Then the Reb Levi Yiztchak requested, to the shock of all those around him, go to one of the Yidden and get me some chametz. It's Pesach, Rebbe, where are we going to find chametz, asked the confused servant. Nonetheless, since the Rebbe asked, the faithful shamash began searching for chametz from the Yidden. Hours later he returned empty handed.

The Kedushas Levi called out, Ribbono shel Olam, look how easy it is to get contraband, despite the possibility of a terrible punishment from the government; but you commanded the Yidden to get rid of their chametz and none is to be found! HaKadosh Baruch Hu, the Yidden love and fear you so much!

There were some yeshiva students who heard about his situation and decided to help out before Pesach. They went to his apartment and did all the cleaning. They raised money and bought everything that was needed for the holiday. After cleaning and organizing the apartment, they set a beautiful table.

Finally when they were finished on erev Pesach, they took some much needed rest. When they returned, they found the apartment turned over. This man's wife destroyed all of the Pesach preparations. They looked to the old man not knowing what to say.

His face was shining with a wondrous light and he began describing a seder of a grandfather sitting around a table with children and grandchildren. At length he spoke of the beauty of the table and the seder and how beautiful everything was. And then he said, so you think that is freedom?!? The person I am describing is enslaved to children, grandchildren, to a beautiful table cloth, silver, matzos, and wine.

Real freedom is a Jew who might not have any of those things. Not children, not grandchildren, not a table, not a penny, no food, no matzos, no wine. But nonetheless, he is happy with Hashem. That is what it means to be free: to be happy and joyful in Hashem! And he began to dance! I have you Hashem! That is what it means to be free.

Once the Satmar Rav was at a wedding where a badchan was entertaining. The badchan asked the Rebbe if he could do an impersonation of him and he gave permission. So the badchan started imitating the Satmar Rav's davening (who had a unique way of praying) and everyone was laughing.

But soon, the Satmar Rav started to cry and the whole place went silent. The badchan stopped and ran over to him to ask for forgiveness. Reb Yoel said to him, I'm not upset with you; but you did such a good job imitating me, I began to think that I'm also only an imitation.

There was a Yid whose wife was sick, who didn't have any parnasah, and couldn't marry off his daughter; he was suffering. All the time that he was waiting for the Rebbe he spoke to little Dovid Moshe and Dovid Moshe was giving him chizuk. He told him what to say when he spoke to his father: When its your turn and you get into to the Rebbe, tell him everything, about your wife, daughter, parnasah, exactly what is hurting you.

Finally it was this Yid's turn and he goes in; and he comes out two minutes later. Dovid Moshe asked him, did you tell him everything? Yes. And what did he say the Rebbe say? He said der Abishter vett helfen, may God help you. And then what happened? I don't know, his assistant pulled me out and here I am. Little Dovid Moshe said, that's not good enough, you have to go back; what's going to be, what are you supposed to do now?

So the Yid had to wait another week and little Dovid Moshe told him: this time don't leave until you have an answer. Finally the Yid goes in and he comes out in 30 seconds. Dovid Moshe asked him, did you tell him everything? Yes. And what did my father say? He said der Abishter vett helfen. And did you ask him what you are supposed to do until God helps you? Yes. And what did he say? He gave me a bruchah that the Abishter should help until the day that He helps.

I don't follow the news, but this was hard to miss. It seem to me that these events are a reflection of the diffult times we are living in. As always, our response should be to strenghen our emunah somehow. I heard the following story this Shabbos.

Once the Besht was discussing parshas Mishpatim with his student Dov Bear (the future Maggid).  The Baal Shem was explaining that the mishpatim are also an expression of Hashem's will.  Reb Dov Bear expression his confusion about this, how could logicaly based laws of civil jurisprudence, that humanity would derive independent of the revelation at Sinai, be expressions of Gods infinite will?  A good question, so the Besht told his student to go to a certain place, sit down and see what transpires.  One condition: don't involve yourself, whatever happens.

So Reb Dov Bear went to where he was told to go.  It was far off, next to an obsure swimming hole near a road.  He sat next to a tree where no one could see him.  Soon enough someone showed up to take a dip, a rich man thinking he was alone, he went swimming and returned to his carraige. Unknowingly, he left his wallet, which was full of money.  Reb Dov Bear wanted to call out and tell him but he remembered his promise to his teacher.

Afterwards, someone else came to jump in the water. He found the money which had no indetification marks; no one was to be seen anywhere, so he toos the wallet. Of course Reb Dov Bear wanted to intercede and tell the man whose money it was but he had made a promise to his teacher.

Again, another man came to take a swim and while he was there the rich man returned with a servant looking for his money which they could not find.  They saw the lone swimmer and assumed that he stole the money, they accused him and in response to his denials they beat him up. Reb Dov Bear witness the entire event but because of his promise, he could not do anything to help out. He returned to the Besht utterly confused.

The Baal Shem Tov told him that, in a previous life, the rich man and the one who found the wallet were litigants in a dispute over money. The judge ruled for the rich man but his reasoning was incorrect. So justice was done, the rich man lost exactly what he should have previously, and the other man found what was justly his. But what about the third man, the one who got beat up, asked Reb Dov Bear? The Besht answered, oh him, he was the judge.

The gemarah in Makos 10b, also says something similar to this, in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish. One person murders inadvertently and another intentionally and there are no witnesses to both events. So Hashem sends them to the same place, and the intentional murderer is killed inadvertently by the (previous) inadvertent killer in the front of witnesses (sending him to exile). Both get what they deserve. Point is, Hashem's justice is perfect, we just don't (and can't) understand the big picture.