Rabbeinu's concentration while learning or
davening was so intense that he became merged as
one with the sefer before him and anything
happening around him belonged to a world of another
time and place, unnoticed by him completely.
It was no wonder then that his son from his second
marriage, Rabbi Avigdor Shorr, was startled -- but not
surprised -- by an incident that took place in his
youth. "It was late at night and I had just fallen
asleep when I was awakened by the frightening smell of
smoke. Jumping out of bed, I tried to trace the source
until I came to the Rebbe's room. As I opened the door
I was hit by a cloud of smoke that had come from the
Rebbe's paraffin light and that now filled the room
with such a density that I could not see the Rebbe or
the seforim that lined the walls. Trying to
control my rising panic, I took a lungful of air
outside and plunged forward into the acrid darkness,
groping my way to find the Rebbe. It was only a matter
of seconds before I could discern the Rebbe's figure,
sitting hunched over his sefer. A startled cry
burst from my throat when I suddenly realized that not
only was the Rebbe breathing and alive, but he was
shocked to find me intruding on him in the middle of
his nightly learning -- oblivious to the danger and
smoke enveloping him.
"Nu! What could I do?" shrugged R' Avigdor. "As though
ashamed at being in the wrong place at the wrong time I
just quietly left the room."
***
HaRav Chaim Toibes, zt"l, of Butchon, Romania,
remembers the time when the Admor of Stefenisht was
staying in the town.
"One night I saw streams of people hurriedly making
their way towards the Rebbe's lodgings. It had been
heard that the Rebbe was coming out onto the porch to
recite Kiddush Levonoh. I joined the huge throng
surrounding the house and we watched, mesmerized, for
an hour as the Rebbe said Kiddush Levonoh with
immense deveikus.
"Suddenly, the spell was broken by the steady sound of
marching. A battalion of Romanian soldiers on a
training exercise were passing by. All at once a boom
filled the air as they fired a shot from a cannon. The
crowd trembled in fright, some were knocked from their
feet by the fear, while others began to flee and
disperse in all directions.
"The only one who had no idea of what had transpired
was the Rebbe," retells HaRav Toibes. "He just
continued his holy avodoh as though nothing had
happened."
***
Thousands of chassidim sought his guidance and
basked in his shadow, among them the greatest of
Romania's rabbonim.
In his eulogy of R' Avrohom Matisyohu, HaRav Nachum
Shmaryahu Shechter, zt"l, mourned the death of
Rabbeinu, describing him as "the merciful father of all
Yidden" and above all as the "wisest of men." He
related that a chossid who was known as a great
talmid chochom would accompany Rabbeinu on his
travels. As the miles fell away beneath the wheels of
the carriage, the chossid and the Rebbe would
exchange Torah thoughts. On one occasion the
chossid quoted from "such-and-such a
medrash."
"In the medrash?" Rabbeinu asked rhetorically.
The chossid later made sure to check up the
source of the words and indeed found that they were not
in a medrash but in the sefer "Midrash
Pinchos."
***
From far-off Tzfas HaRav Zilberman zt"l, would
travel to Romania to R' Avrohom Matisyohu, just to see
him and to hear personally his Torah pearls. He related
that once when he was with the Rebbe on yom tov a
dispute over a controversial halacha took place
between two distinguished rabbonim, both
chassidim of the Rebbe. Each one brought solid
proofs to support his point, only to be rebuffed by the
other's ra'ayos. Since it was a matter of
practical halachah, they decided to hand the
question over to the Rebbe. No sooner had they
presented the shailoh, the Rebbe immediately cut
short all their arguments. "We can infer the answer
from what the Taz explains in simon such and
such." To the amazement of the rabbonim, their
shailoh was clarified in a split second by the
Rebbe's sharp, clear answer from an inference from the
Taz.
***
Despite his greatness in Torah, the Rebbe was never too
lofty to consider the needs of the destitute and
brokenhearted.
During Rabbeinu's levayoh, the av beis din
of Stefenisht, HaRav Menachem Breuer, noticed an
elderly man and his daughter weeping bitterly as though
their hearts would break. Explained the father, "For
years out daughter tried to find her shidduch,
without success. Finally, through the personal efforts
of the Rebbe, she recently became engaged. The Rebbe
even took upon himself to pay a good part of the dowry
and wedding expenses. Now that he has passed away, who
will help us?"
As for his own needs, the Rebbe required nothing.
During the last year of his life, the economic
depression in Romania was at its worst, so much so that
the Rebbe himself had to borrow money for basic
necessities.
To add to his expenses, the nephew of R' Avrohom
Matisyohu, the rav of Itzhan, was taken ill and had to
be treated in a hospital in Vienna, incurring enormous
expenses. The sick man immediately turned to his uncle
for help, knowing he would not be turned down.
As the situation threatened to spiral beyond control,
the family of the Rebbe decided to send an appeal to
all the Chassidim, requiring that they send monetary
aid to the Rebbe. However, the idea was immediately
canceled by the Rebbe, who would not hear of such a
thing.
"How can I collect money from people when each one of
them is struggling to make ends meet?"
On Shabbos Kodesh, Parshas Pinchos, 21 Tammuz,
the Admor of Stefenisht left this world.
Motzei Shabbos saw a stream of Jews from all over
Romania converging on the town of Stefenisht, amounting
to 50,000 mourners, to accompany the Rebbe to his
resting place.
In the year 5629, his aron was transported to
Eretz Yisroel, where he was laid to rest in the
Nachlas Yitzchok cemetery in Tel Aviv, among the
Admorei Ruzhin. The site has become a focal point for
people in need of yeshuos as many have seen their
prayers answered in his zechus.
Zechuso yogein oleinu.
The Admor of Stefenisht HaRav Avrohom Matisyohu Friedman, zt"l