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The Rebbetzin sent this telegram to the Notiks on the day of their marriage. Rabbi Notik pointed out that even though he received wishes of Mazal Tov from the Rebbetzin in person, she still went out of her way and sent it formally, in writing, the day of their celebration - as was customary in those days.

Around the time of the wedding, the Rebbetzin returned to Rabbi Notik the wedding invitation return envelope, in which the Rebbetzin included a monetary gift for the couple. She said they should spend it on something for the house. With the money Rabbi Notik bought an air-conditioner. When he told the Rebbeztin what he had spent it on, she was pleased. She felt that it was money well spent.

There was a lady who lived in Crown Heights above the old Albany Bakery and she realized that every morning at the same time a car would pull up to the bakery with the Rebbetzin in and her driver. The driver would park, come out of the car into the bakery and buy bread and pastries probably for the Rebbe. The lady lived above the bakery and when she had guests over at her apartment she would close the blinds or divert them away from the windows in order not to disturb the Rebbetzin. One day a lady came over who had been married for eight years without having been blessed with children. So the lady of the house said “I usually don't do this but this is an exceptional case” she told her to go outside and stand on the sidewalk where the Rebbetzin's car would arrive shortly. The Rebbetzin's car pulled up and the Rebbetzin opened the window slightly and gave a glance at the young lady who had positioned herself next to the Rebbetzin's window. Nine months later the lady gave birth to a beautiful baby.

She, too, can bless

The Rebbetzin, Chaya Mushka enjoyed flowers all her life. When it came to be her and the Rebbe's 50th wedding anniversary Nishei Chabad sent a big bouquet of flowers to the Rebbetzin and included with the flowers a card addressed to her with requests for blessing for women who were married but weren't able to have children yet and were asking for brorchos for children. They brought the flowers to the Rebbetzin and took out the card to take to the Rebbe. The Rebbe looked at the card and when he saw that it was addressed to the Rebbetzin he said “this is addressed to my wife please take it to her” The man, Mr. Halberstam said that these were requests for blessings. So the Rebbe said, “she too can bless”. Then the Rebbe said further that Chassidus explains that there are two kinds of light, memale kol almin and soviv kol almin, a light that fills the worlds and a light that “surrounds” the worlds. When the Rebbe blesses his blessing are a level of memale and a person has to do something in this world like a good deed in order to get those blessing to manifest in this world. When the Rebbetzin blesses her blessings are on a level of sovev and when she blesses a person does not even have to do anything and the blessings materialize in the world.

A reflection

The three Chassidim were traveling together, pursuing an urgent matter of askonus haklal. One of them was the celebrated chossid R’ Itche der masmid, who was renown for his refinement.

During there travels, they had to meet in a hotel. In this hotel, one wall of the lobby was adorned with a large and beautiful floor to ceiling mirror. In the middle of their meeting, R’ Itche suddenly jumped up, and ran towards the mirror. Then, as he was about to reach it, he – just as abruptly – turned around, and returned abashedly to his place.

When his colleagues asked him for an explanation, R’ Itche, who had never had reason or inclination to observe his own reflection, and thus had no way of knowing what he looked like, clarified as follows: “Ich hob gezehn a Yid mit a hadras ponim, bin ich gleich tzugegangen geben em sholom: [I saw a dignified-looking Jew, so I immediately went to greet him].

Rebbe Picture

A bochur (who is today a zeideh many times over . .) was once in yechidus. At the end of his yechidus, the Rebbe remarked to him: “Az du zest az dein nefesh habehamis tzuvildevit zich, nem arois a bild fun Rebbin un kuk oif dem” [if you notice your NHB getting out of hand, take out a picture of the Rebbe and look at it].

Hidurim

R’ Hillel Paritcher was extreme in his hiddurim in the fulfillment of mitzvos. He once explained that his sole objective with all of his hiddurim is “az ess zol zich opleigen a vort chassidus” (that he should truly grasp the ideas of Chassidus).

A Jew in Dakar

Rabbi Yosef Wineberg served as a Chabad-Lubavitch emissary for the sixth Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, of righteous memory, and the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Rabbi Wineberg undertook missions to South Africa, Brazil, and other countries, reaching out to Jews and inspiring identity and observance.

In the early 1950s, Rabbi Wineberg went for a private audience with the Rebbe prior to traveling to South Africa. At the audience, the Rebbe asked him: "Do you stop in any other countries on your way to South Africa?"

Rabbi Wineberg told him that the plane made occasional stops for refueling, but these were for brief intervals. To this the Rebbe replied: "Do you not stay in any place for a day or two?" Rabbi Wineberg answered him that this was not the plan. Toward the end of the audience, the Rebbe again asked Rabbi Wineberg if he was planning to stop in any other countries on the way.

Rabbi Wineberg had been working with the Rebbe long enough to appreciate that this was not ordinary curiosity. When he came home, he told his wife that although he was scheduled to arrive in South Africa on Wednesday, she should not be disappointed if a telegram does not arrive before Shabbat, for from the Rebbe's words, it appeared that he would be delayed for a day or two and would not necessarily have the opportunity of communicating before Shabbat began.

As Rabbi Wineberg prepared to board the plane, he noticed that one of his acquaintances, Rabbi Lenger (of Ganeles-Lenger wines) was also planning to board the flight. They both appreciated the advantage of having each other as company on the long journey.

One of the refueling stops for the journey to South Africa was Dakar, a small country on the West African coast. As they were preparing to deplane there, the crew announced that the stay would be prolonged slightly because they were experiencing certain technical difficulties.

They deplaned at 10 PM. As Rabbi Wineberg was sitting in the lobby, he noticed a young man looking at him intently. When Rabbi Wineberg took off his hat and revealed a skull-cap, kippah, the man approached him and introduced himself as Mr. Pinto, a Sephardic Jew from Egypt. He had been in Dakar for six months and hadn't seen a Jewish face. He missed the Jewish involvement which he had experienced at home, and he was worried about the effect living in such a Jewish wasteland would have on his children.

Rabbi Wineberg explained to him that he could maintain a stronger sense of Jewish identity by intensifying his Jewish observance. "Do you have tefillin here?" Rabbi Wineberg asked him, of the small black leather boxes containing scrolls of biblical passages that are wrapped on the arm and head of adult men during weekday morning prayers.

"Yes," Mr. Pinto answered. He did have tefillin, but unfortunately, he had fallen out of the habit of putting them on each day.

"When your children see you putting on tefillin daily," Rabbi Wineberg told him, "the concept of being Jewish will mean much more to them. They will have a tangible example of what being Jewish means."

Mr. Pinto promised to put on tefillin daily. He and Rabbi Wineberg talked for a few more minutes, and then Rabbi Wineberg was called back to his plane. Rabbi Wineberg felt that perhaps his conversation with Mr. Pinto was the reason for the delay and with that he would have fulfilled whatever intent the Rebbe had in mind when speaking about a stop on the way to South Africa.

Apparently, this was not the case. After a few hours of flying, the crew announced that they were experiencing engine trouble and would have to return to Dakar. After they deplaned, the passengers were informed that one of the plane's engines had burnt out and it would be two or three days before it could be replaced.

Rabbi Wineberg's companion, Mr. Lenger, was worried. It was already past midnight Wednesday morning. If the delay was more than two days, it would be questionable whether they would arrive before Shabbat. Rabbi Wineberg calmed him; the Rebbe had spoken to him about a delay for a day or two, no longer.

After being placed in a local hotel and resting for several hours, Rabbi Wineberg set out to look for Jews. That was not an easy task in Dakar, for there were few in the country. Many of the people had not even heard what a Jew was.

He was able, however, to locate a store whose owner was reputed to be Jewish. Rabbi Wineberg entered the store and asked for the owner. He was introduced to a young man named Clement. Was he the owner of the store?

No, he was the owner's nephew.

Was he Jewish?

Yes, he was.

Clement talked freely with Rabbi Wineberg. He came from Lebanon. He felt the financial opportunities open for him in Dakar were worth undertaking the difficulties of leaving home and a familiar environment. He and his uncle know of four other Jewish families.

Rabbi Wineberg spoke to him about Jewish involvement and practice. Clement acknowledged that he had been lax in this area.

"Do you have tefillin here?" Rabbi Wineberg asked.

Clement admitted that he had left his in Lebanon.

"Would you put on tefillin if I sent them to you?"

Clement promised that he would.

They talked for a while longer, and Rabbi Wineberg sensed a genuine warmth on Clement's part. "Today is also a day," he told him. "Come with me and put on tefillin now."

Clement agreed and went with Rabbi Wineberg to his hotel room. As they were returning to the store, they met Mr. Pinto, who expressed his surprise at seeing Rabbi Wineberg still in the city.

Rabbi Wineberg explained about the engine trouble his plane had experienced and then introduced Clement. "You had complained of being in Dakar for six months without meeting another Jew," he told Mr. Pinto. "I've been here less than a day, and I have been able to find one."

Rabbi Wineberg spent the majority of the next day with Clement, developing a relationship with him. Clement took him sightseeing and they talked freely. One subject bothered Rabbi Wineberg and as the connection between them grew, he felt free to broach the issue. "What about marriage?" he asked Clement. "What chance is there of you finding a Jewish girl here in Dakar?"

Clement had to admit that there was almost no opportunity. "Promise me that you will never marry out of the faith," Rabbi Wineberg told Clement. Clement made the promise, telling Rabbi Wineberg that the time they had spent together had made an indelible impression upon him.

Rabbi Wineberg's plane was fixed in time for him to arrive in South Africa before Shabbat. At his first opportunity, he wrote a letter to the Rebbe describing his experiences in Dakar. The Rebbe sent tefillin and prayer books for the community there.

Throughout the months that followed, Rabbi Wineberg maintained a connection with Clement and Mr. Pinto, sending them cards for the High Holidays and letters from time to time. Before Passover, the Rebbe instructed his personal secretary, Rabbi Hodakov, to send matzah, the special thin bread eaten on the holiday, to Dakar.

When the matzah arrived, Clement and Mr. Pinto decided to make a communal Passover feast, known as the Seder. At the Seder, they spoke emotionally of the Rebbe's commitment to Jews throughout the world, how sitting in New York, he senses the longing within the heart of a Jew in Africa to maintain contact with his Jewish roots. After Passover, they wrote the Rebbe a moving letter thanking him and describing the Seder.

The following summer, Rabbi Wineberg had an audience with the Rebbe before leaving on a mission to Brazil and South Africa. "You will be stopping in Dakar," the Rebbe said with a smile. "Why not spend a few days there even if the plane is in order? This time, you can notify the people before you come."

Rabbi Wineberg notified his friends in Dakar, and they arranged a get-together of the entire community.

There was only one unpleasant element of the trip; Rabbi Wineberg saw that Clement was still single. "Do you remember your promise?" Rabbi Wineberg reminded him. Clement answered affirmatively. He explained that he had traveled to France to look for a Jewish girl to marry, but had not met anyone. "But," he assured Rabbi Wineberg, "there is no reason to worry. I will never marry out of the faith."

Several months afterwards, Rabbi Wineberg received a wedding invitation in the mail from Clement (and a second invitation to forward to the Rebbe). Clement had gone back to Lebanon to look for a wife. He had found a Jewish girl whom he would be marrying and then they would return to Dakar. "When I received that letter," Rabbi Wineberg explained, "I felt that my mission in Dakar had been completed."