Rabbi Dr. Nissan Mindel was the Rabbeim’s personal secretary as well as a prolific Chabad author of Chassidic literature for young and old. This is well known.
But – A staunch Chossid? A shliach of the Rabbeim?
Yes indeed! He was. Rabbi Shalom Ber Schapiro will shed some light on this not-so-well-known side of Rabbi Nissan Mindel, with the fascinating material from the Archives Gems he is presenting this week.
STAUNCH CHOSSID
A family member of Rabbi Mindel brought to his attention the criticism which he had been hearing about the Rebbe, which is causing him pain. What to say? What to do? He was wondering…
The personal letter presented here is Rabbi Mindel’s answer to this painful question – a letter which reflects the strong mindset, clarity and devotion of a true chossid.
A PERSONAL SHLIACH OF THE RABBEIM
Starting from the 1940’s and for the next few decades of his devoted service to our holy Rabbeim, Rabbi Nissan Mindel was sent on numerous and various missions by them as their personal emissary/shliach.
The missions which Rabbi Mindel was sent on by the Frierdiker Rebbe (a letter of the Frierdiker Rebbe attesting to this is shown here) to Europe and North Africa in the 1940’s involved the welfare of our Jewish brethren during this decade of great upheaval. In the coming decades he would be sent on numerous additional missions by the Rebbe – to Russia, Israel, Europe, North and South Africa, for the purpose of visiting schools and settlements, meeting with political dignitaries, rescuing holy manuscripts and participating in the printing of the Tanya (at the Suez Canal).
Among his archives, Rabbi Mindel preserved the many שליח מצוה (emissary for a mitzvah) currency bills he received from the Rebbe together with his blessings for success in his shlichus.
A sample of some of these “ צדה לדרך” (“food for the road”) currency bills are shown here, some with his notations.
A Priceless Lesson About a “Rebbe Dollar”
In addition, we are sharing a personal note of Nissan Mindel to a friend, whom he was gifting with a dollar that he received from the Rebbe, in which he explains the special significance of this dollar that the Rebbe had given him before one of his trips to Eretz Yisroel. We can see here Rabbi Mindel’s appreciation of and deep connection with every detail of the Rebbe’s ways.
Thank you Rabbi Schapiro for the articles that you put out, and for giving us a glimpse into these amazing letters – they are priceless !!
Dear Rabbi Shapiro and Nissan Mindel Foundation: Please continue to publish these most informative items of interest to Chassidai Chabad and those who desire a more informed connection to the NASSI HADOR the REBBE. Its really nice to see how Reb Nissan utilizes the English language idioms as he expresses himself so clearly and without a hint of self aggrandizement. As the REBBES personal secretary and as a person who was such a prolific writer and scholar it is a breath of fresh air to read first-hand how he expresses himself and to glimpse his pure HISKASHRUS to the REBBE.… Read more »
What a beautiful article and letters about my great uncle, A”H who was such a wonderful and dedicated Chossid of the Freirdiker Rebbe and the Rebbe. Thank you for printing them.
Esther Tauby