A Yechidus With the Rebbe

"Yechidus (private audience) is a meeting where the Rebbe bestows his blessings and/or clarifies issues within a Chassid"

-Rabbi Jacobs

In honor of Yud Shvat I would like to present a Yechidus of the Rebbe with Rabbi Fishel Jacobs May 1981. Special thanks to Rabbi Yisroel Jacobs and Rabbi Yona Avtzon. Also included is "interesting pictures of the Rebbe" part 53.This e-mail is dedicated to Dr. Refoel Levi ben Chaya Toiba.

Note: Yechidus (private audience) is a meeting where the Rebbe bestows his blessings and/or clarifies issues within a Chassid. The transcript below was taken from an audio recording of yechidus with Rabbi Jacobs and his mother. In this yechidus , the Rebbe directed Rabbi Jacobs to return to Israel, stating that his future wife would be easily found there. Two weeks later, Rabbi Rami Antian o.b.m.'dragged' Rabbi Jacobs out of his yeshiva dorm bed at 3:00 a.m. excitedly notifying him that he had found him his future wife. Rabbi Antian had no knowledge of this yechidus at the time. Finally, it was in this yechidus that Rabbi Jacobs was told to begin learning for Smicha (Rabbinic Ordination).

Time: 2:00 a.m.Present: The Rebbe, Rabbi Jacobs and his mother (both seated facing the Rebbe) Rebbe (addressing Mrs. Jacobs): I would like to bless you and all the members of your family in all things necessary, both spiritually and materially—especially to have much nachos, much pleasure, from all your children in all areas of their lives. You should receive this nachos in good health and good parnosa. You should be able to raise the children to Torah, chupah and to do good deeds.

The Rebbe then faced Rabbi Jacobs and continued: You should continue in learning Torah and performing mitzvahs and accomplish this all with joy and inspiration.

The Rebbe addressed Mrs. Jacobs: Where is your place of living? Where are you from?

Mrs. Jacobs: Vermont. (Transcriber: New England, northeast U.S.)

Rebbe: Uh?

Mrs. Jacobs: Vermont .

Rebbe (addressing Rabbi Jacobs): What is your profession?

Rabbi Jacobs: I study in Kfar Chabad.

Rebbe: Kfar Chabad?!

Rebbe (addressing Mrs. Jacobs): And you live in Vermont?!(All laughing)

Rebbe: We Jews are used to this, that one member of the family is in one corner of the world and a sister, brother or parents are in another corner of the world. However, nowadays this is not a problem, since we have telephones and airplanes and many methods of keeping a connection with one another.

Mrs. Jacobs: Zicher (Yiddish: 'sure'). We keep in contact; we're here all the time.
Rebbe: The main thing is to have much real nachos (pleasure), and to receive this nachos in good health and with a good parnosa (livelihood).

Mrs. Jacobs: And to find a good girl for him, a good shidduch (soul mate)

Rebbe: Uh?

Mrs. Jacobs: A good shidduch is also a good thing.

Rebbe: He...

Mrs. Jacobs: We don't know...

Rebbe: Is he ready, or he is in the middle of his studies? Addressing Rabbi Jacobs): Are you ready for a shidduch ?

Mrs. Jacobs: Yes!

Rabbi Jacobs: I spoke with my Mashpiim (Chasidic mentors).

Rebbe: Yes. What was their opinion?

Rabbi Jacobs: After Pesach, it would be a good idea...

Rebbe: 'After Pesach?!' It is now a full week after Pesach and you are not doing anything about it! It is now a full week after Pesach! What is your age?

Rabbi Jacobs: Twenty-five.

Rebbe: That is a proper time to become a choson (groom) and after that to found a family.

Mrs. Jacobs: Sure!Rebbe (Facing Rabbi Jacobs): How long do you intend on being here?

Rabbi Jacobs: I wrote to the Rebbe shli"ta (blessing for longevity), regarding what would be the best thing thing for me. I learn in Kfar Chabad, and I recently entered shiur aleph (first class of Yeshiva) in Kfar Chabad. Rebbe: Have you received smicha (Rabbinic Ordination)?

Rabbi Jacobs: No.

Rebbe: Have you studied for smicha ?

Rabbi Jacobs: No.

Rebbe: Do you not plan on studying for smicha ?

Rabbi Jacobs: I spoke with Rabbi G... and usually a year after the wedding is a good time to begin.

Rebbe: But to be... to be a year after the wedding, you must first have the wedding! You can't begin now a year after the wedding! (all laughing)

Rebbe (addressing Mrs. Jacobs): Do you have someone for him?

Mrs. Jacobs: No.

Rebbe (addressing Rabbi Jacobs): Have you begun looking around?

Rabbi Jacobs: One in Kfar Chabad, but it was nothing.

Rebbe: What are your plans, to look here, or in Kfar Chabad, eretz Yisroel ?

Rabbi Jacobs: I asked the Rebbe shli"ta what would be the best thing. I spoke with Moshkeh Neparstok (head mashpiah in Kfar Chabad Rabbinical school), and expressed to him that my parents want me to stay in America for a while. I haven't seen them for a few years while I was in Kfar Chabad. I asked the Rebbe shli"ta, to stay here for a few weeks, until Shavuot and maybe study here. However I don't see a good shiur (class) here. The question is whether to look for a shiduch here or return to Kfar Chabad?

Rebbe: If your parents don't have anyone special for you, I believe it will be easy for you to find a shidduch in eretz Yisroel. How many years have you been in eretz Yisroel now?

Rabbi Jacobs: Almost three years.

Rebbe: Three years! Then I assume you have many friends in eretz Yisroel, and friends from your studies who are now married and live in eretz Yisroel. It makes sense, in the natural course of things, that it will be easier for you to find a proper Shidduch in eretz Yisroel than here. It is a custom amongst Jews to give a Jew a shlichus for Tzedakoh (mission for charity), and I would like to give each of you a dollar to which you will give its equal to tzedakoh. I give you my blessings, and all good things necessary.

Good Shabbos.

Menachem,

Copyright © Menachem Kirschenbaum 2007