Vizhnitz Tish Reenacts Story of Reb Shmuel Munkes

By COLlive reporter
Photos: Shuki Lerer

At the annual Purim tish held this year by the Vizhnitzer Rebbe R’ Yisroel Hager in Bnei Brak, the “Purim Spiel” reenacted the legendary story of Reb Shmuel Munkes, a devoted chossid of the Alter Rebbe.

The performance took place in the Vizhnitz beis medrash at the conclusion of Purim and drew large crowds of Chassidim who gathered around the Vizhnitzer Rebbe’s table. The annual play, a longstanding Purim custom in many Chassidic courts, is often used to convey powerful messages through storytelling and humor.

According to a report by Kikar HaShabbat, this year’s production focused on a well-known episode from the life of Reb Shmuel Munkes.

The story begins on the eve of Yom Kippur, when Jews in the town were preparing for the holy day. Reb Shmuel learned that a cruel local landowner had imprisoned an entire Jewish family in a pit at his estate over a debt of 2,000 rubles. The landowner reportedly warned that if the money was not delivered by evening, the family would be executed.

Determined to save them, Reb Shmuel began collecting funds, going door to door to gather whatever he could. Despite his efforts, the amount remained far short of what was required. In desperation, he entered a tavern filled with drunken revelers. There, one of the entertainers pointed to two cups—one filled with vodka and the other with gold coins—and mockingly offered coins if Reb Shmuel would drink the liquor.

Ignoring the humiliation and the physical difficulty, Reb Shmuel recited the blessing of “Shehakol” and drank repeatedly, cup after cup, until he had secured the full amount needed. Barely able to stand, he nevertheless made his way to the landowner’s estate and delivered the gold, securing the family’s release.

Exhausted and intoxicated, he collapsed into a deep sleep and remained asleep through Yom Kippur as the Jewish community fasted and davened. When he finally awoke near the end of the day, he mistakenly believed it was Simchas Torah. Rushing to the shul, he opened the Aron Kodesh and loudly proclaimed, “Atah Hareisa Lada’as!”

The community was shocked at what appeared to be a shocking breach of the sanctity of Yom Kippur. But the Tzemach Tzedek turned to the crowd and quieted them.

“Leave him,” the Rebbe said. “He is already far ahead of us. Through the immense service he performed and his self-sacrifice for tzedaka, he has already accomplished everything a Jew must accomplish until Simchas Torah.”

The dramatization, performed with skill by the Vizhnitz Chassidim, left the crowd visibly moved and inspired, turning the traditional Purim entertainment into a moment of deep reflection and spiritual awakening.