Weekly Moment With the Rebbe

What makes a Rebbe so powerful? How can he so ably affect the outcome, both physical and spiritual, of those who seek his help? The Avner Institute presents an astonishing range of the Rebbe’s advice – the most mundane, like salt intake; the most miraculous, like the emigration of a Russian scientist; the most brilliant, like the recall of a city he never saw; and the most passionate, like his yearnings to be reunited with his predecessor, of saintly memory, whose 50th yahrzeit takes place next week.

Dedicated in loving memory of Hadassah Lebovic A”H

By the Grace of G-d
3 Shevat 5742
Brooklyn, NY

Prof. & Mrs. —–
Rehovot, Israel

Greeting and Blessing:

Thank you very much for your note accompanying the enclosures of several reprinted scientific papers. I appreciate your thoughtfulness in sending me same.

I also wish to thank you for the regards from . . . .

Inasmuch as we have entered the month of Shevat, highlighted by the “New Year for Trees,” bringing to mind the similitude between man and tree, as mentioned in the Torah (Deut. 20:19), I extend to you prayerful wishes for a growing measure of success in all your fruitful endeavors for your own benefit and for the benefit of many others.

Hoping to hear good news from you in the various topics we discussed personally.

With esteem and blessing,

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P.S. In reference to one of the topics we discussed, I believe it will be in order to mention here a pertinent episode. Some years ago, a friend of mine did not feel well, and consulted a specialist. The physician told him that in general, and in his case in particular, it is good to reduce one’s salt intake. When he asked the physician what does it mean in practical terms, the doctor replied that he should not add salt to any of the foods that he eats.

Sometime later, when his health deteriorated, he visited the specialist again, and was told that in view of his situation, he should reduce his salt intake further, meaning that he should eliminate salty foods from his diet, such as sardines, lox, and the like.

After a further period elapsed, he returned to the physician, and this time, the physician advised him to go on a completely salt-free diet, which meant that he had to eliminate many edibles in addition to those he had already excluded before, and make sure he would consider strictly forbidding anything cooked or prepared with salt, or containing any salt.

Now, if we substitute the admixture of meat and dairy for salt in the said episode, I believe it will have a bearing on one of the points we had discussed during our conversation.

“That’s why I’m here!”

Rabbi Yitzchok Goldin relates:

The Rebbe once said, “There are those who think that one need not have pity on the Rebbe. If Chassidim had behaved otherwise, my father-in-law would be with us today.”

Then the Rebbe leaned his head on his hands and wept.

I was stunned, never expecting such an outburst of sorrow – and feeling of guilt that somehow I, a Chassid, may have behaved so negatively as to impact on the Rebbe Rayatz, the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn.

However, I saw the other side to the Rebbe – the one who took pity, rather than wait to be pitied.

The Rebbe once asked a woman why her husband did not come to him for questions regarding parnassa, livelihood.

“My husband didn’t want to take up the Rebbe’s time,” she answered meekly.

The Rebbe exclaimed, “But that’s why I’m here!”

“He already has all the blessings”

Professor Herman Branover relates:

Because of my important scientific work, I was denied emigration from the Soviet Union. Following the few days I spent in jail as a result of my request to leave, I decided to contact the Rebbe and ask for a blessing.

The local Chassidim, who heard the idea, tried to dissuade me. “You’ll never be able to contact the Rebbe in America. You’ll get arrested!”

But I resolved to try, regardless of danger. So I went to the local post office and asked to make a call to New York.

Within ten minutes – the height of speed in those days – I could hear the voice of one of the Rebbe’s secretaries at the other end.

“The Rebbe does not speak on the phone,” he whispered.

But I insisted. “The KGB could come any time. What do I care?”

Then I heard the voice of Rabbi Chaim Mordechai Aizik Hodakov, the Rebbe’s chief secretary. He basically said the same thing.

But while I argued with the secretary, I suddenly heard the Rebbe’s distinctive voice on the line: “Tell him that he already has all the blessings, and it won’t be long before he leaves in peace.”

Three weeks later, I was called to the emigration office, where a clerk told me, “As long as you remember the science you learned in Russia, you cannot leave until you forget it all.”

In despair I went home. But when I arrived I suddenly received a phone call.

“Come back to the emigration office at once,” said the clerk.

I hurried over. The clerk greeted me again with derision, then said, “We decided to let you go.”

“Better than the map”

More from Professor Branover:

When the Rebbe told me to build a neighborhood in Jerusalem for Russian immigrants, I received a number of suggestions from people. So I decided to ask the Rebbe directly for his advice.

During yechidus, private audience, I began to enumerate the options. I slipped my hand into my pocket in order to take out a map of the city.

The Rebbe motioned with his hand. “It’s not necessary,” he said.

Then he began to explain to me without any visual reference: “If the neighborhood is here, a person wanting to go to a convention at Binyanei Hauma will have to go via that street, and it will take him X amount of time. If the neighborhood is located there, if a woman goes to the grocery time it will take her X amount of time.”

To my astonishment, the Rebbe, who had never set foot in the Holy Land, knew the holy city of Jerusalem better than the map and I together.

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