Rabbi House

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"Today is just a quieter day. Including me, 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 significant 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, seeking advice, comfort, or simply to pray with him. Most of the visitors are strictly Orthodox Jews, but there are also Neologs and a large 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 Szára, also known as Szórelé, the daughter of the leader of the local Hasidic families. 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 house, and dining hall. “The rebbe led me into a large hall, the eastern wall of which indicated that we were in a temple. In the middle of the room stood the bimah, but around the walls were long tables, the kind you’d only see in large taverns. And indeed, this hall also serves as a dining room. On Sabbaths and holidays, meals are served here for the followers who come from far and wide to see the rebbe. And not just here, but in all the rebbe’s rooms. Sometimes there are 70-80 visitors at once, and the rebbe provides food and drink for all of them, as well as for the 25 or so people who make up his court. What’s more, he personally serves the food and hands his guests cups filled with wine. It’s said that 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 described the house: “Even today, on this quieter day, a whole line of carriages is stationed outside the neat, single-storey house on Main Street where Sáje Steiner resides. There’s already a lot of activity in front of the house. Locals and visitors alike are coming and going through the gate. The guests who’ve travelled from afar are dressed in festive kaftans, while others, clearly 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 looks after the poor. Now a group of craftsmen arrives, carrying saws, axes, and planks. — There’s always work to be done here, — comes another explanation. — Many in the community make their living from the rabbi’s house. … On the porch of the main building 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 place, and office all at once. It’s bustling with activity. Visitors are greeted by the inner circle, men similar to those seen on the porch, and one must pass through at least four of them before reaching the holy man. Sitting at a desk is the rabbi’s son, Avrumele Steiner. A towering figure with a raven-black beard, he has broad, Eastern features and crimson lips. Further along are the secretary, the scribe, and the doormen. The door leading to the holy man opens and closes constantly. Sometimes a visitor is let in, and other times one of the guards pokes his head out. A bodyguard is always present beside Sáje Steiner.” 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 about problems 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 childlessness is best remedied by separation. However, it was clear that the man deeply loved his wife. The miracle rabbi said: — Have you ever been to a flower garden? — Yes. — Was it beautiful? — Yes, it was. — Were there apples, pears, or any fruit there? — No, there weren’t. — And yet it was beautiful, wasn’t it? — Yes. — Your marriage is like that flower garden, beautiful as it is. Pick the flowers. The loving husband left reassured and happy, eager to go home and “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 on the anniversary but throughout the year.