Dear Rebbe, do you really feel my pain?

The following is a fascinating encounter between a young Lubavitch girl from crown heights who was going through a very hard time in her personal life, and the Rebbe's involvement in helping her through the hard time's she was experiencing. It's an excerpt from the new book on the Rebbe "The Rebbe Inspiring a Generation" to see more on the book visit www.inspiringageneration.com

The Rebbe's care for every Jew, compassion for everyone's troubles, and sympathy for another's concern's were legendary. At times, people who experienced the Rebbe's consideration simply did not believe that he could really be so concerned with their petty matters.

Rabbi Kaplan relates that that when he was in Kollel he was asked to help a teenage girl who was going through a rebellious phase in her life and was emotionally distraught. The Rebbe was working to help her find her way in life, and Rabbi Kaplan was to interpret and explain to her the Rebbe's responses.

When the Rebbe wrote to her the he felt her pain, she reacted strongly; she plainly did not believe that the Rebbe or anyone else could really feel someone else's pain.

The Rebbe responded that when she will grow up and merit being married and having a child, she will see that, as the child begins to teeth and be in great pain from it, she will actually feel the child's pain. That, concluded the Rebbe, is how I feel your pain. Rabbi Kaplan ends by mentioning that the Rebbe's efforts helped her to straighten out her problems and help her find happiness.

Good Shabbos.

Menachem.