וישלח יעקב מלאכים… ארצה שעיר שדה אדום (וישלח לב:ד)

Around 150 years ago, Empress Maria Theresa reigned over what would later be called the Austrian Empire (which comprised about a dozen European countries and regions).   Once, she imposed a decree that the Yidden of Bohemia must abandon their homes and leave the country.  The decree would have affected thousands of Jewish families, which naturally caused panic in many cities, towns and hamlets across the country.

The Kehilla (Jewish community) of Prague sent their Dayan Rabbi Zalman to try and intervene with Councilor Kontiz, a close advisor of the Empress, to annul the terrible decree.

Rabbi Zalmern headed to Vienna and was told about a Jewish woman who had business dealings with the councilor and so could be an ideal intermediary to connect with him. Rabbi Zalman met this Jewish lady and shared with her the danger that the Jewish community faced. She said that the councilor visits her business occasionally, and the next time he comes for a visit, she will inform Rabbi Zalmen.

Within a short time, the councilor came to the woman’s home, and she summoned Rabbi Zalman from a side room, where he was already waiting for the councilor.  When the woman related the reason for R’ Zalman’s presence to the councilor, they were shocked by the councilor’s enraged reaction, who asked the dayan: “Why did not you come directly to me? Why did you need the woman to mediate for you?”.

Rabbi Zalman did not lose his equilibrium and explained: “I learned this approach from our holy Torah.  Yaakov Avinu sent messengers with gifts to Eisav and told them to go to Se’ir. In essence, Eisav lived at the time in Canaan, as it says in the Passuk (Vayishlach 36:5), “…אלה בני עשו אשר ילדו לו בארץ כנען.  Why then did Yaakov send gifts for his brother all the way to the land of Se’ir?  The answer is as follows: One of Eisav’s wives, Yehudis, lived in Se’ir, and Yaakov wanted her to intercede on his behalf to impress upon her husband Eisav to stop hating Yaakov.

“I used the same tactic,” explained R’ Zalman to the councilor.  

The councilor was amused by this ingenious reply and said he would use all his connections to annul the decree. He added that the Yidden are a smart nation, and it is a shame to send them out of the land. 

Thanks to the wisdom of the Dayan, the Yidden of Bohemia were saved from the decree.