Kerestir (Hasidic dynasty)
Kerestir is a Hasidic dynasty founded by Rebbe Yeshaya Steiner. Kerestir is the Yiddish name of Bodrogkeresztúr, a town in Hungary.
Lineage
- Rebbe Yeshaya Steiner (1852–1925)
- Rebbe Avrohom Steiner (1883–1927), son of Rebbe Yeshaya ('Rebbe' 1925-1927)
- Rabbi Shmuel Gross, son-in-law of Rebbe Yeshaya
- Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein, son-in-law of Rebbe Yeshaya
- Rabbi Yisroel Avrohom Alter Landa, son-in-law of Rebbe Yeshaya
- Rebbe Meir Yosef Rubin of Kerestir, son-in-law of Rebbe Avrohom
- Rebbe Naftoli Gross of Debrecen (died 1988), (brother of Rabbi Shmuel Rabbi Yeshaya's sol in law) son-in-law of Rebbe Avrohom
- Rebbe Rafael Gross (1928–2007) - Kerestir Rebbe of Miami Beach, Florida, son of Rebbe Naftoli
- Rebbe Yeshaya Gross - Present Kerestir-Berbesht Rebbe of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY, son of Rebbe Naftoli
- Rabbi Yoishua Moishe Baruch of Woodmere - ainekle of Rebbe Naftali
- Rebbi Alter Krausz- present Kerestir Rebbe in Monsey, NY, USA.
The ridding of the mice
Rabbi Yeshaya Steiner, the Kerestirer Rebbe and founder of the Kerestir dynasty, was a very pious man and extremely humble, always referring to himself in the diminutive, Shaya'le. He was known as a "miraculous" person. His greatest pleasure was to host an elaborate melave malka, the meal that follows Shabbos, on Saturday night. He often had his chassidim shecht (kosher slaughter) fresh chickens for his meal.
One motza'ei shabbos, while Reb Shaya'le was eating the special melave malka meal, a chossid came to him with an urgent request. He was a man who had a warehouse full of foodstuffs and made his living by buying and selling food. For several months, his warehouse had been taken over by mice that were eating his grain and other commodities, and his entire livelihood was threatened. He asked Reb Shaya'le for a blessing that the mice should leave his warehouse.
At that time, many smalls town in Eastern Europe were was ruled by their local church pastors. Some of the pastors were kind towards the Jews and others were harsh.
Reb Shaya'le asked the chossid if the pastor of the town he lived in was kind or harsh. The chossid replied that he was very harsh toward the Jews. Reb Shaya'le then instructed the chossid to go to his warehouse and to tell the mice, "Reb Shaya'le says to go to the estate of the pastor."
The chossid followed the Rebbe's advice and instantly hundreds of mice raced out of the warehouse, heading in the direction of the pastor's estate. The chossid's business was saved, and ever since Jews who have been plagued with this problem have used Reb Shaya'le's picture rid mice from their homes.