B”H
“In the year 5751, there was a raffle to win a ticket to fly to the Rebbe among the Chabad community in Nachlat Har Chabad.
“In the year 5751, there was a raffle to win a ticket to fly to the Rebbe among the Chabad community in Nachlat Har Chabad. My father, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Zaklas, won the raffle. He took me along with him for the trip. We were in New York for only two weeks; however, in this time I merited to go to Sunday Dollars by the Rebbe on both Sundays and receive[b1] d four dollars in all, from the holy hand of the Rebbe. The Rebbe blessed me with brocho vehatzlocho – blessing and much success! As you can imagine, I guarded these dollars very carefully. They meant so much to me!
A few years ago my dear father also gave me as a gift the letter of blessing which he received from the Rebbe in honor of my birth.
Fast forward… I grew up and married and twelve years ago, my wife and I were privileged to go on shlichut to Bryansk, Russia.
Due to the difficulties of travel from Israel to Russia, back and forth, and getting all our possessions moved, I decided, in the meantime, to find a safe place to keep these most precious items. I placed the dollars in an envelope and hid them in a drawer in a very rarely used cabinet in the home of my in laws. I didn’t tell any of the family about it. It seemed a safe enough out of the way spot in a cabinet that was hardly used.
About a year later, I returned to the hiding place and searched for the envelope with the dollars, but did not find them. It seems that this cabinet had been cleaned out and all its contents were thrown in the trash! During the next few days, I thoroughly searched the entire house but to no avail. I finally gave up hope of ever finding ‘my treasure’ and understandably I was extremely distressed.
This year, in the last couple of months, in our shlichut in Bryansk, a number of strange and upsetting things occurred.
I thought to myself that I needed to do something spiritual and even thought of traveling to the Ohel of the Rebbe for a blessing, so things should start turning around for the better, with G-d’s help.
Among the shluchim of the Rebbe in the outlying communities in Russia, each month a raffle takes place for someone to go to the Rebbe. This past month I won the raffle and merited to represent the shluchim for the trip to the Ohel. For me, this came at a very opportune time. I saw it as a wondrous hashgocho protit (Divine Providence). I decided to go immediately. In the beginning of the week, on Rosh Chodesh Iyar I left for New York.
Altogether I was in New York for a day and a half. Most of this time I spent at the Ohel. It took me almost two hours to write my pan (special letter). I outlined in detail all that was happening in the last couple of` months in our city of shlichut in Bryansk. At the end of the letter I asked the Rebbe for a sign that my heartfelt words were received.
On Friday, two days after I returned from the Rebbe’s Ohel, I was thinking about the unusual and hasty trip.
As I was sitting and thinking, my mother in law called.
‘I have a surprise for you! A letter and some dollars which the Rebbe sent you were found!’
The street cleaner, who was well acquainted with my in laws, as my father in law would always greet him with a friendly smile and ‘hello, how are you?’, was cleaning close to their house, when he spotted some items that had the name Golan (my in laws name) on them. These were found close to the trash bin. Among the items was the envelope with the Rebbe dollars and the letter from the Rebbe!
He decided to return it all to its owner!
How did these dollars appear suddenly? Why did the cleaner decide to pick up the envelope? Why did he decided to return the items to their owner? Why specifically today?
I cannot answer all these questions. But one thing I know for sure –
I received my sign from the Rebbe!”
In honor of Gimel Tamuz the following first hand story is shared. Our sages say that tzadikim are greater after their passing than during their lifetime!
This true story was making the rounds on whats app and was shared with me by my husband, Rabbi Sholom Wineberg.
The story and details were verified with the shliach from Bryansk, Russia, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Zaklas. He included a picture of the Dollars and the Rebbe’s letter.
He writes: “This is a personal experience which happened to me recently. I thought whether to publicize it but if there is a chance that my story will strengthen someone who needs it, it is worth it.”
Melava Malka Stories 