Moishele The Ganif
Edited transcript of Reb Sam Intrator
Connections Magazine vol 4.

Warsaw, 5749.

(Rabbeinu speaking)

Everybody knows that in each generation there are
thirty-six hidden ones, tzadiqium, the great hidden souls
who are sustaining the entire world through their
righteous thoughts and deeds.

The Holy Baal Shem Tov took it upon himself to support and
learn from each of the thirty-six hidden ones. He taught
Rebbe Nachum Chernobyler to take over this job as
his successor.

One day the Baal Shem Tov called in Reb Nachum and told
him that he needed ten thousand rubles in order to marry
off poor brides. He told Reb Nachum to go to Brodt, a
town that many rich men passed through on business.

To make a long story short, although Reb Nachum was an excellent
fundraiser, fundraising was something he really hated doing.
All Reb Nachum wanted from life was to daven, learn
and be in Mezbezh with his Rebbe, the Baal Shem. But when
your Rebbe gives you a job to do, you do it. So Reb Nachum
went to Brodt. Not only was he miserable for the two weeks
ho was in Brodt, but all he managed to raise in the time
were a few kopekas.

As he left Brodt, Reb Nachum sat down by a tree and poured out
his heart to G-d in anger. He cried out, "Master of the world, if I
were collecting money for myself, maybe I might understand
why I have to be doing this with my time. but I am never again
going to collect money for people I don't know and will never
know! Then, suddenly, he saw two police officers dragging
a prisoner between them. The most amazing thing, the prisoner was
dancing and singing, completely filled with joy. Reb Nochum was
so amazed, he had to ask the prisoner who he was. The prisoner
replied, "I am Moshele the thief. I am the greatest thief
in Brodt. How could it be that you do not know me?" Reb Nochum
answered, "I am so sorry, but I am a stranger in the city and I
did not yet have the privilege to meet you. But if you are such
a great thief how is that the police caught you?" So Moshele
the Ganef gave his story. "This is the very first time I've gotten caught.
In the beginning I only stole from shleppers. Nobody cares
if a shlepper is robbed, so I was never caught. But from this I
could barely earn a living. So I promoted myself into stealing
from richer people. The businessmen passing through Brodt and
staying in the kretchmer became my best customers. I started
doing really well for myself. But since I only stole from
other Jews and nobody cares if a Jew gets robbed, I
was never caught. But today I heard that a nephew of the Tsar
got himself stranded in Brodt and had to spend the night in the
kretchmer. It was the biggest opportunity of my entire life! The Tsar's
own nephew! A gold mine!

But what I didn't know is that stealing from a nephew
of the Tsar isn't like stealing from a Jew in Brodt, even the
richest Jew in Brodt. If you steal from the Tsar's
nephew, the police find out who did it.

So this time, sadly enough, I got caught.

So Reb Nochum asked him, "Moshele, when you come out
of prison will you stop being a thief?" Moshele opened his
eyes wide and looked right into the depths of Reb Nochum's
soul. He said, "Don't you know that you are not allowed
to give up doing that which you are very good at? For doing
what you are best at is what you are meant to do in this world."

So Reb Nochum walked back to Brodt. In what was left of
the day he collected all ten thousand rubles. He returned to the Baal
Shem Tov and gave him the money. The Baal Shem asked, "So, Reb
Nochum, how does Elijah the prophet look like when
he is dancing between two policemen?"
