His Mother Appeared from Heaven and Revealed to Him His Whole Life

A chossid who saw six Chabad Rebbeim, Reb Peretz Chein was a rov in Nevel, Beshenkovitch, and Chernigov. Shortly before his passing, he revealed three things his mother revealed to him from heaven, which led him to know when he would pass away.

Reb Peretz Chein was a chossid of the Mitteler Rebbe, and was among those who influenced the Tzemach Tzedek to accept the nesius, and he was also instrumental in the appointment of the Rebbe Maharash as Rebbe. He merited seeing six Rabbeim, from the Alter Rebbe, who he saw while still a baby, through the Frierdiker Rebbe, when the Rebbe was in his boyhood years.

Reb Peretz was a rov in Nevel, then in Beshenkovitch and later in Chernigov. He passed away 26th of Iyar 5643 (1883).

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The Mitteler Rebbe once told Reb Peretz to perform “Tikun Chatzos.” Later on, when he came for Yechidus, he told the Rebbe that he had stopped, and explained: “To say Tikun Chatzos with a truthful heart, I am incapable of, and to lie to myself and say it anyway, this I do not want to do…” The Rebbe accepted his argument.

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During one yechidus, the Tzemach Tzedek suddenly turned to R. Peretz, who was then the rov in Beshenkovitch, and instructed him to become rov in Chernigov. R. Peretz raised a concern over R. Moshe Mariyanov, a local learned and wealthy chossid, who had rejected even more learned candidates than he. But the Tzemach Tzedek reassured him and gave him a letter of recommendation. Indeed, when R. Peretz came to Chernigov, R. Moshe backed his candidacy and helped him to get the appointment.

R. Peretz later asked R. Moshe why he had supported him, after having previously rejected other candidates who were greater than him.

R. Moshe related, “I was present at the Mitteler Rebbe’s histalkus in Niezhin, before which the Rebbe said many fragmented statements. Each of the chassidim present tried to catch whatever they could. Everything I heard then from the Rebbe became clear down the line, except for one cryptic statement, ‘Today there are also fine yungeleit. Peretz Smilianer iz a fainer yungerman, Peretz from Smilian is a fine young man.’

“When the Tzemach Tzedek sent a letter referring to you as ‘Peretz Smilianer,’ I knew that the Mitteler Rebbe had meant you.” (R. Peretz was originally from Smilian, but had left many decades earlier and was no longer commonly known by that name.)

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As a young boy in Chernigov, R. Dovid Meir Rabinowitz learned in cheder alongside a gifted boy who was an only child. One day, the two boys were brought for an entrance exam with Radatz Chein to be admitted to his group of students. When the fathers were told that Radatz was out of town, they asked if R. Peretz, the senior Rov himself, would agree to test them.

R. Peretz first called for the young Dovid Meir and asked him some questions. Though the boy didn’t do especially well, R. Peretz praised his character and invited the boy to join their group. The other boy knew the material much better, yet despite the father’s pleas, R. Peretz would not accept him. Indeed, that boy went on to attend university in Moscow and converted RL.

R. Dovid Meir felt indebted to R. Peretz and Radatz for his chassidishe chinuch. Years later, he named his son Peretz and helped Radatz’s daughter-in-law (the widow of R. Mendel Chein) buy a home in Yerushalayim.

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During the weeks before his passing, Reb Peretz continued with his avoda as usual. Three days before he passed away, he called his son Radatz and told him:  

“Many years ago, my mother appeared to me and told me three things: (1) ‘I have been sent from shamayim to tell you that your chazarah of what you have already learned is more precious than the learning for the first time.’ (2) ‘Machshavos zaros during davening is like piggul’ (a karban which was brought with the incorrect intentions and therefore invalid). (3) She also revealed to me all major occurrences that would take place until the end of my life. Now, since the last of those occurrences has happened today, I know that my end is near.”  

Hearing this, Radatz left the room white and trembling.  

On Shabbos, Reb Peretz davened for an exceptionally long amount of time, and sent a message that the seudah should start without him. Everyone understood that something is about to happen, and they ate their seudah quickly.  

Having finished their seudah, many people gathered to hear the davening of Reb Peretz. The recitation of Shema and Boruch Sheim alone extended for an hour and a half. After finishing davening, he inconspicuously sent Reb Shalom Reb Hillel’s (the talmid of Reb Hillel Paritcher) to visit a nearby shul (since he was a kohen). As he finished Shmoneh Esreh of mincha his neshama departed.  

For sources, visit TheWeeklyFarbrengen.com