מלאים מצוות כרימון

A Satmar chosid didn’t have children for a number of years, and had received many brochos from his Rebbe, to no avail. Finally, during one yechidus, he gathered courage, and declared that he will not leave the room until the (Satmar) Rebbe promises him a child. The Rebbe was incredulous. “Ahavtocho?! That is not in my power, you know well that this is one of the three keys that Hashem did not give to any human. All I could do is to continue to give you my heartfelt brocho”.

But the chosid would not relent, insisting that he would settle for nothing less than a guarantee. Finally, the Satmar Rov said to him in exasperation: “Di vist a havtucho? Gei tzi yenem!”

The chosid left the room confused, and asked the gabay who “yenem” refers to. The gabay immediately explained that when the Rov says “yenem”, then he is referring to the new, young, Lubavitcher Rebbe, who resides in Crown Heights.

Thus it happened that our determined friend found himself, late one night, in the unlikely position of entering the room of the Rebbe for a yechidus. He complained to the Rebbe about his childlessness, and the Rebbe gave him a warm brocho. The chosid, however, rejected it, and reiterated his demand for a promise (with a money-back guarantee). When the Rebbe looked at him in amazement (over his unusual demand), the chosid quickly explained that he was sent here by the Satmar Rov. The Rebbe became very serious, and acceded to his request.

The Rebbe then turned to the chosid, and said: “I understand that your Rebbe recently had a yohrtzeit, and he surely made a tisch for the occasion, perhaps you can repeat some of the words of Torah that he said there?”

The chosid thought back, and recalled a vignette: ‘The gemoroh states that even “poshei Yisroel”, - sinners – are מלאים מצוות כרימון, and the Rov questioned this, saying, if they are “poshei Yisroel”, as the gemoroh itself attests, how, then, can we say that they are filled with mitzvos?’

The Rebbe’s countenance became somber again, and he remarked: ‘I, too, have difficulty with this gemoroh: If they are, after all, מלאים מצוות כרימון, a fact that Toras Emes attests to, how, then, can they be referred to as “poshei Yisroel”?!”