Rabbi's House

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"Today is just a quieter day. Including myself, perhaps fifteen people got off the train from Miskolc, and as our coachman says, only fifty visitors have passed through Bodrogkeresztúr. To me, that seems like a respectable number, but I soon learn that it’s nothing. Often, a hundred people arrive, and on special occasions, six to eight hundred come to see Sáje Steiner for advice or comfort, or to pray with him. Most of the visitors are strictly Orthodox Jews, but there are also Neologs and a significant number of Christians. And Sáje Steiner welcomes everyone.” - began the account of a journalist from Pesti Napló, who visited the miracle-working rabbi of Bodrogkeresztúr in February 1925. Sáje Steiner, a disciple of the miracle rabbi of Olaszliszka, came to Bodrogkeresztúr in 1874 and married the daughter of the leader of the local Hasidic families, Szára, also known as Szórel. Together with his wife, he established the court in Keresztúr, centred around their house and the courtyard's bészmedres, which served as a synagogue, study hall, and dining room. “The rebbe led me into a large room, whose eastern wall indicated that we were in a temple. In the middle of the room stood the bimah, but all around, along the walls, were long tables, like those found in large taverns. And indeed, this room also serves as a dining hall. On Sabbaths and holidays, meals are served here for the followers who come from far and wide to see the rebbe. But not only here – the rebbe’s other rooms are also used for this purpose. Sometimes there are 70–80 visitors at once, and the rebbe provides food and drink for all of them, as well as for his court, which consists of more than 25 people. What’s more, he personally serves the food and hands his guests the wine-filled goblet. They say this gives the food and drink a completely different taste.” - reported a journalist from the newspaper Egyenlőség in 1910 about their visit to the rabbi. The Pesti Napló article also describes the house: “Even today, on this quiet day, an entire convoy of carriages is stationed in front of the neat, single-storey house on Main Street, where Sáje Steiner resides. There is already a lot of activity in front of the house. Locals and visitors alike are coming and going through the gate. Guests from afar are dressed in festive kaftans, while others, who clearly appear to be beggars, wear dirty, tattered clothes. Meanwhile, women slip out carrying covered dishes, one swinging a food carrier. — They’re taking food to the sick, — someone explains. — The holy man takes care of the poor. Now a group of craftsmen arrives, carrying saws, axes, and planks. — There’s always work to be done here, — the explanation continues. — Many in the community make their living from the rabbi’s house. … On the main building’s porch stand two distinguished-looking men in kaftans. Their long beards are well-groomed, shining raven-black, and their sidelocks fall in elegant curls. They belong to the inner circle of the holy man. Access to the house is only possible through them. Beyond the entrance hall is a large room that serves as a lounge, meeting area, and office all at once. It is bustling with activity. New arrivals are greeted by members of the inner circle, similar to the kaftan-clad men seen on the porch. At least four of them must be passed before one can meet the holy man. Sitting at a desk is the rabbi’s son, Avrumele Steiner. A towering man with a raven-black beard, Eastern features, and broad, ruddy lips. Further along are the secretary, the scribe, and the doorkeepers. The door leading to the holy man opens and closes constantly. Sometimes a visiting follower is allowed in, and other times one of the guards peeks out. A guard is always present by Sáje Steiner’s side.” Thousands sought out the miracle-working rabbi with their troubles, and numerous accounts of his miracles and advice have been recorded. Many, for instance, visited him with issues in their married life. One story tells of a Jewish husband who was worried because he and his wife had no children and was considering divorce, as Orthodox principles suggest that divorce is the best remedy for childlessness. However, it was clear that the man deeply loved his wife. The miracle rabbi said to him: — Have you ever been to a flower garden? — Yes. — Was it beautiful? — Yes, it was. — Were there apples, pears, or any fruit? — No, there weren’t. — And yet it was beautiful, wasn’t it? — Yes. — Your marriage is like that flower garden; it is beautiful as it is. Pick the flowers. The loving husband, reassured and happy, hurried home to “pick flowers.” The rabbi passed away in April 1925, and on the day of his funeral, 12,000 train tickets were sold at the Keresztúr station. In the years following his death, hundreds of pilgrims visited Bodrogkeresztúr on the anniversary of his passing – and today, pilgrims come not only for the anniversary but throughout the year.