Gimmel Tammuz #19

In Chabad we don’t make hespedim but the Rebbe once mentioned that stories we do tell.

Here’s a story.

Being that I live in Monsey I am often given the opportunity to defend Chabad on many fronts.   Now just to point out, those living in bubbles around fans, are not given ample opportunity to really understand and appreciate their core shitas and styles of yidishkeit.

[Another plus to living amongst others groups of frum Jews, is that we can learn from them as well. To illustrate, I will mention an incident that I heard from Harav HaGoan HaChossid Nachmen Schapiro Shlit”a. He said that in the early years there was a non-Chabad kollel in Crown Heights. The Rebbe once passed the kollel and heard the kol Torah (sound of Torah learning) coming out the window. The Rebbe mentioned to one of his secretaries I am mekaneh (envious) of their chayus in learning.]

Well, I was having a nice conversation with a mechutan of the Vishnitzer Rebbe (Monsey). There were about 15 of his people listening to this conversation. In passing he mentioned that in the 80’s he approached the Vishnitzer Rebbe asking him whether he wanted to go the Lubavitcher Rebbe for a Yat Kislev (i.e. Yud Tes Kislev) farbrengen. The Vishnitzer Rebbe responded (I’m not quoting verbatim) NO! The farbrengen is on cable and I don’t want to encourage such shtisim! If I go anywhere I will go to Chof Alef Kislev in Satmar where they celebrate Reb Yolish זצ"ל safe arrival out of Nazi occupied Poland.

[There was obviously a great level of respect between the Vishnitzer Rebbe and the Rebbe. My cousin in Monsey told me he himself was part of group that drove the Vishnitzer Rebbe to the Rebbe’s levaya on 3 Tammuz. Unfortunately they didn’t make it due to a car crash.]

I said to him ‘Rabbi, do you know I am here because the Rebbe was on cable. I went on to tell him that my mother was flipping channels and saw the Rebbe singing ‘Tzomo Lecho Nafshi’ on Cable. She was immediately enthralled by the experience, and she called the number on the bottom of the screen. She drove in to Crown Heights that night. The rest is history! BTW her friend was also watching cable that night and had the same inspiration. She also drove in that night and met my mother there! They both have families of Chassidim with children on shlichus etc.

The Rabbi was floored, the conversation was over…