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Starting in yeshiva

Rabbi Lipszyc's Story of the Week:

Although I began the Lubavitcher Yeshiva at the age of four years old, I did not begin to go to the Rebbe’s farbrengens until I was about nine years old. My oldest sister was newly married, and it was her husband, Shmuel Spalter, (may he live and be well,) who would take me to the farbrengens. However, it was erev Yom Kippur when I met the Rebbe for the first time face-to- face. As was customary, the rebbe would give out lekach (honey cake) wishing a good year to anyone who wanted his blessings. The lines were very long. My older three brothers had been going already to get lekach for a number of years. My oldest brother used to also ask the Rebbe for a piece of lekach for my father. Unbeknownst to me, my oldest brother, who had an appointment in Manhattan that day, was not sure if he would be able to get back in time to receive the lekach that day. For himself he was not concerned, for the Rebbe had the custom to distribute lekach again on Hoshana Rabbo for those who hadn’t received it before Yom Kippur. But my brother did not want to postpone the time for my father to get it and thus he asked my second brother to ask the Rebbe for lekach for my father, when he went for himself. As it turned out, my oldest brother got back from Manhattan much earlier than he expected. So much so, that in fact he ended up in line ahead of my second brother. My oldest brother, knowing that he told our second brother to request from the Rebbe a piece for my father, did not ask for our father. My second brother, seeing my first brother ahead of him on line, figured that surely he would be asking for my father, since he made it back in time, and therefore he didn’t ask. Of course my third brother, who knew nothing about it, and went later to the rebbe for his own lekach didn’t ask for my father either. I was the last one in the family to go for lekach and of course I knew nothing about this mishap, so I didn’t ask for my father as well. However, when I went by the Rebbe, I asked only for myself and continued walking on. To my surprise, the Rebbe called me back, gave me another piece and said “your brothers forgot to take for your father.” I had no idea what the Rebbe was talking about, and since this was the very first time I was face to face with the Rebbe, how would he even know who I was? When I got home, I saw my two older brothers arguing as to who was to blame for our father not getting lekach. Suddenly I understood what happened, and I smiled and said “not to worry, the Rebbe gave it to me, to give to father.” Thus began my education and experiences of how the Rebbe would continuously take care of all my needs as I would begin my life as his shliach.

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