EYES THAT SEE FROM ONE END OF THE WORLD TO THE OTHER

PART I

Late Shabbos afternoon on 3 Tammuz, the Chabad community in B’nei Brak gathered in the old, central Chabad shul on Rashi Street, to farbreng. The shul was packed and the Chassidim listened closely to the rav, Rabbi Yitzchok Belinov, who spoke about the significance of the day and hiskashrus to the Rebbe through learning his teachings and fulfilling his instructions.

He then spoke about the relationship between the Rebbe and the Sephardic Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu zt”l.

As is known, there was an uncommonly fond relationship between the Rebbe and the Rishon L’Tziyon. R’ Eliyahu visited the Rebbe three times with his Ashkenazi colleague, Rabbi Avrohom Shapira, and another time on his own.

The nature of this affectionate relationship is not known to the public, i.e., why R’ Eliyahu merited such warmth on the part of the Rebbe. There were numerous Torah greats who went to the Rebbe and were graciously received and yet, there was something special here. The Chassidim also sensed that this was so.

The question is even greater in light of the fact that there was no relationship between them prior to R’ Eliyahu’s appointment as chief rabbi.

PART II

It was shortly after R’ Eliyahu began settling down in his government position of chief rabbi. As part of his illustrious role, he visited various Jewish communities worldwide, including the large community in France. This community is comprised of many communities throughout the French republic. Most of them are Jews from Eidot HaMizrach (what we call Sephardim) who emigrated from North Africa to France and settled there.

Upon arriving in France, R’ Eliyahu was received with great honor by the members of the various communities in impressive, festive ceremonies, attended by rabbanim, leaders, and key figures within the communities and local governments. R’ Eliyahu used these visits to increase the honor of Heaven and to inspire people to strengthen their Torah study and fulfillment of mitzvos. During the visits he spoke about the urgent need to preserve the Jewish nation and warned against assimilation.

A delegation of rabbanim honored the distinguished guest and went to greet him and speak to him about timely matters. There was also a delegation of Chabad rabbanim in France which included Rabbi Avrohom Nachum Jacobowitz.

The conversation turned to the Rebbe and his global leadership. R’ Eliyahu raised his hand and all fell silent. “You don’t need to tell me who the Lubavitcher Rebbe is,” he said. “I will tell you who the Rebbe is!”

A surprised silence filled the room. None of the Chassidim remembered any particular connection between the new chief rabbi and the Rebbe. So what could he tell them that they did not know? They eagerly listened to what R’ Eliyahu had to say.

PART III

One day, or to be more exact, one night, a man and woman went to the Rebbe in New York. We do not know their names. We just know that they were Jews, Israelis. After prior arrangement they met the Rebbe for a private audience. They asked the Rebbe for his consent and blessing for their shidduch. They were not religious and were in New York on a tour. They took this opportunity to ask the Rebbe for his blessing.

The Rebbe said, “Since you are from Eretz Yisroel, you should go to Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu in Yerushalayim and ask for his consent to your match.”

It seemed unusual that the Rebbe did not bless them; rather, he sent them to R’ Eliyahu who had no relationship with the Rebbe at the time.

The man and woman however did not know that the Rebbe’s response was unusual. They thought this was the protocol, that when they asked for the Rebbe’s consent, he sent them to their home country to receive the consent and blessing from the local rabbi.

They continued their tour and agreed that upon their return home, they would go to R’ Eliyahu’s office.

PART IV

R’ Eliyahu always lived in Yerushalayim. He spent a good part of his day on adjudicating cases at the Beis Din HaGadol where he was a member of the court. The rest of the time he devoted to his community.

One day, he heard a knock at his office door which was near his shul. In walked a man, a bit stooped and deeply wrinkled. The man sat facing the rav and poured out his heart: He had a daughter who was married with a few children. Things had been fine up until a few weeks ago when she met a man. As a result, she left her home with intentions of marrying him. The woman’s father was terribly upset. He lived in Haifa but since he heard that R’ Eliyahu was also a kabbalist, he made the trip to see him and ask for his help.

“How can I help you?” asked R’ Eliyahu, perplexed. “What can I do?”

“I don’t know,” said the man spreading his hands in a gesture of helplessness, “I heard that you are a kabbalist and tzaddik and so I ask that you pray for her so she doesn’t do what she plans on doing.”

R’ Eliyahu shared in the man’s pain and took a piece of paper and pen and wrote down the names of the daughter and her mother. He asked for the name of the man she had befriended and the father told him the name. R’ Eliyahu intended on praying that they do t’shuva.

The man left with the hope that Hashem would listen to the tzaddik’s prayers.

The next people on line in the waiting room came in and not long afterward in walked the couple who wanted the blessing. They said, “We want to marry and we ask for your consent and blessing.”

The man went on to say, “We just returned from New York where we saw the Lubavitcher Rebbe personally and asked for his blessing for our shidduch. He referred us to you.”

R’ Eliyahu was most surprised by this. “Did the Rebbe refer to me by name?” he asked. “Did he mention my name specifically?”

“Yes,” the couple answered.

R’ Eliyahu couldn’t understand it. He had no connection with the Rebbe, never having had any correspondence of any kind with the Rebbe. Why would the Rebbe refer them to him? He did not know, but he understood that there was something afoot.

Rather than give his consent to the match, he began asking them questions about their identity. When the man and woman stated their names, the blood rushed from R’ Eliyahu’s face. He looked at the paper that was still on his desk, the paper where he had written down the names of the wayward wife and her boyfriend, the one whose father had come just before to plead for heavenly assistance.

Now R’ Eliyahu understood why the Rebbe had sent them to him. Of course, he took the opportunity to rebuke them, with a warm and loving heart, for breaking up a Jewish home and replacing it with a house on shaky foundations.

***

R’ Eliyahu told this story to the Chabad delegation from France.

“Now you understand how I know about the greatness of the Lubavitcher Rebbe! This was open ruach ha’kodesh. He knew to send them to me, knowing that shortly beforehand I would be given information about them so I could warn them not to proceed with their plans. If I didn’t know about it, I would have wished them well with their marriage and sent them on their way. But the Rebbe, as the leader of the Jewish people, knew what was what and sent them to me to get my ‘consent.’”