THE ARIZAL’S SIDDUR

During World War II, when Maran Reb Aharon of Belz zt’’l was in Budapest for Rosh Hashanah, he did not have with him the Arizal Siddur that he would always use for tekiyas shofar. He therefore sent a messenger, Duvid Singer a’’h, to the Riskover Rav, Reb Avraham Shlome HaKohen Katz zt’’l, who was also a refugee in Budapest at the time, to ask whether he might have an Arizal Siddur.

The Riskover Rav sighed and replied that he himself was in foreign exile, without even his own personal siddur—how then could he possibly provide an Arizal Siddur?

Just after the messenger departed, an elderly Hungarian Yid entered the Riskover Rav’s home holding a sefer. Surprised, the Rav asked him what it was. The Yid explained: “I found this among some old machzorim in my father’s home, and I thought the Rav would surely know what it is, and perhaps you could make use of it.”

The Riskover Rav looked—and it was an Arizal Siddur! Overcome with emotion, he rushed to the window, quickly calling the messenger back. “Return at once! I now have an Arizal Siddur for Maran to use for the tekiyos!”

Within moments, the siddur that had seemed impossible to obtain was delivered into the hands of Reb Aharon of Belz.