The Reward is at the End

Once, the Rebbe distributed a Kuntres Ahavas Yisroel to all the mashpi’im, and the Rebbe personally signed each one. R’ Reuven was in America at the time for a family simcha, but was out of town at the time of the distribution. He approached the Rebbe afterwards and complained that he missed out on receiving the kovetz. The Rebbe, however, didn’t respond.

On the day of their departure to return to Eretz Yisroel, the Rebbe called in R’ Reuven and his wife to the “Gan Eden haTachton” and handed each of them a kuntres. At first they were both ecstatic. But when they looked inside, they were devastated; - the copies that they had received were unsigned. However, there was nothing to be done about it, and they tried to overcome their intense disappointment and continue with their trip.

On the plane they were both dozing off, when suddenly R’ Reuven awoke with a start! ‘Why did the Rebbe give me the kuntres?’ he asked himself, ‘was it not in order that I study from it?!’ He immediately awoke his wife and they proceeded to learn the entire kuntres together, from beginning to end(!).

As they completed the kuntres and turned to the very last page, their eyes lit up, quite literally! There, on the final page, staring out at them in all its splendour, was the signature of the Rebbe, with which each of their kuntresim had been adorned! R’ Reuven learned from this the simple lesson: Sometimes you just have to work on doing what the Rebbe expects of you, and that will be the way that directly causes you to receive what you are hoping to receive from the Rebbe!