Story until now: Rabbi Eizenbach is invited to farbreng in Meron on Shabbat Mevorchim Menachem Av. Here he meets Yaakov (not his real name), a Litvish bochur, who had recently returned from New York where he went to the Ohel of the Rebbe to request a bracha for a shidduch. Now Yaakov asks the participants at the farbrengen to lift their cups and say a L’Chayim that the bracha should be fulfilled and he should get engaged soon. Please read on…
“Three weeks later, I was required to travel to Romania for a short visit for a specific purpose. When I entered the plane how surprised I was to see Yaakov, whom I had recently met in Meron at the cave of Rashbi. As soon as he spotted me, he shouted out to me, “I am engaged! It’s a miracle!”
It seems he got engaged a week prior; however, since his family had made plans to go on vacation to Romania a while back and already had airline tickets, they decided to continue with their plans.
Hearing that I would be staying at the same hotel where his family would be, he implored me to please come over to his family’s table to farbreng after the meal – “Just like the amazing farbrengen you did in Meron,” he concluded. He assured me that he would purchase and bring enough L’Chaim’s for all participants to enjoy.
On Friday, he went around to the stores close to the hotel looking for spirits which were kosher but could not find any. After searching further, he located some bottles of Jack Daniels and purchased a number of them for Friday night.
Friday night, he went around and invited all the Jewish people dining at the hotel to join the farbrengen. After the meal, tables were moved together and people from all segments of the Jewish community gathered together for a Chassidic farbrengen, in the spirit of Chabad.
After a few L’Chaims, people began to open up. Suddenly it appeared as if everyone had a Chabad connection in one way or another. One had a brother who was an ardent Chabadnik; another taught in a Chabad school where my father was the principal and he received letters from the Rebbe; another was a Satmar chasid who confided that all of their family bought Tefillin for their bar mitzvah boys only from
the Chabad sofer, Rabbi Zurkind, a”h, who was a relative of theirs; and yet another was a Belzer chasid who shared that he had a miracle from the Lubavitcher Rebbe. He went to the Rebbe during ‘Dollars’ to request a bracha for a shidduch. When he came in front of the Rebbe, he was so overwhelmed that he lost his power of speech and stood there in utter silence. His words just wouldn’t come out. The Rebbe gave him a dollar for bracha v’hatzlacha. Immediately he gave him an additional dollar and said: “For a shidduch very soon!”
The young man, Yaakov, who had invited me to farbreng then stood up and announced, “This farbrengen is a direct continuation to the farbrengen in Meron by Rashbi!
The atmosphere was filled with joy and camaraderie. If I thought, at the outset, that I would have to work hard to bring everyone together, I realized that this was unnecessary. Each of the people here felt close to the Rebbe and to Chassidut. We sat together for many hours sharing words of inspiration and singing Chassidic songs and Chabad niggunim which were familiar to many of the people there.
The farbrengen finished at quite a late hour. As it was coming to a close, right before bentching, one of the participants stood up. With a serious expression he said that among the guests this Shabbat, there was a young couple who’ve been married already thirteen years and have not yet been blessed with a child. If indeed a Chassidishe farbrengen is more potent that the power of the angel Michoel, it would be proper that we use this opportunity of unity when Jews from all walks of life are sitting together like one family and we should bless this couple in all they need.
Cups of mashke were emptied as all voices joined together to offer a blessing for the couple mentioning each of their names and their mother’s names (as is customary by a blessing) that they should merit a healthy and viable child very soon.
Every year, I travel from Eilat to central Israel to pick up Shmura matzah and other necessities for Pesach which are not available in Eilat. That year, too, I made my annual trek. On the way back, I stopped at a rest area before taking on the long journey home. I was hoping to sleep for a short while before continuing when my phone rang. On the other end, I heard the voice of Yaakov, whom I met in Meron and who had gotten engaged through a bracha from the Rebbe on Gimel Tamuz at the Ohel. He informed me joyfully that the couple we davened for at the farbrengen in Romania just had a baby girl! I was very happy to hear the good news. I told him that today is the day before the Rebbe’s birthday!
Going to the Kinus Hashluchim the following year, as I was walking to my seat on the plane, I was pleasantly surprised to see the young couple with their baby. The young father from Jerusalem was holding his daughter. Pointing to me, he announced: “This is her! We will be at the Rebbe’s Ohel together with the Shluchim of the Rebbe to thank him. We are so grateful to Hashem for our beautiful gift!
I thought to myself – This must be what the Rebbe meant when he wrote:
‘Hisvaaduyos peilos vehemsheichom upeiroseihem bechol hayomim sheleachareihem’ (telegram for Yud
Shevat..)
May the Farbrengens have their desired effect and may their fruits/results continue to affect your lives during all the days that follow*.”
This story was verified with the author, Rabbi Shimon Eizenbach.
*Thanks to my husband, Rabbi Sholom B. Wineberg, for the translation of the Rebbe’s telegram.
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