A ‘Sunday Dollar’ After Gimmel Tammuz

By Asharon Baltazar – COLlive Magazine

David Dana, a resident of Beit Shemesh and a tourist guide, grew up in France in a non-observant household. His path towards reconnecting with Judaism began when Rabbi Yaakov Mazuz reached out as part of an initiative to nurture a stronger bond with Jewish heritage among the youth.

During that period, Rabbi Mazuz orchestrated trips for young people to visit the Rebbe in New York. David joined one such group in late 1989, composed of approximately one hundred people.

It was an unforgettable experience. From the Rebbe showering the group with endless gestures of warmth and affection to signaling to raise their glasses and say “L’Chaim,” David considered his time in the Rebbe’s presence as nothing short of electrifying. The encounter left a lasting impression on him.

But the moment etched deepest in David’s soul was his experience during ‘Sunday Dollars’. Following his initial encounter when he received his first dollar for charity and a blessing from the Rebbe, David waited impatiently for the following Sunday. And each subsequent time, he walked away feeling extraordinarily light, the sensation of holding something tangible from the Rebbe— a dollar, always graced by a warm smile and more blessings.

The visit sparked a transformation for both David and his group. Many strengthened their observance of mitzvot, and David himself underwent a significant shift towards religious adherence. In the following years, he made frequent journeys to the Rebbe, never missing his chance to participate in Sunday Dollars.

On the 3rd of Tammuz 5754 (1994), David felt indescribable pain. No more dollars, no more standing in the Rebbe’s holy presence, and no more bursts of inexplicable happiness. Yet, despite his grief, he found solace in the teachings of rabbis and Chassidus. They reminded him that a faithful leader and shepherd never truly abandons his flock. Drawing strength from the wisdom of the Zohar, David took comfort in the belief that the righteous continue to exert influence in this world even after their physical departure—sometimes even more far-reaching than during their lifetimes.

Several months later, David flew to New York on the eve of Chanukah. The hustle and bustle of Erev Shabbos mattered little as he entered the Rebbe’s Ohel in Queens for the first time. Tears streaming from his face, he prayed, recited Tehillim, and then made a few personal requests.

David was at a crossroads in life at the time. Considering the prospect of immigrating to Israel filled him with both hope and trepidation. He wanted a clear, divine sign regarding his decision to move to the Holy Land. His other request involved finding a shidduch for himself.

After finishing his prayers, David left the Ohel, unable to shake the pessimism tugging at his heart. He remembered the days meeting the Rebbe, clutching a dollar afterward. He didn’t need to rely on faith to experience the Rebbe’s love for every individual. Each visit left David with a physical souvenir he could put in his pocket, a physical manifestation of his spiritual connection with the Rebbe.

Now, it seemed, all of that was history. For a fleeting moment, David entertained a frightening thought: Were prayers and requests made at the Ohel even heard? This grim mood accompanied him into Shabbos. He struggled to invest enthusiasm in the holy atmosphere of the prayers, Torah lessons, and farbrengens.

Sunday only deepened David’s sense of emptiness. Oh, everything was so different, he mused. His previous Sundays in New York were not just another day of the weekend – it was a day dedicated solely to meeting the Rebbe. With Sunday now free, David opted to go shopping in Manhattan. Later in the afternoon, he sat down to a dairy meal at a kosher restaurant in the city and in vain attempted to fill the spiritual void.

As David completed his meal, he handed the cashier a ten-dollar bill and received some change on top of a single-dollar bill in return. Before he tucked the money into his pocket, he caught sight of a neatly written inscription on the dollar. David’s heart lept. He also used to write the date and the words of the blessing on the dollar bills he received from the Rebbe. David held the dollar closer to read the small letters and nearly fell from his chair.

“I received it from the Rebbe Shlita … [in the year] 5751,” the writing read. And there was another note, recording what the Rebbe said while giving this dollar: “For the move to the Holy Land…”

Words escaped David; his mind reeled.

Divine Providence presented him with a dollar from the Rebbe on the same day David would’ve received it from the Rebbe’s hands. And the little inscription offered an unequivocal answer to his burning question.

Pulse thundering in his ears, David studied the bill again. The bill’s recipient recorded the year, 5751, תשנ”א in Hebrew. An anagram of the word, as how Lubavitchers would write the year, was תנשא – “get married” in Hebrew.

Less than six weeks later, David became an Israeli citizen. That same year, he got married, cementing their roots in Israel with a permanent home. Indeed, the faithful shepherd had not abandoned his flock.

Originally published in the Tammuz 5784 edition of the COLlive Magazine. Translated from Sichat Hashavua #1329.