By Dovid Zaklikowski for COLlive and Hasidic Archives
Rabbi Meir Halberstam led a branch of the Sanz chassidic dynasty and was known as the Tshokover Rebbe of Bnei Brak, Israel.
He was once in a private audience with the Rebbe, he expressed his distress that his son Chaim Baruch was working in the Ess & Bentch Luncheonette in Crown Heights.
The father said he felt it was not befitting for a descendant of such a respected branch of Chassidism.
The Rebbe responded, “Wasn’t our grandfather also a restaurateur?”
Rabbi Halberstam did not understand the Rebbe’s statement, and could not think of anyone in his family who owned a restaurant.
The Rebbe explained, “Didn’t our forefather Abraham prepare and serve food to whoever entered his tent?”
“But didn’t Abraham provide this service for free?” asked the Chassidic leader.
The Rebbe answered, “That was the case only if they agreed to say the Grace after Meals. But if the guest chose not to, he had to pay.”
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He once told me. that the reason he came to Lubavitch is . He saw the אמת. Like many many others
BS”D amount other things he set up the communications center in 770,set up the phone calls in to hear the Frabrengins, worked in the Rebbes house, laid the electronic device that caught the library thief, owned & operated the tape etc store on the corner of Kingston and Union, took pics at Sunday dollars and am sure there is plenty more
Does anyone know how the son of the Tchorkover Rebbe ended up in CH working at a restaurant? It does seem an unusual path for someone in such s family. Plus, what became of the young man (I am assuming he was young at the time of the story) afterwards?
I ate there. Made a before & after Brocho. But CB made me pay anyway. ???
That is so interesting that the Rebbe compared this restaurant to that of our forefather Abraham, and then the name of the restaurant became ess and bentch…
Ohhh, that picture….
Rabbi Chaim Baruch Halberstam told me that when he had the restaurant it was called Hymies. Ess & Bentch was a later name for the restaurant.
The old ess n bench had excellent food. nothing to be ashamed of.
Where is the grandson today?