Melava Malka Stories

Miracles that happened through the printing of the Tanya

A young man who traveled extensively for business, decided that he would print a Tanya in each city he visited.
Sometime later, his father didn’t feel well and needed heart surgery.

The Rebbe’s Vision

Dr. Ira Weiss of Chicago, a renowned heart specialist, became very close to the Rebbe and the Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka, when he was called upon to be part of a dedicated team to care for the Rebbe after the Rebbe had a major heart attack in 1978*.
In 1981, the Rebbetzin was not feeling well, and Dr. Weiss was called.

Reb Meir of Premishlan’ Mikvah Adventures

During the winter of 5663 (1903), when I accompanied my father for a couple of months during which time he spent consulting medical specialists in Vienna, he would sometimes go out in the evening to visit the shtiblach (small houses of prayer and study) of the local Polish Jews—to be among Chassidim, to hear a story from their mouths, to listen to a Chassidic saying, and to observe their fine conduct and refined character.

The Rebbe and Dudu Fisher

During the time that the Previous Rebbe was staying in Riga, Latvia, my grandparents were living on the outskirts of the city. In January 1932, in the freeze of the winter, my grandmother went into labor with my mother, and things started to go wrong.
She was rushed to the hospital, where the doctors decided that it was necessary to abort the baby in order to save her life.

Biography of Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson

The Chassidim of Nikolayev would fondly recall Chana’s scholarship as a teenager. When a maamar (Chassidic discourse) would arrive from Lubavitch—either repeated by a Chassid who was present at the Rebbe’s discourse, or as notes sent to her father’s home—she would meticulously and faithfully transcribe it, making it available for the eager Chassidim.
Bright and talented, Chana had an excellent ear for music—a quality she shared with her father.

His Jewish Name

Many years ago, I received a voice message on the Chabad House answering machine. The person on the call was asking desperately for a return call. So, I called him back.

The Last Potatoes

.…When they returned, Bentzion (her son) said that all they had left were a few potatoes. Mother decided to plant them in the yard, hoping to use the produce both to eat and sell. Nearby, the wife of the shul caretaker also planted potatoes in her own patch of the yard. The two women carefully tended the green shoots pushing up from the earth.

The Baal Shem Tov’s Vision

Once, during his travels, the Baal Shem Tov* stayed at the inn of one of his followers in a village near the city of Brody. The innkeeper, wishing to honor his distinguished guest and those accompanying him, prepared a huge feast on their behalf and accorded them all the respect due them. As the Baal Shem Tov took leave of his gracious host he said to him, “Ask of me what you wish.”

A Menorah On A Car Kindled A Soul

I had the most unusual phone call. A man called up anonymously, no caller ID, and asked, “Can I speak to a rabbi?”
“Yes, sure,” I answered.

Saved From Eating Non-Kosher Meat

Two Jewish business partners traveled deep into Russia on account of their business. They remained there for a number of years and were very successful in business. However, with the passing of time, they became ever more estranged from Judaism and distant from Jewish traditions. Mixing with the gentile population, they learned from their ways.