Zusha of Hanipol

Rabbi Meshulam Zusha was named after his mother's father, also a great Torah scholar.

Rabbi Zusha did not write any books, but his teachings were collected in the Menorat Zahav, based on the memories of his students.

Both their parents descended from Torah scholars, but because they became orphans at a very early age, both remained unlearned, simple but God-fearing Jews.

But as a reward for his good deed God blessed Reb Eliezer Lippa and his wife, who always readily supported her husband, with two sons, later to become great Tzaddikim.

At first the children were physically weak, and although Reb Eliezer Lippa and his wife hired the best Torah teachers to teach them, they weren't making much progress.

That grieved the parents, so they increased their prayers to God, often fasted and gave their meals to poor people as Tzedakah.

God answered their sincere prayers and when the boys expressed their desire to go to a Yeshiva to continue their studies, they readily agreed.

After their parents sent their sons to a yeshiva in another city, they took two poor Torah-students from Tarnow in their house in order to take care of them and support their studies.

She and her husband, knowing about a similar story which occurred centuries earlier with a Jew in France named Yitzhak, later to become the father of Rashi, they were upset that this could be a test from Heaven and decided not to change their live-style, to sell the stone (after consulting the local Rabbi in order to be sure that they are permitted according to Halakha to keep the stone) and to distribute the money for Tzedakah, thus remaining poor.

Reb Eliezer Lippa and his wife lived many long and happy years continuing to support poor Jews and Torah scholars until the end of their days.

Rabbi Noach of Kobryn once heard that Chassidus managed to spread only in those areas through which they both traveled.

The Maggid began the class with a commonplace verse from the Torah: "And God spoke to Moses..." Just these few words were enough to excite and astonish Rabbi Zusha.