How a Physician Became a Complete Tzaddik

I heard from the famous and pious Torah scholar, R. Yitzchak Meir (chief judge of Alexander and the brother-in-law of our master) how R. Chaim Dovid (of blessed memory), a physician of Pietrekov, became a complete tzaddik.

R. Chaim Dovid was a great and famous physicians—and, like all of the doctors, he was irreligious.

One time a gentile nobleman set for him from a distance, for he was ill.

R. Chaim Dovid traveled to him in his carriage, and the route took him through the city of Lelov.

When he came to Lelov, it was late at night and a torrential rain began to pour, and he could not continue further.

He wanted to spend the night in some house, but it was pitchblack everywhere.

Then, from a distance, he saw a house where a light was shining, so he went there. This was the home of the holy tzaddik, R. Dovid of Lelov. R. Dovid greeted him warmly and told his wife, “Make a good meal, for we have a good guest.”

He ate there, and when the rain quieted down he left him.

And as they were parting, the holy R. Dovid told him, “Know that when a person is in a time of trouble, heaven help us, it is good to pledge gold to charity. That is an excellent remedy.” But R. Chaim Dovid didn’t understand what he was telling him.

That was the time of the great war between the Poles and the Russians. And as he was on his way, the Russians swooped down and joyfully took him prisoner, and they took him to be hanged, because they thought that he was the commander of the Polish forces.

When he saw that he was in such great trouble, he recalled what the man from Lelov had told him. He had a golden rendel sewn into his hat (as gentlemen do), and he pledged that rendel to charity.

Immediately, the head of the brigade said, “Behold, since we have captured the commander of the Poles, it is only proper that we inform our own commander, so that he will come and execute you himself.” And everyone agreed to that.

So they sent for their commander.

But when he came, he told them immediately, “You made a mistake, for this is not the man”—for he recognized the Polish commander. And so they let him go in peace.

When he saw this, he realized that the man of Lelov is a holy man.

He went to him and repented and became a whole-hearted penitent and a follower of the holy rebbe. He went to him on a regular basis and became his hasid, until people said of him that he was on a high spiritual plane and that divine inspiration rested on him. And at the end of his life, he accepted kvitlech, petitionary notes.

Esser Zechuyot