Story - Tzedoko saved from being drafted!!

One day a chassid came to see Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch (the third Chabad Rebbe). He told the Rebbe that his only son was about to be drafted into the Russian army. "Please, Rebbe," he entreated, "help us, save us."

Rabbi Menachem Mendel shook his head sadly: "I'm sorry, I cannot help you in this matter."

This chassid happened to be close with the Rebbe's youngest son (and eventual successor) Rabbi Shmuel; known as the Maharash. And so when he left the Rebbe's room, he ran to Rabbi Shmuel and told him his problem. Rabbi Shmuel promised that he would do his best to influence his father, but when he went to the Rebbe and spoke on the chassid's behalf, he too was told, "I cannot help him at all.

A few days later, to every ones delight they heard that the chassid's son had been released, and for no apparent reason.

Being that Reb Shmuel, (the Rebbe's son) was very curious to find out the course of events that had transpired, he asked the Chasid and his wife to describe what had happened on that day their son was supposed to have been drafted.

"On that very day", they began to relate, "a poor person came to the house and asked us to give him something to eat. At first we told him that we were so worried about our son who was going to be drafted that day that we really couldn't deal with him. But then he pleaded with us: it had been a long time since he had eaten anything at all and he was starving, and how could it be that a Jew did not have time or food for another Jew who was so hungry! We realized our mistake and served him a huge meal, from what we had prepared to be a special farewell meal for our son. Then..."

At this point Rabbi Shmuel interjected, "Thank you, I heard enough. Everything is clear now."