Rebbe’s Dollar Given after 48 Years

By COLlive reporter

When Zalman Notik, a Mashpia in Jerusalem, Israel, was two years old, his family immigrated to Israel from Russia.

The day was Erev Shavuos, and his mother cooked a large pot with compote for the family.

Unfortunately, the pot of compote accidentally spilled on little Zalman, and he was seriously burned. He was unconscious for four months and remained hospitalized for a long time.

During this time, the family asked for a blessing from the Rebbe for his recovery. The person who actually asked the Rebbe for the blessing was Rabbi Meir Junik, a relative of theirs who lived in Canada.

In response to the request for the blessing, the Rebbe gave a $10 Canadian dollar bill to Rabbi Junik, to pass on to his relatives – the Notik family – for their son Zalman.

Rabbi Junik wrote on the note: “From the holy Admor [Rebbe] to Notik,” so he would know who to pass it on to.

For many years, the Notik family knew about the Rebbe’s blessing for Rabbi Zalman’s healing and the bill he had been given. But the dollar bill was never delivered. It had disappeared.

* * *

Forty-eight years have passed since then. Last week, on ‘Nitel’ night, the son of Rabbi Junik of Canada took advantage of the spare time during the evening to get things done in his house.

He suddenly came upon the dollar bill, which was lost 48 years ago, which had written on it, “From the holy Admor [Rebbe] to Notik.”

With great excitement, he quickly called Rabbi Dovid Aharon Notik of Tzfas, Zalman’s brother, to tell him about the discovery.

The discovery of the long lost dollar at this time is especially exciting to the family, they said, since Rabbi Zalman Notik is currently battling a serious illness, and is in need of a refuah shelaima.

This week, Rabbi Zalman celebrated his son’s bar mitzvah, which also fell on his 50th birthday. During the Bar Mitzvah, Rabbi Dovid Aharon presented to his brother the bill that the Rebbe had sent for him 48 years ago.

VIDEO: Rabbi Zalman is presented with the dollar from the Rebbe