Locked in a Hotel Room, He Learned the Maamar 400 Times

A successful diamond merchant, R. Monyeh Moneszhon was told by the Rebbe Maharash to learn one maamar four hundred times straight. He locked himself in a hotel room and did that, and he came out a changed man.

R. Menachem Monish (“Monyeh”) Moneszhon was a chossid of the Tzemach Tzedek, the Rebbe Maharash, and the Rebbe Rashab. He was a diamond merchant, and used his wealth to fund the Rebbeim’s projects.

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R. Monyeh was once standing outside the Rebbe Maharash’s room while the Rebbe Maharash was davening mincha, when he started envisioning all the thoughts that he had throughout his lifetime, including thoughts that were below his level at the time that this happened. He was so alarmed by these thoughts that he started saying “Fe, fe”…

It later emerged that at that time the Rebbe Maharash had been saying the posuk “zecher rav tuvecha” -the remembrance of your great goodness, with special intentions, and that had affected R. Monye to start remembering all the thoughts of his lifetime, and do teshuva for them.

Thus the Rebbe Maharash used special means to assist R. Monye in his avodas Hashem.

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The Frierdiker Rebbe wrote in his diary:

On the first night of Chanuka of 5653 (1893), the esteemed guest R. Monyeh Monezshon requested of my father to say a ma’amer chassidus, my father acquiesced and said the ma’amer entitled “Chayav adam levorech meah brochos bechol yom” in the presence of some of the senior Chassidim.

Afterward, R. Monyeh sat down with several chassidim and discussed darkei hachasidim – chassidishe manner of conduct. They spoke about the quality of connection to the Rebbe, “That true chassidim are those who are dedicated to the Rebbe with their whole heart and soul, and with all of their possessions”. 

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The Rebbe Maharash once instructed R. Monyeh in yechidus to learn a certain maamar four hundred times, and only stop for basic needs.

Knowing that he would not be able to focus properly on such a project at home, R. Monyeh rented a hotel room where he fulfilled the Rebbe’s directive. R. Monyeh retold how when he exited that hotel room, all he saw was the maamar he had learned; the world was not of substance to him.

For sources, visit TheWeeklyFarbrengen.com