ונקדשתי בתוך בני ישראל (אמור כב:לב)

There was once a Belz Chassid in Sokol (Poland, now Ukraine) named Reb Shlomo Zuckerman Z”l.  Reb Shlomo ran a food store but was known far and wide as a learned man whose main interest was not his business but his love for Torah.  Whenever the regular Maggid Shiur (lecturer) was absent, Reb Shlomo was relied upon to deliver the Shiur in his stead.  Aside from being busy with his studies and his business, he was always busying himself with another one of the pillars of Chassidus – especially the one that the Belz Chassidim placed great emphasis on: טוהן פאר א יוד’נס וועגען (to help out a fellow Jew).

He circulated in the many Shtetels around his hometown and beyond, trying to solicit funds to help the poor, the sick, and the needy. People welcomed him with great respect and admiration wherever he arrived, knowing that this great Talmid Chacham gave much of himself to help others.

No one knew him when he arrived in tiny Hosikov, so he went into Shul and sat down to learn.  A local Jew approached him and extended his welcome, asking him what they owed the honor of his visit.  Reb Shlomo explained the purpose of his visit and asked whether someone in town could help him circulate amongst the houses to collect Tzedakah.  The local Jew advised him to call upon Reb Avraham, who would surely be happy to help.

When Reb Shlomo entered the house that was pointed out to him, he found Reb Avraham in bed with a sickness that – according to the doctor’s strict warning prevented him from placing his foot on the floor, let alone walking around.  Listening to this host’s story, he looked around and beheld the harrowing state this family was living in, with the head of the family unable to go out to work.

As Reb Shlomo was about to make an about-face, thinking that he would have to find someone else to help him, the lady of the house arrived, and when she heard the reason for his visit, she turned to her husband and said: “What is going on here – you’ve been in bed for two weeks now and didn’t do even one Mitzvah. Pick yourself up and go help another Yid fulfill his mission, and in this merit, the One above will send his Angel of Healing.”

Reb Avraham swiftly put on his boots and donned his hat, wrapping himself in a warm patched-up overcoat.  Ignoring the ice-cold Polish winter, he stepped out with Reb Shlomo, and limped on his ailing leg around the houses to solicit Tzedakah from the local Gevirim (rich people) with his last ounce of strength.

The next time Reb Shlomo traveled from Skohl to Belz, he told the Frierdige Rav Ztz”l about the enormous Mesiras Nefesh (great sacrifice) he witnessed from this Reb Avraham.  The Frierdige Rov said to Reb Shlomo: The Ribono shel Olam (Master of the universe) has thirty-six righteous people.