Why the Premishlaner Rebbe Really Did Give Bad Advice

A few days ago I posted that the Premishlaner rebbe said that the stock market will take a nose dive on Wednesday. This has obviously not happened. However I suddenly had a thought - the original Rotter post claimed that the  Premishlaner rebbe told a prominent banker that he should quickly sell all his stocks because the market was going to crash. However it occurred to me he should of just advised him to go short on the stocks - in todays world knowing the stock market is going to go down is an opportunity to make serious money. In a response to a comment on the original post, I suggested that it is a well known rule that negative prophecy does not have to come true - since in the interim the person might have performed teshuvah. However I now think that any knowledge of the future of the stock market is intrinsically a good prophecy - you can make your money either way - and hence it really should have happened!

Will the Stock Market Collapse Tomorrow?

A post on Rotter.net (Israeli forum dedicated to posting "scoops") claims that the Premishlaner Rebbe האדמו"ר מפרמישלאן) has confided that tomorrow the stock market will take a nosedive.

I'll be honest, I've never heard of this particular hassidut (wikipedia page here),  but at least this "prophecy" will be easily checked. I've long had a policy of not taking my stock advice based on random postings on forums, or based on anyone's Ruach Hakodesh - though I'll admit that so far this policy has not generated any great revenue for me. In keeping with my policy, I'm willing to confide that I've yet to change my stock holdings, but I am interested in seeing how this will play out. If the stock market really does do a major nosedive tomorrow, I will repent my lack of faith by posting a picture of myself eating a hat on Thursday (not black - I don't own a black hat). Comments on the Rotter forum, seem to suggest that there are not enough Premishlaner Hassidim to make this prophecy a self fulfilling one.

I was intrigued to discover who the Premishlaner rebbe was - and have found this video of him - playing a violin no less. The tune he is playing does sound rather tragic.

I've also managed to find this video - A tish during Hanukah: