately. The Sar Shalom had summoned him, and he didn’t come, saying he had nothing to do with the Rav.  The last time the Sar Shalom’s gabbai summoned him, he spanked him and threw him out of his house.

The Yid passed away a short time later, and it was decreed in heaven that he needed a תיקון – an atonement by coming down to this world again and having to run after the Sar Shalom, and not being able to reach him.  The pain will serve as atonement – “מדה כנגד מדה.”  The Rebbe of Lublin concluded: “That’s why I told you not to take him onto your wagon, so he should have his atonement.”

The Frierdige Belzer Rav zt’’l explained the Mishna (מסכת פאה) that says: “כל מי שאינו לא חיגר ולא סומא ולא פיסח ועושה עצמו כאחד מהם, אינו מת מן הזקנה עד שיהיה כאחד מהם, שנאמר: ‘צדק צדק תרדוף’” – one who doesn’t limp and makes himself as if he has a limp, will have a limp at the end.  And brings צדק צדק תרדוף as proof.