Did you ever go to the REBBI for a Dollar and a Bracha?

gryp

Thu, Nov 22 2007, 9:38 am

I lived out of town so I couldn't go that often Sad

. (My father took my older siblings more often and I stayed home with my mother and the younger kids.) But I have the letters the Rebbe sent my parents when I was born and my bas mitzvah letter. I was at the Rebbe that day when the lines were absolutely humongous, right before chaf-zayin adar when the Rebbe had a stroke. I was supposed to tell the Rebbe that my birthday was coming up but I was too shy. I have my dollar from then though. And I went a few times when the Rebbe was sick and I happened to be in NY and my friends were running to pass by the Rebbe when he came out for a very short time.
(It's very important to remember how the Rebbe looked and where you were standing and what went on, etc, when you were by the Rebbe.)

My husband on the other hand was always in NY and we have all the Kuntreisim and other things that he got from the Rebbe on our bookshelf. My kids take them out and ask what it is, and it's a great opportunity to show them and talk to them about it. We also have an envelope with his letters- bris, upshernish, bar mitzvah, and all our dollars. At my oldest's bris, my husband great-uncle (A"H Crying

) gave us a Rebbe dollar for the baby, so my 4 year old has one too. Tongue Out

(I don't know if the great-uncle does that for all his relatives.)

I was going through our Rebbe letters a while back rereading them, organizing them, etc., since we found a whole bunch of old letters in my husband's grandmother's house after she passed away. So I'm reading this letter and I come to the signature, and my hands start shaking when I see it's signed "Yosef Yitzchak," from the Freirdiker Rebbe. shock

Quote:

I went to the Rebbe was I was two with my parents. My family is not lubaviitch at all but my parents had lubavitchers as influences when they became frum. Anyway so my mother was carrying me and the Rebbe handed me the dollar. I handed it back to him. He handed me the dollar. I handed it back again. It happened like that for one more time and the Rebbe laughed! And then he handed the dollar to my mother and said, "this is for the Maidele". And I think he said something like I should always be giving or something....

I love your story!

Squash

Thu, Nov 22 2007, 10:47 am

My mother also sent a letter to the rebbe when my brother with downs syndrome was born. she treasures the response.

MommyEsty

Thu, Nov 22 2007, 11:25 am

one time when I was a little kid I was going past the rebbe for dolloars and when I saw him I reconised him from the pictures in our house I guess so I pointed and said really loud, mommy look, rebbe!
the rebbe smiled Smile

my father said that story by my wedding and gave us a brocho that we should always make the rebbe smile, I hope I do!

mummiedearest

Thu, Nov 22 2007, 12:16 pm

I went. I must have been about four. I remember seeing lines of people outside having their dollars laminated with the rebbe's picture over george washington's. I asked my mother why people were ruining their dollars...

gryp

Thu, Nov 22 2007, 12:22 pm

Interesting, I've never seen that or heard of it.

mummiedearest

Thu, Nov 22 2007, 12:27 pm

they offered to laminate mine, I refused.

gryp

Thu, Nov 22 2007, 12:28 pm

I don't blame you. The only time I've ever seen a laminated dollar is in stores/restaurants.

mummiedearest

Thu, Nov 22 2007, 12:32 pm

mybe I should have laminated it and given it as tzedaka to a poor restaurant owner Smile

gryp

Thu, Nov 22 2007, 12:50 pm

http://www.chabad.org/therebbe.....t.htm
btw, if anyone's been to the Rebbe you can see if they have your picture. Smile

mummiedearest

Thu, Nov 22 2007, 1:34 pm

I think we got a video of our visit

ny21

Thu, Nov 22 2007, 1:55 pm

thanks GR for the link. My sis is not on that site , but she has a nice pic
of her from her visit.

brooklyn

Fri, Nov 23 2007, 9:46 am

southernbubby wrote:

I remember when the Rebbe opened my baby dd's tiny hand and put a nickel in it. She was only a few months old.

Well you got me beat, the first time that I went we were each given two dimes.

shopaholic

Fri, Nov 23 2007, 11:10 am

I used to go every year for my birthday & because it's in Elul I received a "Kesiva vachasima tova" from the Rebbe. I also received many maamorim, 2 Tanya's & some kuntreisim from the Rebbe with general brochos. I never went for anything specific, but it was special all the same & I miss it.