THEY ARE TEARING ME AWAY FROM THE ATMOSPHERE OF GAN EDEN!
A number of Chassidim came to the Rebbe Rayatz in Leningrad for Purim 5686/1926. Among them were Reb Itche Masmid, Reb Meir Simcha Chein and Reb Zalman Moshe HaYitzchaki of Nevel.
The Chassidim held a festive Purim meal and drank a lot of mashke and were late to the Rebbe’s farbrengen. When they arrived, the Rebbe had already finished saying the maamer.
When Reb Itche Masmid heard that the Rebbe had already said the maamer, he began to sob and said bitterly, “We (he never said “I”) came to the Rebbe and did not merit hearing Chassidus.” However, the Rebbe promised him that he would repeat the maamer the following day.
The next day, Reb Shmuel Levitin had yechidus with the Rebbe and the Rebbe spoke to him about the yeshiva in Nevel and called him to task about it. Then Reb Shmuel asked the Rebbe about his promise to say a maamer that day. The Rebbe said he would say a maamer Chassidus now and asked Reb Shmuel to call the Chassidim who hadn’t heard it.
In the middle of the maamer, his son-in-law, Reb Shmaryahu Gurary entered and said there was an urgent phone call from Moscow for the Rebbe regarding communal matters. The Rebbe had to interrupt the maamer and he said, “They are tearing me away from the atmosphere of Gan Eden into Gehinom.” Upon his return he said, “Back to the atmosphere of Gan Eden!” And he proceeded to say the maamer.
A BAAL T’SHUVA OF THE REBBE RAYATZ
A man by the name of Yeshaya learned in the chadarim in Lubavitch in his childhood. He later met a doctor and married her. She had a bad influence on him until he no longer went to shul even on Yom Kippur.
Erev Yom Kippur 5691/1930, he was in Riga and had plans to travel to Berlin but missed the train. The next train would travel on Yom Kippur. He thought: How can I travel when it’s Yom Kippur? He decided to remain in Riga for Yom Kippur.
Remembering his childhood in Lubavitch, he went to the home of the Rebbe Rayatz to see what was happening there. He arrived the night of Yom Kippur and met Reb Chaim Meir Liss (one of the outstanding bachurim) whom he knew from Lubavitch. Reb Chaim Meir spoke to him and said, “Yeshaya, you must see the Rebbe.”
On Motzaei Yom Kippur, Yeshaya had yechidus for two and a half hours. When he left the room, he fainted.
Upon recovering, he said that the Rebbe had said, “I will tell you everything that happened to you from the time you were in Lubavitch until now.” Indeed, the Rebbe detailed everything that had taken place and Yeshaya was very impressed.
The Rebbe asked him to start keeping Shabbos and to put on t’fillin every day and he committed to doing this. The Rebbe promised him that from then on, he would succeed in all his business dealings.
Yeshaya did, in fact, become observant and he became very wealthy. His wealth was estimated to be a million zlotys. Whatever he touched turned to gold.
AT THE GRAVE OF REB SHLOMO OF KARLIN
In the summer of 1932, the Rebbe Rayatz was in Ludmir and Reb Yeshaya did a lot for him. He was ready to give the Rebbe everything he had.
While in Ludmir, the Rebbe went to the grave of Reb Shlomo of Karlin. Reb Yeshaya did not allow people to approach the gravesite (so the Rebbe would have his privacy); only rabbanim were allowed to approach, but even they stood back somewhat. The Rebbe went to the grave himself.
WHAT ABOUT THE PROMISE!?
In 5699/1939, Reb Yeshaya asked the Rebbe for advice concerning a certain business deal and the Rebbe told him not to do it. He didn’t listen and did it anyway and the deal fell through. He went back to the Rebbe and complained, “The Rebbe told me that I would be successful in all my business dealings!” The Rebbe said, “You won’t profit from this but you won’t lose either.” And so it was.
When Reb Yeshaya found out that the Rebbe had arrived in Riga (apparently when he had been rescued from Warsaw during World War II), he was extremely happy.
IN THE MERIT OF THE REBBE’S BRACHOS
Reb Yeshaya saw miracles thanks to the Rebbe’s bracha. When the Russians conquered Riga he took all his money and fled. When he crossed the border they looked for him and he hid in the attic of a gentile’s home. They searched but did not find him.
He asked the Rebbe whether to go to the US and the Rebbe said no.
THE REBBE LAUGHED
Reb Yeshaya then married a woman who was the daughter of Stoliner Chassidim. The Stoliner Rebbe once expressed annoyance with him in connection with his being a Chabad Chassid. Reb Yeshaya was frightened and he told the Rebbe what happened. The Rebbe laughed – in other words, there was nothing to worry about, and indeed, nothing untoward happened.
THE REBBE WAS RIGHT
Rabbi Leib Kramer related:
When I had to report for the draft in Poland, my parents disagreed with the Rebbe Rayatz. They said I should go report in Chelm where I lived, while the Rebbe said I should report in Warsaw. My parents wrote a letter to the Rebbe in which they said that my brother reported in Chelm and there was a doctor who knew him. The doctor said he knew him to be weak and the army subsequently released him. This is why they wanted me to report in Chelm. The Rebbe said that nevertheless, I should report in Warsaw.
Amazingly, at just the time that I had to report, that doctor left Chelm.
TO THINK OF THE NAMES OF THE REBBEIM
Reb Leib Kramer further related:
The night before I had to report for the draft, I had yechidus with the Rebbe Rayatz and I asked for a bracha that they should not accept me. When I left the yechidus, the secretary, Reb Chatshe Feigin followed me and said (apparently having heard this from the Rebbe): When you report, think of the names of the Rebbeim – the Baal Shem Tov, the Rav HaMaggid, the Alter Rebbe, etc.
When I presented myself to the doctors, they suspected I was trying to fool them and they asked me whether I wanted to be a soldier. Since I was concentrating on the names of the Rebbeim, I did not pay attention to their question and I said: Yes. This worked, since they then released me.
THE REBBE’S LEGAL ADVICE
Another story from Reb Leib Kramer:
When I was in Kobe, Japan someone who recognized me as a Lubavitcher Chassid said to me: You think you are a Chassid of the Rebbe? The truth is I am a Chassid of the Rebbe!
He went on to tell me:
I lived in Petersburg before the revolution and I was a big businessman. With the revolution, I lost a lot of money. Later on, there was supposed to be a major trial against me. I hired top lawyers but they could not help me.
I heard that the Lubavitcher Rebbe lives in Petersburg (then Leningrad) and I thought it would be worthwhile going to see him but I couldn’t decide. I finally pushed myself to go, but on the way I thought, how can the Rebbe help me? What connection do I have with him? So I went back home.
Then I went a second time and reached the Rebbe’s house but could not get myself to enter. I returned home.
The third time, I went in and the Rebbe was sitting there and smoking. His sirtuk was open and I saw a gold chain on his vest. I told the Rebbe about the court case. The Rebbe thought about it and then gave me an idea that my lawyer should present to the judges.
When I left, I thought the idea wasn’t that good, but I decided to repeat it to my lawyer anyway. When I told him, he said: This idea could not come from a simple person since I already thought of all the possibilities and could not come up with a solution. I told him it was the Rebbe’s advice and it ended up being the legal argument that exculpated me.