Heichal HaNegina

a staring match

Zeide R. Motele seated himself at a table opposite the governor. The Chassidim were certain that he was going to plead on their behalf, but he did not utter a single word. Zeide R. Motele just stared at the governor for a while, then rose and left the house. The bewildered Chassidim did not know what to make of this.
At Shalosh Seudos (the third Shabbos meal) on Shabbos, although the room was dark, someone noticed that the governor had come in. After Havdala (ritual at the closing of Shabbos), Zeide R. Motele had a private session with the governor for three hours. The following day the governor, who had announced that his name was Avraham, threw away all his kitchen utensils and made his kitchen kosher.
In short, Avraham became a complete baal teshuva and did his utmost to compensate for the suffering he had inflicted upon the community. But within the year, Avraham the baal teshuva died, and the community mourned the loss of one who had become their benefactor.
One day, Zeide R. Motele was sitting with his Chassidim and said, "Nu, what do you say about Avraham? He was a true baal teshuva, wasn't he?" All the Chassidim concurred.
There was one Chassid, however, who had suffered severely from the governor’s persecution, who said, "What! That rasha (wicked person) who had caused us so much grief?"
Zeide R. Motele turned pale. He sank into deep meditation and then said, "Unanimous opinions are suspect. It is good that there was one dissent. Now Avraham's soul can rest in peace."

Zechuso yagein Aleinu v'al kol Yisrael - May the Hornosteipel Zeide's merits protect us all!