A Rebbe’s Honest Heart: Why He Gave Up His Inheritance

Rabbi Mordechai Gelbstein, a close confidant of the Lelover Rebbes, shared a moving story with the Dirshu website, a glimpse into the extraordinary honesty and sensitivity of the Lelover Rebbe, Rabbi Moshe Mordechai, and his family.

The story begins in Jerusalem in 1918, when the holy Lelover Rebbe, Rabbi David Tzvi Shlomo of Lelov, passed away. At the time, his son and successor, Rabbi Shimon Natan Nota of Lelov, was still in Poland. In those days, some of the personal and cherished belongings of the Rebbe were taken by various people who longed to hold onto a piece of his legacy.

Two years later, when the son became the next Rebbe, he expressed deep sorrow that not a single item of his father's remained with him. Still, when items from his grandfather’s estate were later brought to Rabbi Moshe Mordechai, the next generation, he refused to take any of them.

The reason was as touching as it was powerful. The Rebbe was concerned that, since there were other family members who were also entitled to inherit besides him, taking even one item might mean benefitting from something that wasn’t entirely his. Even if there was only a small chance of an issue, he didn’t want to be part of it. He feared that accepting an object without full clarity and consent from all family members could lead, Heaven forbid, to even the tiniest question of theft.

Rabbi Gelbstein recalls similar stories involving Rabbi Moshe Mordechai’s son, Rabbi Shimon Natan Nota, who followed his father’s example with the same carefulness. He too made sure never to use anything from his father's estate unless it had been properly divided among all the brothers.

"I remember clearly," said Rabbi Gelbstein, "in the early days after his father passed away, there were times the Rebbe needed wine or grape juice for Kiddush and Havdalah. In the house, there was a bottle of homemade grape juice no label, no certification. His attendants suggested he use it, but he gently refused again and again, making efforts to find a different bottle."

At first, people thought he was concerned about kashrut, the Jewish dietary laws. But they reassured him: it had been made by a Torah-observant Jew who followed the strictest halachic (Jewish legal) standards. The Rebbe replied softly, "This bottle is from the inheritance. It belongs to all the brothers. How can I use it without their permission?"

Rabbi Gelbstein went on to share another story: In the early years, the Rebbe lived in his father's home. Before Passover, they needed to use the special Passover dishes that had belonged to his father. The Rebbe didn’t just start using them. Instead, he wrote a letter to all his brothers, letting them know that he had their father’s Passover dishes. He invited them to come and take their share or, if they agreed, to let him know that they were willingly giving up their portion. Only with their permission would he use the dishes, so he could do so with a calm and honest heart.

A similar situation came up before Sukkot. There was leftover schach, the plant material used to cover the sukkah (temporary hut used during the holiday). It was old and not worth very much. Still, before using it, the Rebbe carefully calculated what it was worth and paid each brother his share. Even with something so minor, he made sure not to benefit unless everything was done honestly and fairly.

Rabbi Gelbstein summed it up beautifully: These were not just acts of legal observance, but of deep inner truth. The Lelover Rebbes lived with a constant awareness of honesty, integrity, and respect not just for people, but for everything that belonged to them and their family. Even a bottle of grape juice or a few pieces of schach mattered when it came to doing what was right.