Continuing the conversation

A certain mekurav related the followins story:

“When our family was living in Flint, Michigan we started to gradually become closer to Yiddishkeit. One by one, new mitzvos became a part of our lifestyle.

“At that time some of the shluchim in the region spoke to me about visiting the Rebbe (= as part of the machaneh Yisroel development fund). I was, as yet, completely unfamiliar with Lubavitch or the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and I thought that Rebbe was another term for Rabbi, and that just like every Synagogue had its’ Rabbi (some who I was getting to know), there was a Rabbi for the Chabad Lubavitch movement who is called Rebbe.

“Primarily because of my fondness for the shliach who was encouraging me to do so, and in an effort to please him, I acquiesced.

“The first time I was in 770, I was near the front, and when the Rebbe passed by me he looked at me. Suddenly, I realized with absolute clarity why he’s referred to as the Rebbe. This is not another Rabbi; - this is the Rebbe!

“When my turn came to pass by the Rebbe the first time, the Rebbe spoke with me for a few moments. Then, to my utter surprise, he stopped. It was in the middle of a topic, – in the middle of a sentence, and he just stopped! It was sudden and abrupt, and – in my mind – there was no rhyme or reason for him to stop there. But my turn was over, and I had to move on.

“Some 6 months later, I had the next opportunity to visit the Rebbe, and my turn came to approach, my amazement was much greater. Despite the time that had passed, and the thousands of people that he had met in the interim, he began his conversation at exactly the point at which he had left off all those months before!”