Rosenthal's memories of Saba Yisroel -- NEW MATERIAL

In תשמו 1986 this guy – (if I remember correctly) Shmuel Rosenthal, who now hangs out by Nekuda Tova (Chanania Ehrman's kolel in Meah She-urim right opposite Neturay Karta), was learning in a baal teshuva yeshiva in Bney Brak (even though he wasn't a baal teshuva…) on Rechov Yerushalayim, and someone directed him to get a blessing from Saba Yisroel who was then residing right around the corner on Rechov Maimon. Upon visiting Saba he realized that Saba could use some help, so he started going over to Saba every day from around 6 pm to 2 am, for about 7 months.

He said Saba used to be up the whole time, he only slept from about 3 am to 4:30 and another hour during the day. Later, Rosenthal added that Saba would sleep a bit every night right before midnight - see below.

Once he saw Saba on the floor doing Tikun Chatzos for two hours, crying intensely, but immediately upon rising he was dancing. Once (maybe on that occasion) he heard Saba crying and sobbing to HY that there was a girl in Haifa, so and so, who needed a shidduch and a boy, so and so, in Jerusalem (I forgot the exact details) who needed a shidduch… after a few months this boy and girl came to Saba as a couple, to thank him (people with me challenged the story teller how he knew that it was this boy and girl etc. but he stuck to his guns, saying that he had heard their names etc.).

Once Saba a line down his leg of infection, and our friend warned Saba against going to the Mikva, but Saba went to a cold mikva, did his 310 dips, and came out completely healed.

Another time Saba had pneumonia and they went to the ER where they had to wait and were there for 5-6 hours, getting out at about 11 pm, they gave him medication which had some good effect. All the way home in the car Saba was saying מקוה ישראל ה' וכו'… and sure enough Saba went immediately to the mikva, did his 310, and when he came out he was completely healthy.

When he was deciding to leave Saba to join Asher Freund (A meforsam… who did a lot of chessed – made many soup kitchens and all types of free services for the poor, and he also taught his followers to scream – really scream and scream – especially in the forest) in Jerusalem, he said Saba said that AF was the real thing, and he was a fan of his.

Once our friend saw a guy come to AF begging him to help him because he was overcome with promiscuity, and AF kicked him out. So our friend went over to AF and said you are **** (in Hebrew “cha...”), how can you reject a Jew, Rabbainu says there is absolutely no despair in the world etc...” and AF sat there and looked at him for a bit, and then exclaimed “You are right!” and AF called the guy back and spoke to him for a bit, one of the things he told him was to say Tikun Haklali every day in the morning after going to the mikva.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!

B"H after posting this I had the good fortune of meeting up once again with our new friend and I asked him to review what I wrote to make sure that I got everything right. B"H he gave his approval, and he pointed out that I omitted one point - that in each of the stories above where Saba went to the mikva, he first assured them that he would only dip once, and then once he got to the mikva he did all the 310. Saba did the 310 each time with his head (not just with his finger).

Rosenthal also said that the most important and significant thing to tell over about Saba was how he was always extremely happy and joyous, and how he used to tell people that if only they were happy the could accomplish - pull off - so very much.... (Rabbainu revealed that joy breeds success...).

BH meeting up another time with Rosenthal he told me that he personally recorded three songs that Saba composed and sang from Shir Hashirim, but the tape got caught and lost.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman 


BH after getting to hear these stories, I had the good fortune of speaking again with our new friend and now I got the half stories and the juice... 

Saba once cut himself between his toes from a nail jutting out of a bench by the mikva, and he had to get stitched up by a local doctor, and he got a tetanus shot.

Saba was once visited by the notorious fraud "moharash," and he received him pleasantly - this was in 1986 (We know from Morriss that in America, a few years before, Saba once removed a Likutay Tefilos from the table and put it on the floor, and it was discovered that it was from a printing of the above mentioned fraud). Afterwards Saba's immense dislike for his falsehood became blatant.

Once after Saba recited Tikun Haklali, Rosenthal told him it was time to make a feast of Rosh Chodesh or Shabbos, Saba said fine, but we have to bring the people to faith. Shortly after a bunch of people arrived - people Rosenthal didn't recognize, and Saba began speaking with them about belief in HY. He was telling one of them how there is a Creator, and the person was like; really? where is He etc.. Saba said He is inside of you, your soul is a part of HY.... Later this person repented and became observant, and he credited Saba for bringing him  back to the holy faith.

Many people came just to jeer at Saba or for a quick thrill, and Rosenthal would often throw people out. Saba was never bothered by anyone, even still Rosenthal guestimates that 40% of the times that he threw people out, Saba was happy and relieved. Saba used to great everyone with the greatest reverence and attention. Rosenthal says he regrets leaving Saba, and that before leaving Saba took his hands and asked him to stay. Before he left, Rosenthal warned Yisroel Dagan that Saba needed constant attendance, to get rid of people and to look after his health etc.. But after he left the young French took over and a completely different era unfolded.

Saba used to go the mikva everyday, very rarely missing. He would go at chatzos.

Saba had a very loose stomach, and the food that was brought to him was not sensitive to his needs, which just compounded the matter. Once Saba was bleeding in his stool, and it took him till 4pm until he was able to pray the morning prayer.

Sometimes Gedalia Kenig would have to come over to get Saba to take his medication.

Previously we wrote Saba's sleeping order, now Rosenthal added that Saba used to sleep for a little - around 20 minutes every night before chatzos, so that he could fulfill Rabbainu's directive that the main job of a Jew is to get up (i.e. wake up and start the day) at chatzos.

BH last night - the eve of 14th of Kislev 5777 at the wedding of Avi Pretter I had the good fortune of meeting up again with SR, as the Talmud in Brachos (6b) says that the reward for going to a wedding are "words" - and so I merited to get more vintage stories about Saba. SR told me that Saba was prone to come up with something new to repent on every half hour. Once on Friday night SR went over to help serve Saba the Shabbos meal, and he heard Saba speaking to HY before making Kiddush - "Do You remember the "shehakoal" blessing I made in the morning, I didn't really put intention into blessing You, of course You remember, for it says "ain <there is no> shichichu <forgetting> lifnay <before> keesay <the throne> kivoadechu <of Your glory>" and Saba proceeded to recite the veedoy (confession) clapping his chest, "ushamanoo <we have sinned>, bugadnoo <we have been disloyal>, guzalnoo <we have stolen>...." and continued in this vein of repentance for three and a half hours!


Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!