Brooklyn, 5745
Reprinted from Connections Magazine Vol 1 No 2

Not for commercial redistribution

THE LAST SEDER IN WARSAW

a story told by Reb Shlomo

     In the last year of the Warsaw Ghetto,
one of the Rebbes was arrested a few days
before Pesach with a young chassid who was
seventeen years old. They were supposed to be shot
the second day of Pesach. In the meantime, the
Nazis put them in prison, with thieves,
prostitutes, all kinds of criminals. Meanwhile,
it's Seder night, the Rebbe is sitting in the prison
andsays to his young chassid, "We have no
wine, no matzo, nothing. But, let us say the,
Haggadah." The chassid says, "Rebbe, I'm so
broken, I don't even know if I believe in G-d
at this moment. I'm completely out of it."
The Rebbe says, "Just sit next to me, and we
are going to say the Haggadah."

     The Rebbe begins to say the Haggadah. He
says to the chasid, "Now, please, ask me Ma
Nishtana." The chassid says, "Rebbe, I don't
believe in it anymore. I'm so broken. My parents
are killed, my whole family is killed, I'm in
prison. It's a joke to be celebrating Pesach
here in prison." The Rebbe begs him, "Please,,
please ask me Ma Nishtana." So, he asks him
Ma Nishtana. The Rebbe begins, "avadim Hayinu",
"We were slaves." Suddenly, a Polish thief
opens his mouth and starts yelling, "You dirty,
filthy Jews. Keep your filthy mouths shut. You
are disturbing my peace." He is yelling and
cursing them. A Nazi walks in with a gun, points
it at the Rebbe, and says, "If you disturb the
peace in prison one more time, I won't wait
until the second day. I'll shoot you right now."
He says to the thief, "Thank you so much. Thank
you so much for keeping an eye on these dirty
Jews. I'm really proud of you. If you have any
trouble again, just call me."

    The Nazi walks out. The Rebbe, who spoke
Polish fluently, said to the thief, "Aren't
you ashamed of yourself? The Nazi took away 
your country. They treat you like a dog. You
are going to be on their side against me? I
am the same like you. I'm on your side. You
go with the Nazis? Don't you have a little bit
of character?"

     And, the thief began crying. He said, "Holy
Rabbi, I'm so envious of you, that you are
Jewish. You Jews, you have so much character,
so much inner strength. Nobody can knock you
down. But, I am Polish. I have no inner strength,
no pride, nothing. I am like a dog." He starts
crying and saying, "I wish I could be Jewish.
I wish I could be Jewish. Then I would have a
little pride. Rebbe, please forgive me that I
called the Nazi. I beg you, forgive me. But,
just tell me, what are you doing there?"

     The Rebbe says, "Tonight is the night when
we came out of Egypt, and we are celebrating."
The Polish thief said, "I can't believe it.
These Jews are so holy. They are sitting in
prison, they have nothing, and yet, they are
celebrating freedom? Rebbe, could you please
say the Haggadah in Polish? I want to know
the whole story."

     The Rebbe starts saying, "avadim hayinu"
"We were slaves". in Polish. And, the thief
sits next to the Rebbe, and every few minutes
he cries, "Oh, I wish I could be Jewish." And,
the Rebbe says the whole Haggadah in Polish.
They have no matza, they have no afikomon, they
have nothing to bench on. They get up to "Eliyahu
HaNavi." The Rebbe explains to the Polish thief
that you are supposed to open the door and
Eliyahu HaNavi comes in. The Rebbe says to his
chassid, "Are you ready for Eliyahu HaNavi?"
He answers, "Rebbe, please, leave me out. I'm
not ready." The Rebbe says to the Polish thief,
"Are you ready for Eliyahu HaNavi?" The non-
Jewish thief says, "Rebbe, wherever you go, I
go." The Rebbe-stands up and begins saying,
"Shfoch chamatcha al hogoyim", "Spill out Your
wrath upon the nations who don't know You."
At that moment, the Nazi walks in and shoots
the Rebbe and the thief. Their neshamot (souls)
went to heaven together.

The young Hasid survived and told over the story
to me.

