The Rebbe’s father, Harav Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, was the Rav of Yekatrinoslav for many years. Together with Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson, he worked day and night to help spread Torah and mitzvos. In those days, that was the most dangerous thing to do! Russia was a communist country, and anybody who spread Yiddishkeit would be thrown into jail or killed!
Although Reb Levi Yitzchak knew that he was putting himself in danger, he continued his work with great mesiras nefesh. He baked matzah for Pesach and built a new mikvah. He even made secret brissim and weddings! He did everything he could to keep Yiddishkeit alive, no matter what!
In 1939, the police barged into Reb Levi Yitzchak’s home and arrested him for the “crime” of spreading Yiddishkeit. They exiled him to Chi’ili, a far away village, where he and Rebbetzin Chana lived in terrible conditions. They had no heater to protect them in the freezing winters and no fan to cool them in the hot summers. Many days, they didn’t even have enough food to eat!
After five long years, Reb Levi Yizchak was finally freed from his exile. He and Rebbetzin Chana settled in the city of Alma Ata. Reb Yosef Nemotin became his devoted assistant and cared for all his needs. Sadly, Reb Levi Yitzchak was very weak from his exile and passed away shortly after.
After Reb Levi Yitzchak passed away, Reb Yosef continued to help Rebbetzin Chana until she went to America. At that point, Reb Yosef felt that there was nothing left for him in Russia. Why should he stay in Russia if he could live in the free country of America?
To leave Russia, you couldn’t just book a flight and bring along your passport. You needed an exit visa, which was official permission from the government to leave the country. Reb Yosef decided to apply for an exit visa for himself and his family. To his disappointment, the government refused to give him one. They gave many others permission to leave, but they kept refusing his requests. Each year, he applied for an exit visa. Each year, he was denied.
Time passed, and Reb Yosef grew sadder and sadder. The days in Russia dragged on, getting colder and darker with each passing year. Reb Yosef dreamed of living in America, where he could openly learn Torah and keep mitzvos.
The only thing that brought him comfort was davening at Reb Levi Yitzchak’s kever. He would visit often to keep the kever clean and say Tehillim. Sometimes, he wondered why the Rebbe, Reb Levi Yitzchak’s son, never came from America to visit, but he kept his thoughts to himself.
Years passed, and Reb Yosef became even more upset about his situation. Hundreds of Yidden had already left Russia for friendlier countries, but he was still trapped in Alma-Ata.
One morning in 1982, Reb Yosef got another letter from the government, telling him once again that he didn’t have permission to leave the country. Full of sadness, he went straight to the kever of Reb Levi Yitzchak and cried. He poured out his heart to his beloved teacher, begging for a bracha to leave Russia. “Father of the Rebbe,” he cried, “if you help me leave this country, I will ask your son why he never visits your kever!”
When Reb Yosef realized what he’d said, he became scared. After all, for a chassid to say something like that is quite a chutzpah! He cried some more, said Tehillim, and walked toward the cemetery gates. Suddenly, he heard someone calling his name.
“Reb Yosef!”
He turned around and saw a stranger running toward him. The man caught up with him and gave him a big hug.
“Reb Yosef, don’t you recognize me?” he asked. “We used to be neighbors! You would take my father to shul every morning because he was blind!”
“Of course I remember!” Reb Yosef exclaimed. “I lived next door to your family when I took care of Reb Levi Yitzchak. Back then, you were a little boy. I haven’t seen you in more than twenty years!”
“Hey, what’s bothering you?” the man asked, noticing Reb Yosef’s reddened eyes. “Why were you crying?”
Reb Yosef sighed. “I want to leave Russia,” he said sadly, “but the government won’t let me. I keep asking for an exit visa, and they keep saying no. I don’t understand why.”
“Oh, is that it? I can fix that, no problem!” the young man exclaimed. “I work for the government! Bring me 4,000 rubles tomorrow, and I’ll bribe an official to give you an exit visa. You helped my father, now it’s my turn to help you.”
Reb Yosef was shocked. Less than five minutes had passed since he’d poured out his heart to Reb Levi Yitzchak, and someone was already promising to help him! Could this finally be the miracle he’d been waiting for?
Although 4,000 rubles was a lot of money, Reb Yosef managed to put it together. The next morning, he brought it to the young man. The man kept his promise and bribed the right people. A few weeks later, Reb Yosef and his family got permission to leave Russia. He couldn’t believe it!
Reb Yosef went to America and settled in Crown Heights. The first thing he did was go to 770 and ask to speak with the Rebbe’s secretaries. “Here are some manuscripts from Reb Levi Yitzchak,” he told them, handing them a stack of papers. “I took them out of Russia with me.” Reb Yosef asked them to give the manuscripts to the Rebbe and arrange a yechidus for him.
When the day of the yechidus arrived, the Rebbe went to daven at the Ohel of the Frierdiker Rebbe. When he came back, Reb Yosef was led inside the Rebbe’s room. He was surprised to see the Rebbe standing because, usually, the Rebbe would sit during a yechidus.
The Rebbe was friendly. He thanked him for taking such good care of his parents in Alma Ata and for bringing his father’s manuscripts to America with him. Reb Yosef asked if he could keep one as a reminder of his time with Reb Levi Yitzchak. The Rebbe thanked him again, but explained that they were too precious for him to part with.
When the yechidus was over, Reb Yosef began to back out of the room. As he got close to the door, still facing the Rebbe, the Rebbe’s face became very serious. The Rebbe looked Reb Yosef straight in the eye and said, “You’re forgetting to ask me the question you promised my father you’d ask!”
Reb Yosef almost fainted. He had his answer. The Rebbe didn’t need to travel to his father’s kever to speak with him, because the Rebbe and Reb Levi Yitzchak were connected in a ruchniyusdike way. How else would the Rebbe have known the question he’d promised to ask?
Reb Yosef was filled with awe, but he was also worried. Was the Rebbe upset at him for his chutzpah? Thankfully, he didn’t have to worry for too long. At the next farbrengen, the Rebbe was friendly again. He thanked him publicly for everything he did. Reb Yosef could tell that the Rebbe had forgiven him.
Whenever he went for a yechidus, the Rebbe would ask to hear more about his parents’ lives in Alma Ata, and Reb Yosef would happily share everything that he remembered. The Rebbe gave Reb Yosef special attention, showing a lot of hakaras hatov (gratitude) for everything he’d done for the Rebbe’s parents in Alma Ata.
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As told by Alexander Poltorak, a friend of Reb Yosef. Published in the new book Amazing Miracle Stories for Kids, available at www.TzaddikStory.org
Oy Oy. No words to adequate describe those hard times. Very interesting indeed