The Baal HaTanya (Rav Shneur Zalman of Liadi) desired to make a shidduch with the Meor Eynaim’s descendants. He once came to the Meor Eynaim in Czernoble seeking a shidduch for his granddaughter (his son, Rav DovBer’s daughter). The Meor Eynaim invited the Meor Eynaim in to the next room where his grandchildren were sleeping. “Select the one that you want, except for Aharon who is already a chassan.”

The Baal HaTanya placed his hand on the heads of each sleeping child, and when his holy hands rested on the head of Rav Yaakov Yisroel, the Baal HaTanya declared: “This one is of my mind!” At age sixteen, on 6th Shevat תקע"א in Liadi, he married Devora Leah, the daughter of Rav Dov Ber, the Mittler Rebbe of Chabad.

On the first Shabbos after their wedding, Rav Shneur Zalman of Liadi delivered a lengthy Chassidic discourse in the manner of Chabad. When he concluded, he asked his new son-in-law if he understood the ma’amar.

He was somewhat taken aback and confused by Rav Yaakov Yisroel’s answer: “I didn’t hear a thing.” Rav Yaakov Yisroel explained, “I did not yet get permission from my father, the Czernobler Maggid, to see if I am allowed to listen to the ma’amar. Whatever I do not have permission to listen to, I do not hear at all.”

The Baal HaTanya was pleased with his new grandson in law’s answer and he responded, “Please ask your father permission to listen from now on.”  Rav Yaakov Yisroel did so, and from then on, he listened and understood all he heard from the holy mouth of the founder of Chabad.

Rav Mordechai Dov of Horensteipel, author of Emek Sheala, was the grandson of Rav Yaakov Yisroel of Tsherkas. The Tsherkaser appointed him to position of rebbe in Horonsteipel.

The Tsherkaser once summoned his grandson from Horonsteipel. When Rav Mordechai Dov arrived, he waited patiently for some explanation regarding the invitation. When none was forthcoming, he presented himself before his grandfather, the Tsherkaser Rebbe and asked, “Zeide, please; you summoned me here and here I am. Why have you called for me?”

“I summoned you here to decide on a dispute. You see, your grandmother and I have a disagreement and we both decided that there is no one more fitting to resolve it than yourself. Whatever you decide, so shall it be.”

The Tsherkaser Rebbe summoned the rebbetzin and when she arrived, he to presented the argument: “Your grandmother says that she must leave this world before I do. Her reasoning is that if I die first and she is left widowed, no more chassidim will come to Tsherkas. If so, where will her source of income come from and how can she stand the loneliness? And I say that I must be the first to depart this world. My reasoning is that if she dies first and I am left like half a body, how will I manage without her?”

“Now my grandson, you have heard our arguments. We trust and rely on you to arrive at a decision and render a verdict on the issue.”

The Horensteipler responded, “On the one hand, grandmother is correct, her life as a widow would be difficult indeed. However, since you zeide are of a different opinion, I do not wish to go against you. And therefore, my decision is that when the time arrives for you both to depart this world, you do so together, in the same year.”

And so it was. In Sivan of תרל"ו, the Tsherkaser Rebbetzin, the daughter of the Mittler Rebbe of Chabad, passed away. Shortly thereafter, in Elul of the same year, the rebbe followed her to Olam HaEmes. (Sippurei Chassidim Torah 549)

Reb Zalman Maliner was a wealthy chassid of the Tsherkaser Rebbe. His main income was from the sale of lumber and he had vast holdings.

Reb Zalman was once summoned by the rebbe. “Here take this,” the Tsherkaser said, handing Reb Zalman an kameya (amulet). “You must wear this amulet and carry it on your person at all times during the weekdays.” The rebbe wagged his finger for emphasis and warned him again, “Remember - all week long; no exceptions!”

Reb Zalman donned the mysterious amulet and followed the rebbe’s orders. Every day of the week he wore the kameya, removing it only after the mikvah on Erev Shabbos and replacing it again on Motza’ei Shabbos when the week began again.

One Erev Shabbos, after Reb Zalman had returned from the mikvah and removed the kameya, a gentile lumber merchant arrived and asked to conclude a lucrative business deal. At first Reb Zalman refused, but after the merchant insisted in closing the deal on the spot, Reb Zalman relented. “The hour is late and it is my day of rest is about to begin; I agree to the deal on condition that you go to the forest adjacent to the lumber yard and take care of the goods yourself” explained Reb Zalman.

The merchant agreed, but returned after he found he because he found the gate locked. Reb Zalman, seeing that he had no choice, hurried off together with the merchant. In his haste, Reb Zalman forgot to put the kameya back on and he left.

No sooner had Reb Zalman opened the gate, when a large tree fell down and killed him on the spot! It became clear to all who knew him just how the Tsherkaser Rebbe’s amulet had indeed protected Reb Zalman’s life all those years he had worn it.

Rav Avrohom of Slonim testified that he heard from an eye witness, a venerated chassid, that following the tragedy, they opened the amulet and read the rebbe’s holy handwriting on the kameya: “I adjure you, all tree and forest spirits of peril, that you not harm or injure Reb Zalman, signed: Yaakov Yisroel of Tsherkas.” (Emek Tefilla, Intro)

Rav Menachem Nuchem Rabi Rabinowitz of Boznisnak was a descendant of Rav Yaakov Yisroel of Tsherkas. He related this story that he had heard from Rav Aharon Czernobler’s chassidim who lived in Kremintzuk. Kremintzuk’s population was made up of mostly Tsherkaser chassidim, and so, when the local beis ha’chaim was full and they needed to expand, they naturally turned to the Tsherkaser Rebbe for advice regarding plans for enlarging the cemetery.

They invited the rebbe to spend Shabbos in Kremintzuk to mekadesh the new chelkas beis hachaim. After the Tsherkaser Rebbe’s arrival on Motza’ei Shabbos, the gabbaim of the chevra kaddisha entered the rebbe’s study and presented two alternate sets of plans. “We have the possibility to expand the beis hachaim either along its length or width. If we expand its width, it will be cheaper since we won’t have to move the chedrei tahara where the purification takes place.”

The rebbe leaned a bit on his arm, and after a few moments he responded: “When I get there, I shall decide the best way to proceed.”

“Now understand,” Rav Aharon Czernobler’s chassid said, “I was there, and as a Czernobler Chassid, I couldn’t understand what the rebbe needed to see on location and why he couldn’t decide now. I took a small coach and hurried off intending to arrive before the rebbe and see what he would do. The rebbe’s coach took a shorter route and arrived near the wide part of the beis hachaim. I observed as ethe rebbe approached the cemetery fence. He moved aside two pickets from the fence and peered inside the beis hachaim. Then the strangest thing happened” described the chassid. “The rebbe appeared to sniff for something and as soon as he appeared satisfied with whatever scent he picked up, he immediately ran back to the coach and ordered the driver to be off!

“I followed, and we all arrived at the crowd awaiting the rebbe. There the rebbe told them that he had arrived at his decision. Despite the extra cost involved under no circumstances were they to expand the beis hachaim along the width. Rather, they should expand along the length. He gave no explanation and he was mekadesh the beis hachaim along the length.

“I, however, wasn’t satisfied,” continued the chassid. “Out of curiosity, I approached two elderly chassidim and asked them to accompany me back to the beis hachaim. I showed them the spot where the rebbe had stood by the fence and smelled whatever it was he smelled, and they recognized the spot. “Who is buried here by the fence?” I asked them. They named several well-known apikorsim, that were buried there.

At that moment, I realized that the Tsherkaser Rebbe really has ruach hakodesh and I decided then to attach myself to him!” (Emek Tefilla, Intro)

And the householder approached Hashem and drew near so long as he did not stretch out his hand to take away the business of his fellow man.”

If you ask me what is the way for baaleibatim (common householders) to draw close to Hashem, my advice is that they conduct all their business affairs honestly according to the Torah, as it says: “He did not stretch out his hand to take away the business of his fellow.”

And the householder approached Hashem and drew near so long as he did not stretch out his hand to take away the business of his fellow man.”

If you ask me what is the way for baaleibatim (common householders) to draw close to Hashem, my advice is that they conduct all their business affairs honestly according to the Torah, as it says: “He did not stretch out his hand to take away the business of his fellow.”

“And Amalek came and fought with Yisroel in Refidim. Go out and fight tomorrow,” Amalek is with us in every place and at all times. His primary weapon of war against us is “V’yilachem - to cause us to say ‘Vay, lechem’– Woe is the bread!” Amalek’s tactic in each generation is to challenge us in faith regarding our livelihood by making us feel a lack and strain, to make us feel, “Woe is our bread!” Therefore, Amalek attacks us at Refidim, specifically causing us Rifayaon – slacking off with loose behavior. The Torah commands, “Go out and fight – “Tze hilachem – Hay lachem – Here is your bread, the nehama d’Oraisa, the bread of Torah study, i.e., do not loosen your grip on Torah; do not slack off or relax your diligence. Instead, tighten your grip; increase your diligence, and engage in Torah study without worry what tomorrow shall bring. The worry of “tomorrow” is what Amalek tried to instill in us. Remember that the same Hashem that helped you today shall be there with you tomorrow. And therefore, concludes the Tsherkaser, we must delve deep into Torah without tomorrow’s worries! (Emek Tefilla, Intro)

“And the householder approached Hashem and drew near so long as he did not stretch out his hand to take away the business of his fellow man.”

If you ask me what is the way for baaleibatim (common householders) to draw close to Hashem, my advice is that they conduct all their business affairs honestly according to the Torah, as it says: “He did not stretch out his hand to take away the business of his fellow.”