Skip to main content

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.

If you would like to receive the weekly story via Whatsapp, Add 513-456-7595 to your contact list, and then text the word "Join" to the same number. 

Please feel free to share this story with anyone you feel will enjoy. However, it may only be forwarded or copied if copied in its entirety including this message.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Klipa vs Kedusha

68. A Bewitching Story:   In order to appreciate my next story, I want to first tell a story told by Rabbi Yosef Wineberg a”h, who travelled the world as the Rebbe’s shliach. Although in today’s age such stories are much less prevalent than in the past, there are still such things happening and especially in South American countries (I believe in Africa as well) where people are very heavily involved in the occult. In a certain South American country there was a woman who was a large donor to Lubavitch institutions through Rabbi Wineberg’s efforts. One day she shared the following story with Rabbi Wineberg: Her husband had died and after the period of mourning, she needed to get her life back in order, especially her financial situation. Her husband basically had left all the necessary documents and papers in order, and so it was generally well organized. However, when she came upon a certain aspect of the finances, one that was related to a large amount of money, she could ...
Post a Comment
Read more

cultbusting

Rabbi Lipszyc's Story of the week 64. The 1960’s were the time of the rise of the “Hippie” generation. That was a time when many youth rebelled and rejected conventional and familial values. While the leaders from all spectrums of Judaism threw their hands up in despair, The Rebbe lauded the youth’s rejection of their parents’ complacence in accepting a lack in spiritual interest. The Rebbe encouraged the shluchim to take advantage of the generation’s search for meaning in life and offer them the experience of a lifestyle of Torah and mitzvos. Thus, began what became known as the Baal Teshuvah Movement with a bang and zest. However, Satan wasn’t yet ready to concede failure, so in the 1970’s a new problem with the youth arose. The proliferation of cults, false gods and so-called religions that relied heavily on mind control. Youths searching for spiritual highs flocked to these cults en masse. Unfortunately, many Jewish teenagers were caught up in this wave. One day, while I wa...
Post a Comment
Read more

shlichus continued

Rabbi Lipszyc's story of the week. Sponsored in honor of Dovid & Devorah Leah's Aufruf / Shabbos Kallah Even before we actually left to Michigan, on our first official shlichus, there were three ‘mini’ shlichusim that we went on. Each one came with its own adventure. The first one actually started before we were married. Rabbi Kastel used to send bochurim to make Shabbatons in different communities around Long Island. In one of the towns there was an interesting phenomenon. Whatever bochurim went to that town for Shabbos became chasanim right afterwards. (Not to girls from that place!  ;-)  )  So it was somewhat humorous when Rabbi Chaim Moshe Bergstein and I went to that particular town, and sure enough not long afterwards we both became chasanim as well. While in that town for Shabbos, I made a special Shabbos afternoon party for the children, a "mesibos Shabbos," as it was called. I taught the children about the portion of the week, told them stories and taug...
Post a Comment
Read more