0623 - The Rebbe's Place in the Zal Upstairs on the Southeastern side

00:01 While talking about the Rebbe's place upstairs in the shul, when he davened on the dreymis mizrachi side, the southeastern side, I would like to describe a little bit what it was like. The Rebbe would daven in that corner, meaning on the right side of Doron Kadesh. If you're standing facing Doron Kadesh, on the right side, that was the place that the Rebbe considered, as he said by that farbrengen, his mokim kevoy, his set place. So there was the table there that was by the wall between the cheder sheini and the shul, and the mesmedresh. And by that table that was along that wall, there were two benches on both sides. But when the time was when the Rebbe would daven there, they would take out the two benches, and by the wall, they would put the Rebbe's chair. And they would also bring the shtender and put the shtender of the Rebbe by in front of the wall, of the mizrach wall in that corner. So the Rebbe would sit on the chair, which was by the wall between the cheder sheini and the shul. But when he would get up to Shemoneh Esreh, he would get up to the shtender, and the shtender was facing the wall, which was on the mizrach side. And the Rebbe would daven there Erev Shabbos Mincha, Shabbos afternoon Mincha. And in those years in the Chof's, it wasn't only when there was no farbrengen, so the Rebbe would daven Mincha upstairs. Even when there was a farbrengen, the

01:23 Rebbe would finish a farbrengen, go upstairs to his room, be there a few moments, and then walk out to the shul upstairs to daven Mincha. And this was the place where the Rebbe would daven Mincha. Now, the way it was set up, that table that was along that wall between the shul and the cheder sheini was parallel, was right in front, behind the shtender. So when the Rebbe would get up to the shtender, the way it was set up, he wasn't able to walk back the three steps because the table was right behind it. So there was always somebody who stood there, not always the same person. Many people tried to do it very often, that as soon as the Rebbe got up and came over to the shtender, he would walk over and push the table over. That means the end of the table that was closer to the shtender would push it over more to the wall where the Rebbe's chair was. And that made a space that the Rebbe was able to walk back the three steps. And the table would stay that way while the Rebbe was davening Shemoneh Esreh. Then he took the three steps back, and the table was still that way. The Rebbe was able to do it. Then when the Rebbe would walk back to his shtender for Chazarat HaShatz or whatever, so then they would push, pull the table back out, and that made place for the Rebbe to sit down. So then when the Rebbe

02:39 turned around to sit down for Chazarat HaShatz, there was place because the table was moved away already, and the Rebbe would sit down on his chair. And people felt that it's a big zechus to be able to do this, to push it, to make it more comfortable for the Rebbe to go back. Otherwise, the Rebbe would have to turn on the side of the table and walk back. And like this, he was able to walk back straight from the shtender. And people accepted, thought this was a great zechus to be able to help the Rebbe. And people were even talking. There's a famous story with Rabbi Isaac Homler, that Rabbi Isaac Homler said before he passed away, he said he doesn't know with what he's going to Gan Eden, with what he's going Olam HaBa, what zechus does he have? Then he reminded himself that he has one zechus. He was once walking by the Alter Rebbe's house. The Alter Rebbe was learning Gemara in front of the window or something, and a daf Gemara flew out of the window. And he passed by, so he got that daf, and he gave it to the Alter Rebbe. So he said, with this, Shimush Talmid Chachamim, with this serving, doing something for the Rebbe, for the Alter Rebbe, he knows he has a zechus to go Olam HaBa. So people were saying that we have a zechus that you're able to do something that will make it more convenient for the Rebbe. That's a zechus that

03:43 will go Olam HaBa, a zechus that we have. And different people would do it. There were some people who did it many times because they stood there, and they specially made sure to do it. But other times, other people did it also. I mean, myself, I remember quite a few times that I was standing there, and I moved over the table towards the wall between the cheder sheini and the shul, which means towards the Rebbe's chair, so the Rebbe was able to walk back. And then when the Rebbe came back to his shtender, I pulled it back, and then it made space for the Rebbe to be able to sit down on his chair by the table.