The Rebbe's shoe

On one of the first occasions that R’ Reuven visited the Rebbe, he was present during a davening. While the Rebbe was davening, R’ Reuven observed that shoe was not on properly; the back of the shoe was bent in and it was undone.

[For many years the Rebbe had suffered great pains in his foot, preventing him from being able to put on that shoe properly. In fact, in the year 5747, when a custom-made car was manufactured for the Rebbe’s use (a gift that the Rebbe subsequently declined), one of the features it was built with was one that would accommodate the Rebbe’s foot ailment].

R’ Reuven assumed that the Rebbe had been in a rush to come to minyan, and did not have ample time to put on his shoe properly. Ever the devoted chosid, he immediately decided to rectify the situation himself. Thus, as the Rebbe davened, R’ Reuven crawled onto the floor by his feet, opened the shoe, pulled it over the Rebbe’s feet, and tied the laces.

However, as soon as the Rebbe completed his davening, he motioned to R’ Reuven that the shoe had in fact been that way intentionally. R’ Reuven didn’t hesitate, and immediately got back onto the floor and crawled over to the Rebbe’s shoe and restored it to its’ earlier state.