Breem!

There was once a chosid of the Alter Rebbe whose name we do not know, but we will call him Reb Berel. Reb Berel was a businessman who traveled a lot.

Once, Reb Berel went to the Alter Rebbe to request a bracha. One of the things that the Alter Rebbe told Reb Berel seemed very strange. The Alter Rebbe said: “Reb Berel, whenever you go on a business trip, take with you lechem mishneh.”

This was strange, because most of the time when Reb Berel went on a business trip, he did not stay over Shabbos. Why then, did the Alter Rebbe tell him that whenever he went on a business trip, he should take along lechem mishneh?

Reb Berel also thought that what the Alter Rebbe had said was strange, but of course he listened to the Alter Rebbe. On the first trip that Reb Berel took after the yechidus, he brought with him lechem mishneh, even though he left on Sunday and planned to return on Tuesday of that week.

Reb Berel did the same thing on his next business trip, too. Reb Berel would take lechem mishneh with him on all of his business trips, and this went on for five years.

One Friday morning, Reb Berel happened to be returning from a business trip. Of course, he still had his lechem mishneh with him, because he had not used it.

As Reb Berel was travelling in the forest, suddenly someone jumped out in front of him. It was a big, strong robber. The robber said: “Give me your money or you will die (ch”v).” Reb Berel had a large sum of money, which he planned to bring back to his family.

Reb Berel did not want to give up all his money, but if it would save his life, that is what Reb Berel would do. So Reb Berel gave the robber all the earnings from his journey. Reb Berel said to the robber: “Take my money, but now let me go back to my family.”

“No, no, no!” the robber said with a smirk. “You are coming with me. I have your money, and now I have you!” Reb Berel tried unsuccessfully to get away from the robber. The robber took Reb Berel deep into the forest, to his hideout.

At the hideout, which was underground, Reb Berel saw many items that the robber had stolen. But the robber did not expect Reb Berel to see them for long. No, the robber would not release Reb Berel. Just the opposite, Reb Berel would never leave.

The robber said to Reb Berel: “Prepare for your last minute on earth!” Reb Berel started to daven from the depths of his heart. He hoped that Hashem would have rachmones on him, but he prepared for the worst.

Reb Berel then said to the robber: “I know that I am in the middle of the forest, and I will never be able to get out of here. But, I would like to ask that you grant me my last wish.”

“Oh,” the robber said. “Why would you want to have a last wish? You will be finished soon anyway! Heh, heh.

“You know what,” the robber continued, after a short pause, “let me hear your last wish. Maybe, I will be kind enough to grant it to you.”

“Well,” Reb Berel said, “tonight and tomorrow is Shabbos. My wish is to spend one last Shabbos here.”

“Oh!” the robber said, laughingly. “That is such a strange wish—to stay here for ‘Shabbos.’ Okay, I will let you stay here for Shabbos, but I will be out in the forest.

“Even though I will be in the forest, I will leave my dog here to guard you, so that you will not escape. I warn you! Do not even try to escape, because then you will be finished off even before ‘Shabbos’ is over by my nice friend here,” the robber concluded.

The robber then left the hideout, leaving Reb Berel behind to be guarded by the robber’s dog. That dog was no ordinary dog. It was a very, very scary dog. Reb Berel had no chance of escaping with the dog around.

So, Reb Berel just davened. He davened to Hashem to help him. Reb Berel had his siddur with him, so he was also able to daven the three daily tefillos.

When Shabbos came and it was time for the meal, Reb Berel had… his challos! Now he finally understood why the Alter Rebbe told him to take lechem mishneh with him wherever he went. The Alter Rebbe knew what would happen.

Reb Berel was able to use his challos to make kiddush, (which you are allowed to do when you do not have wine,) and his meal consisted of just challah.

Since Reb Berel was not feeling too good, he was not able to eat a lot, so he just had a little bit of his challah.

Reb Berel looked at the dog that was in the hideout. Reb Berel thought: “Let me give that dog a piece of my challah.” So, Reb Berel took a piece of the challah and gave it to the dog.

The dog consumed the challah so quickly, that Reb Berel thought: “That dog must like my challah, but I have to save some for tomorrow.”

So, Reb Berel bentched, said shema and went to sleep. The next morning, he davened shachris, and it was almost like Yom Kippur! Later, he made kiddush on the challah, and had a small meal. (It appears that Reb Berel had with him at least three challos.)

As Reb Berel was eating, he remembered how much the dog had liked the challah the night before, and he decided to feed some to the dog again. The dog of course loved the challah, and started to become Reb Berel’s friend.

Later on, at the third meal, Reb Berel had some more of his challah. He almost automatically gave some to the dog. Boy, did the dog like it!

Soon Reb Berel’s last Shabbos was over. Of course, it was a Shabbos where davening was all that Reb Berel was occupied with.

Not long after Shabbos had ended, the robber came back to the hideout. He saw Reb Berel, and said: “Oh, you’re still here. That’s great! Well now I will finish you off.”

Reb Berel was silently davening to Hashem. The robber continued: “Actually, why should I have to work so hard? I will let my dog do the hard work!”

Then, the robber told his dog to get to work. He said in Russian: “Breem!” That meant that the dog should attack. But, the dog did not move. The robber tried it again. “Breem,” he shouted.

The dog still did not move. He just looked at the robber, and then at Reb Berel, and back again at the robber, but he did not move.

The robber did not understand. The dog always listened to what he was told to do. Why the sudden change? The robber was trying to figure out what was going on.

Meanwhile, Reb Berel was getting a little bored. He decided to help the robber out a little, so he shouted: “Breem!” Suddenly, the dog took action! He ran over to the robber, and…

The End of

(the robber, and)

This Story