By Chani Vogel
It was about a week before Pesach 1941. The chossid, Reb Chaim Hurwitz was travelling home from work that day on the train to Tashkent in today’s Uzbekistan. Known as Chaim Tashkenter, he had a good government job, but it required him to travel frequently to other cities.
On one such arduous trip, a far shlep from home, he had a stopover in Chilli. Reb Chaim decided to disembark for the 15 minutes that he could. When he got off the train, he spotted a man wearing a silk Kapota and who was a hadras ponim, “a man that looked like a ben melech.”
The person he saw on the platform was none other than Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Schneerson, the Rebbe’s father, endearingly called “Reb Levik.”
Seeing a fellow chossid, Reb Levik approached him and asked, “Mistameh zeit ir a Lubavitcher?” (“You are probably a Lubavitcher?”) Reb Chaim answered yes.
Reb Levik mentioned that he was a mechutan with the Frierdiker Rebbe and asked Reb Chaim where he was going. Reb Chaim answered, “to Tashkent.” Reb Levik said that he should tell the people in Tashkent (his landsleit, the people from Yekatrinislav) that he is in Chilli, as this is where he was ordered to stay, and “Kiyum Hatorah V’hamitzvos kumt un mit greeneh verm” (“The ability to learn Torah and perform Mitzvos is extremely difficult”).
He told Reb Chaim that his wife, Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson was coming for Pesach with “supplies” for him, (specifically Matzos, wine etc.).
Reb Levik said that he would come to the train station every day to see if that was the day she was going to arrive. He had an idea about when she would arrive, and he wanted to be there so as to be able to help her shlep the heavy boxes.
He continued telling Reb Chaim that even though he was talking to him openly, the KGB was all over dressed in plain clothing and were watching his every move. They didn’t leave Reb Levik alone for even a minute.
Reb Levik continued talking to Reb Chaim, for conversing with a fellow chossid was a breath of fresh air. They spoke until the last whistle blew on the train and Reb Chaim had to take his leave of the holy Reb Levik. Upon reembarking the train, Reb Levik bentched Reb Chaim to “Fur gezunterheit, un kumt l’chaim ul’shalom” (“Travel safe and arrive in peace”).
When Reb Chaim arrived in Tashkent, he related to those from Yekatrinislav the information that the Rebbe’s mechutan was stuck in Chilli, but there really were not too many Chassidim there at the time.
When Reb Chaim came to America the first time, it was for Tishrei in 5718. He shared this memory with Reb Zalman Duchman who told him, “If you have such a story, why don’t you tell it to the Rebbe?”
Reb Chaim went into Yechidus with the Rebbe, and relayed his whole story. He told the Rebbe that Reb Levik looked like a “Ben Melech” (son of royalty). The Rebbe’s response was, “Why not like a Melech?”
When Reb Chaim got to the part about being told “kiyum hatorah kumt un mit greeneh verm,” the Rebbe stood up and repeated those words and sighed greatly.
Reb Chaim would later tell his family, “efsher hub ich nisht gedarft zugen de Rebbe di verter ‘greeneh verm'” (perhaps I shouldn’t have told the Rebbe the expression ‘greeneh verm’ – meaning extremely difficult”).
Such is a chosid, looking to spare his Rebbe the pain…
At the end of the Yechidus, the Rebbe bentched Reb Chaim with long life and good health. Reb Chaim lived until 3 weeks before his 97th birthday.
How did others know whom was whom, when the KGB was dressed in plain clothing ?
Wow! Thank you for sharing this. It’s always so nice to hear something new (to me it’s new)
Question:besides for rebetzin chana, was reb Chaim hurwitz the last person to have seen reb Levik (that lived to tell of his encounter)
So inspiring hearing about our rich heritage. Painful to hear about Reb Leivik & The Rebbe’s pain & suffering.
Moving and inspiring. Thank you for the incredible comments as well, especially #1 by YY Hurwitz.
literally means green worms. an expression that means that it was vey dificult
It’s always great to hear new stories!
COL you should start a series
what does “greeneh verm” mean?
I once heard this story from R. Chaim, and when he described R. Levik he expressed himself (in his usual way of talking, for those who remember): “Heich, un Shein. A photocopy fun rebin”
Some details need correction: When R’ Chaim told the Rebbe that R’ Levik said “es kumt un mit grineh verim” the rebbe said “vee’? (what?) when R’ Chaim repeated it again ‘mit grineh verim’ the Rebbe was so emotional that he wiped off his tears from his eyes. R’ Chaim told the rebbe in ‘Yiddish’ that his father looked like a ‘prince’, the Rebbe smiled and asked, why not like a ‘king’ /? (Printz and Keisser, not ben melech & melech) . a few more details are a bit off, but bassacally the story is 100% correct. Thank you Chanie… Read more »