Rabbi Menachem Nachum of Chernobyl was born in 5490 (1730) to his father Rabbi Tzvi. According to a tradition accepted in Chabad, Rabbi Nachum was the grandson of Rabbi Adam Baal Shem. He is known by the name of his book 'Meor Einayim' (Light of the Eyes), one of the foundational texts of the chasidic movement, and as the founder of the Chernobyl chasidic dynasty. He was among the eldest disciples of the Maggid of Mezeritch and had also basked in the presence of the Baal Shem Tov.
Rabbi Nachum served as a 'maggid' (preacher), traveling between towns to inspire the people with sermons on ethics and Chasidut. After the passing of the Maggid of Mezritch, chasidim and men of deed gathered around him, and he began to function as an Admor (Chasidic leader). After periods of wandering, his court eventually settled in Chernobyl in Volhynia (today Ukraine). Many of the tzaddikim of his generation would travel to him as chasidim. Rabbi Nachum passed away on the 11th of Cheshvan 5558 (1797) and was laid to rest in Chernobyl.
Rabbi Nachum Menachem of Chernobyl was renowned, among other things, for his ability to affect salvation for women undergoing a difficult childbirth. Once, some people came to him, entreating him to urgently arouse mercy for a woman who was in the throes of a difficult labor. The tzaddik said they should quickly go to his grandson-in-law, Rabbi Shalom Shachna of Prohobitch, (the husband of his granddaughter Chava'leh) – and he would take care of it.
Reb Shalom was then a very young man, about 15 or 16 years old, while Rabbi Nachum was an elderly tzaddik, yet he sent the family to the young grandson-in-law to handle this case. This was a life-threatening situation, so the family rushed to Rabbi Shalom-Shachna and told him that the Rebbe sent them – there's a woman having difficulty in childbirth and something needs to be done immediately.
"What do you want from me? I don't know what to do," Rabbi Shalom told them. The people desperately returned to Rabbi Nachum, who became very serious, and sternly said, "Go back to him and tell him that I said he must help her, and only he can help this woman."
"I really don't know what to do,” said Rabbi Shalom when the family returned to him. “But if the tzaddik sent you to me, then I'll tell you a story, and perhaps through the power of the story, salvation will come to this woman:"
The Story of the Couple from Istanbul
In those days, when a Jewish woman needed to go out in Istanbul, especially on the night of her ritual immersion, she would not go out alone but in a group, for fear of the Muslims. Once, for some reason, a woman went out alone to the street, and indeed, an Arab came and kidnapped her and brought her to his house. This Arab had something important to do, so meanwhile he forcibly locked her in his attic, planning to do what he needed to do and return to her.
This woman was a newlywed. She cried and cried – for two reasons: first that the Arab shouldn't defile her. Second, she cried over her young husband who would probably divorce her. Through her tears, she saw a balcony in the attic facing the street – several stories high. The woman thought: If I stay here, the Arab will surely defile me. I'll jump from the balcony, and one of two things will happen: either I'll die, or God will perform a miracle for me and I'll be saved from here. She searched a bit in the room and found a thick cloak, wrapped herself in the garment and jumped from the balcony. God performed a miracle for her – perhaps somewhat through natural means, with the help of the thick garment – and she was not hurt, and immediately got up and ran home. When she arrived home, she didn't tell her husband anything, apparently still traumatized by this story. But the husband immediately suspected that something had happened, and was afraid to approach her at all.
Istanbul is a port city with small boats. The custom there was that whoever had a problem or felt distressed would rent a small boat and go sailing. This way, he would alleviate his worry. Nothing is more calming than sailing on the sea. This is what the young husband did (the storyteller, Rabbi Shalom, was also a young husband. Interestingly, an unscrupulous person had attempted to spread malicious rumors about his wife, the righteous Chava'le).
The husband rented the boat and set sail. In the middle of the sea, he saw another boat approaching him, with one Arab. It was clear that if there were two lone people, each in his own boat, they likely both had something weighing on them. “What is bothering you?” the young husband asked the Arab. “You tell me, and then I'll tell you.”
The Arab told him the whole story – that yesterday he had kidnapped a Jewish woman, and she escaped, and he's not so sorry about her, but along with her the cloak in which he had hidden all his wealth, lots of gold and diamonds, had disappeared. A serious loss… The young husband understood what had happened, made an excuse and hurried home. When his wife had come home the night before, she had put the cloak under the stove and the husband noticed this. He immediately tore the garment and found the treasure, and they both rejoiced greatly. The joy of this young Jewish couple was boundless, and from this joy, a righteous son was born to them.
When Rabbi Shalom of Prohobitch finished telling the story, he said: Now the woman in labor has given birth, mazal tov. And then he promised that when this story would be told in the case of a woman having difficulty in childbirth – she would give birth in a good and successful time.
Rabbi Menachem Nachum passed away on the 11th of Cheshvan, the day of Rachel Imeinu's passing during childbirth. Rachel is the symbol of a woman having difficulty in labor, and is also identified in Kabbalah with the Shechinah, which suffers in the birth pangs of the Messiah. Indeed, one of the issues that touched Rabbi Nachum's soul more than anything was the plight of a woman struggling in childbirth. He worked many salvations in this matter, and would even interrupt his Silent Prayer to count the redemption money – knowing his power to save the woman from death through this.
Here, the Rebbe of Chernobyl entrusted this difficult case to his grandson-in-law. Although it was challenging for the young man to bring forth the salvation from within himself, Rabbi Nachum did not give up, and gifted us with a beautiful story with its own inherent spiritual power. What is the connection between the woman from Istanbul and the woman giving birth in Ukraine?
In the story told by R' Shalom Shachna, the self-sacrifice of the woman for her modesty is emphasized. The woman giving birth also consciously enters a dangerous situation, and although generally the matter ends well, this is not always the case. Rachel Imeinu attests to this.
Nevertheless, Rachel Imeinu's self-sacrifice is what paved the way for all Jewish women, and nullified the need for actual death during childbirth. Just as the Istanbul woman's self-sacrifice overcame the impure Arab, so will Amalek fall at the hands of Rachel's children. In our generation too, self-sacrifice provides the strength to overcome the enemy, and for the birth of Mashiach with good mazal.
