Rabbi Yoel Kahan A"H - Part IX

00:01 The hemsek and continuation to the earlier installments regarding an overview of Rabbi Yokan's life, we now continue with installment number nine, where we will discuss additional stories about the Rebbe which Rabbi Yael shared with either his students, bacharim, or with Hasidim in general. Rabbi Yael begins that this story he remembers well. It took place a few months after the istalkos, the passing of the previous Rebbe in the year 1950, before our Rebbe accepted the nasius, the leadership in a formal manner. There was a Yid, not religious at the time, very far from fulfilling mitzvahs, not being Torah observant. He lived in Williamsburg and he had a challenge. His daughter got very sick. She was placed urgently in the hospital and her life was in danger. His wife, who had a distant connection with Hasidim through a family member, told her husband she knows that there is such a concept of a tzaddik that can give a blessing and that the blessings are fulfilled. Therefore, she requests from her husband that he should visit a tzaddik and request for a bracha. Maybe that will help. Her husband, not having any idea of what is a tzaddik, understood that tzaddikim are those that make a certain trick and they bring a salvation and they do it for parnassa, for livelihood. Therefore, he traveled to many rebbes and he promised to give them $10,000. In those years, this was considered a very huge amount. And this was on the condition that he will receive a promise from them

02:21 that his daughter is going to recover. Although $10,000 was a big amount, but not everybody was able to promise him that the daughter will get well. He couldn't find anybody that will give him this promise. When he came to 770, it was mitzori Shabbos by Ma'ariv. It was the end of Shabbos. And he immediately wanted to see the Rebbe. And they explained to him that first he needs to talk with the secretary, Rabbi Chadikov. This Yid approached Rabbi Chadikov and he told Rabbi Chadikov the whole situation and the pressure in which he finds himself in. And Rabbi Chadikov said that after Havdalah, Rabbi Chadikov is going to go into the Rebbe and he will ask if this person could see the Rebbe. After Havdalah, Rabbi Chadikov went into the Rebbe. And when he walked out of the Rebbe's room, he told this person that it is impossible to go in now. He should come tomorrow morning. Father became angry. He says, what is this? To wait till the morning? His daughter is in a very serious, dangerous situation. Until tomorrow morning, God forbid, the whole thing could end. Rabbi Chadikov said, if you believe in a Rebbe and that the Rebbe tells you to come tomorrow morning, you need to rely on him. And if you don't believe in a Rebbe, what are you doing here? In the morning, the father spoke with the doctors in the hospital and they told him something unusual happened. In general, when it comes to a case of this

04:23 situation, there isn't a concept that the illness stops. It is either it becomes worse or it becomes better. By his daughter, it's already 12 hours that it is status quo. Not better, not worse. He started to calculate when did these 12 hours begin. And he realized it was exactly from the time that he was in 770. And he started to understand that something really solid is happening here. He returned to 770 and he went into the Rebbe. The Rebbe told him that Bashamayim in heaven, they're waiting for you. They're waiting for your decision. And it is up to you. If you want that your daughter should get well, you need to take upon yourself, accept upon yourself three things. Observing Shabbos, putting on film. And Rabbi El says, as far as he remembers, the third inion was kashrus, that the house should be kosher. He began saying that this is impossible for him. He can give money, but he cannot accept upon himself a commitment to fulfill these three mitzvahs. The Rebbe told him, this is not a conversation with me. I am literally telling you what the fact is. In conclusion, the Yid told the Rebbe that he's taken upon himself to fulfill these mitzvahs, but he does not know how to put on film. The Rebbe answered, the bacharim will show you. And as Rabbi El continues, that in the beginning he would come every day to 770 and Rabbi El Yunik would put on film with him till he learned on his

06:28 own how to put on film. And the Rebbe told the anhola of the meistes, the anhola of the institutions, not to take from this Yid even one dollar. The Rebbe did not want that this person should figure that it happened in the merit of him giving money, but only in the merit of accepting upon himself the three mitzvahs. This story happened in the summer 1950. On Shabbos Parshava Yigash Tovsin Yud Aleph, late 1950, this Yid made a kiddush in 770, a kiddush thanking Hashem that his daughter came out from the hospital. The Rebbe then came out to the kiddush and the Rebbe elaborated on the name of the person. His name is Yehuda Leib. And Rabbi El mentions that he remembers that the Rebbe turned to him in the beginning of the fabrenga and he said, which as understood that this person became closer to Yiddishkeit.