By COLlive reporter
Rabbi Shimon Lazaroff, Head Shliach of Texas, spoke on Monday at a farbrengen held near the Rebbe‘s Ohel in honor of the 50th yartzeit of Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson OBM.
One participant wrote down the following story Rabbi Lazaroff told:
As a bochur in the Central Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim at 770 Eastern Parkway, he was appointed to do bedikat chametz before Pesach in the home of Rebbetzin Chana.
Every year, he would conclude the search by wishing the Rebbetzin in Yiddish “mir zol leben eiber a yahr” (may we live yet another year). The Rebbetzin would smile and answer politely in Yiddish “a dank” (thank you).
One year the Rebbetzin offered him a gift: Her fine bone china tea set. He refused, thinking he wasn’t worthy to receive such a present. Instead, she offered an elegant table runner for tabletop decor. He refused again.
When he was done with the search for chametz, he parted with the annual farewell of “mir zol leben eiber a yahr.”
Instead of the warm goodbye and thank you, the Rebbetzin made a dismissive hand gesture, saying: “Next year, you could make bedikat chametz in your house.”
That was erev Pesach 5724.
On Tishrei 5725, Rebbetzin Chana passed away.
On Adar 5725, Rabbi Lazaroff got married to Mrs. Chiena Lazaroff (n?e Schapiro). They spent Pesach 5725 in their own home. He made the bedikat chametz.
But the story isn’t over.
A while after she passed away, there was a fundraiser that raffled off items that belonged to the Rebbetzin. Mrs. Menucha Lazaroff OBM won the china tea set and gave it as a wedding gift to her son and daughter-in-law.
“When I saw the gift I almost fainted,” Rabbi Lazaroff related and said that the tea set remains in his house until today.
just shows that if a person is meant to have something, whether (s)he likes it or not they will have it 🙂
My most beloved Mechaneches and Morah was most worthy of such a gift as seen behashgacha protis.
one of her manyappreciative students
Amazing story!
“Dismissed his blessing”–
That is not a way to speak or write.
Write the wAy the Rebbetzin would speak-with dignity and elegance. Not dismissive.
do you mean “raffled off” or “auctioned off”?
Wow! Thank you collive for all these inspiring posts!
the farbrengen was soo,inspiring.
Thanks to rabbi lazaroff it will,truly change me forever.
thanks for posting this