Once, in a time of great distress, the tzaddik Rebbe Mordekhai of Chernobyl gave a dying man an assignment:
He gave him a note of request to be given to his father – the tzaddik Rebbe Nahum of Chernobyl, who had departed from the world many years before – asking him to act to bring about the annulment of the decree.
After some time, the man, who had passed away, appeared to Rebbe Mordekhai in a dream.
He told him that it had been very difficult for him to reach his father’s chamber, as Rebbe Nahum had ascended to a very high chamber.
Finally, however, when he succeeded in reaching Rebbe Nahum’s chamber and told him, “I have a note for you from your son.”
The tzaddik Rebbe Nahum asked him, “What is a son?”
–Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz