By a Shliach
The Kinus has always been the highlight of a Shliach’s year. It’s a time when we can connect, meet old chaveirim, and draw chayus for our shlichus. Even more than what we gain at the kinus, is the experience our children, the Yaldie Hashluchim, have.
Our children don’t always go to Lubavitcher yeshivos, many learn in the online school, with no frum children in their cities to socialize with at all! They may not have friends to play with on Shabbos, experience davening with a minyan, or have men’s mikvah in town to visit.
We, who grew up in the luxuries of big city Jewish life, have chosen to commit ourselves to the Rebbe’s Shlichus with such mesirus nefesh. Our children didn’t have that choice, they were born into it . . . And yet it is their dedication that inspires us! Still, the Kinus has always been a chance to give our children a taste of all those things that they miss. We owe a big Yasher Koach to Rabbis Gedalya Shemtov, Moishe Pinson and all of the Shluchim Office staff for their hard word, as well the residents of Crown Heights who open their homes to us.
Let me share an experience I had while at the Kinus this year. Thursday morning, my son Mendel got a Chasidishe treat – he could go to the mikvah. A mikvah was charging shluchim only $1 instead of their regular $3 in honor of the Kinus, so off we went…
Only after arriving at the mikvah did I learn that special rate was only good before 9:00 am. It was 9:02. The man at the door looked at his watch and informed us that we’d need to pay the full $6 to enter. I only had $4 and, try as I might, I could not sway him to make any exceptions.
Looking at my face, Mendy asked if this meant we can’t go. How could I disappoint him? Walking back to where we were staying wasn’t an option and letting Mendy in while I stayed outside was out as well – I’m a strong believer in NOT letting our children go to the mikvah without parental supervision.
Suddenly, as if from nowhere, Avraham Fried approached the mikvah guy and gave him an extra $2. Mendy was able to toivel in the mikvah.
Thank you Avremel! The lesson you taught my son is one that goes well beyond a mere two dollars or the mikvah itself. You showed my Mendy that Chasidim truly are Ein Mishpacha. In your simple act of kindness, you encapsulated why we come to Crown Heights – to give our children a Chasidishe gefil.
Though your act of kindness was done without thought of compensation or for public recognition, I still want to be makir tov. You have no idea of who I am. You acted simply as a true Chasid should – teaching my son a lesson that goes beyond words.
Thank you,
An Anonymous Shliach
why and who would steal it?
dint see why a person wanting to go to mikva has to pay, hes doing what the rebbe wants and beaing a chossid, since when does it cost to be a chosid!!!???!!?
just listen and grow and be inspired! stop making big deals out of nothing! yasher koach to avremel
mikve should ve been FREE for Shluchim!!!
lets not forged to tank and have hakorat hatov to the rabkins brothers and bifrat reb yossi for all the time and energy money prizes they invest in mikve meir letovat haklall.god bless you and hazhlocho in everything you do.bg
Avremel you r really a mentch besides the fact that you r the best singer ever you kik
YYE
That is so nice!
I’m vey dissapointed to read this post. The fact that he charged full fare for 2 minutes late noch with a kid in tow is totally shameful. It’s irrelvant if Avremel paid which obviously is nice but the whole letter/message is sad and disheartening for me.
Whatever!
you missed the point of the article
This is an open plea to Avremel Frid not to elevate with MBD to Yerushalaim! We need dugmaei chayos in Crown Heights for our children to see what it means a mensch, a chasid, and a Ben Torah. Moshiach is around the corner, no need to jump over the gun.
nice to finally see someone writing an article thanking people with word of hakoras hatov, mentchlichkiet and love.
In this day and age when so many kids are turned off from going to mikvah it is sheer madness that someone is turned down for kopkes!Especially when we have an innocent child so excited to be part of this ritual which makes him a chossid!ii am appalled!
Is this story true?
If it is, you are very good in the hakaras hatove department.
That Avraham Fried is a chassidishe person and a dugma chaya. Thanks so much Reb Avraham for all you bring to Crown Heights and to Yiddishkeit of the twentieth century.
I hope you read this.
Yasher koiach Avremel! I have a rather funny Chelm version of this story. In a certain shul in EY that I frequent when I visit there, they installed a gate, and somehow a bochur tried to sneak in with me one morning. Had he asked me for money instead of trying to use me to steal, I’d happily have given it to him and told him to return it to the nearest pushka whenever he can. That erev Shabbos, I did not know the price was higher for Shabbos and I carried only what I thought it would cost to… Read more »
In the story, few notice how in passing he mentioned the Rabkin’s genorosity.
Let’s not forget to thank them. The guy by the door was a kid following orders. Any of the Rabkin’s would have been the first to pull out the money.
To #7. The mikva was never free. For years , you just chose to ignore the sign reminding you to pay.
that the father felt the kid would be disappointed if he wouldnt be able to go to the mikvah. When i was a kid, I would have done anything to get out of goin to the smelly mikva.
maybe where ypure on shlichus this is an odd happening, but in heimish kehillos this happens a lot by the mikva. people pay for eachother all the time, even strangers. i dont see this big deal. also why highlight that it was avram fried? what matters who it was? it was a yid.
Avremel is realy a mench !!
never bring extra money when going to mikvah it can be stolen
i am also a shliach and was also missing two dollars to go to the mikvah. i gave my last cash to the taxi cab. i went to a mivkah that used to be free but now they charge two dollars. i stood outside the iron gates and the first person who came out was a shliach whom personally. he saw me standing there and immediately gave me two dollars to get in. kol hakavod to Avremel Fried and the shliach that gave me the money.
We are still waiting for ezagui photos of the concert. Nu?
The fellow was just following orders. I know the people who own the mikva. The sweetest nicest and most generous people around. They obviously didn’t tell the fellow at the door to give in for a minute or two or even three. Call off the dogs. Everything worked out fine, Avraham Fried got to do a mitzvah, Mendy went to the mikva and alls well that ends well. You all missed the real point of the article. Why aren’t you concerned with why the shliach didn’t have $6 in his pocket?! Hopefully he left his “big money” where he was… Read more »
Just plain ridiculous! Two minutes? The man and his son can’t go in because of two minutes? Where is the sense in that? It’s not like this man and his son come there all the time and never come on time or have enough money! This was a once in a lifetime (or so) situation! Oy! Just plain silly behavior . Gosh! I would have given the guy the whole amount and suggested that he give the money collector his $4.00 along with a verbal tip: “Take this with my blessing. You seem to be in need of something.”
What is with the guy collecting the money? That just sounds plain mean and unnecessary. Two minutes? Get that guy another job. He did not act appropriately.Tightwads or inflexible behavior should work in a nonspiritual environment. Even THERE, people should not act like that.
And thank you Avremel for the beautiful show in Sao Paulo! It was amazing!
this shows little things go a long way!