The Rebbe's Vision
By CM and Nechama Smith Krimmer
As many of you know, this Sunday we celebrate the 27th yahrzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. "Celebrate" might seem like an unusual word to use for a yahrzeit, but the anniversary of the passing of a tzaddik, a holy man, is considered a "Yom Hillula," a day of joy, blessings, and celebration to all connected to the tzaddik. And if you are reading this, you have that special connection.
The Rebbe devoted his life to the service of others. He attended to the physical and spiritual needs of all who called to him, both Jew and Gentile, alike.
There is a saying in Chabad that the Rebbe created leaders, not followers. The Rebbe, in an unparalleled move in Jewish history, sent these leaders, these shluchim, to communities and countries all around the world, in places that lacked Jewish essentials -kosher food, ritual baths, and Jewish education.
Emulating the Rebbe, these shluchim and shluchos also dedicate their lives to the service of others, often under great hardship.
Speaking of hardships. In the year 1986, the Rebbe began giving out "Sunday Dollars," where men, women, and children would stand in line to speak a few words to the Rebbe, to seek his blessing, or to ask the Rebbe a pressing question. The Rebbe, even at age 90, would stand for hours to greet each person with a smile, a kind word, and a dollar to be given for tzedakah, charity.
An elderly woman came to the Rebbe one day and said, "Rebbe, I am younger than you and I am exhausted from standing. You have been standing much longer than me and will continue standing until the early hours of the morning. How do you do it?"
The Rebbe smiled and said the iconic words, "When you are counting diamonds, you don't get tired!" This is how the Rebbe envisioned every Jew, regardless of how near or far they were from Judaism. All diamonds.
The Rebbe's influence, however, extended far beyond the Jewish community. Let me tell you the story of the Rebbe and the Congresswoman.
In 1969, Shirley Chisholm was the first African American woman to be elected to Congress. She represented the neighborhood of Crown Heights, which includes the headquarters of the Chabad movement. At one time, Crown Heights was a posh residential area, but by the 1960s, it had fallen into urban decay, where poverty and crime were rampant.
Sheryl Chisholm's goal as a Congresswoman was to increase the quality of life for her constituents by focusing on educational programs and job opportunities and she hoped to achieve this by receiving an appointment to the House Education and Labor Committee.
To her chagrin, however, and perhaps as an attempt to thwart her growing influence, Congresswoman Chisholm was appointed to the Congressional Agricultural Committee.
The Congresswoman was despondent and frustrated by this appointment. Agriculture? In the middle of Brooklyn?! What was there to do? Seed tomatoes up and down Eastern Parkway? Her hopes of uplifting and providing educational opportunities for her community were dashed.
Her vision was changed, however, when she received a phone call from one of her Crown Heights neighbors: The Lubavitcher Rebbe, himself.
The Rebbe inquired about her appointment and after some prodding, the Congresswoman confessed the dismay and disappointment she felt about being assigned to the Agricultural Committee.
The Rebbe, however, was adamant that the Congresswoman's appointment to the Agricultural Committee was a blessing in disguise! The Rebbe reiterated that America has a glut of surplus food, on one hand, and families with empty shelves, on the other. The Rebbe implored the Congresswoman to use her position to find a way to fill these empty shelves!
Sometime after speaking with the Rebbe, Congresswoman Chisholm had a chance meeting with Bob Dole, first time Senator from Kansas at the time. During their meeting, Senator Dole happened to mention that farmers in his state were producing so much food that they were losing money on their crops. Senator Dole's statement immediately brought back the conversation the Congresswoman had with the Rebbe.
With the help of Senator Dole, and the wisdom of the Rebbe in her pocket, Congressman Chisholm forged ahead and established two of the biggest government programs to date: Both the Food Stamp and WIC programs, which feed millions of men, women, and children each year!
On her retirement in the 80s, Congresswoman Chisholm is quoted as saying, "A Rabbi taught me that what you may think is a challenge is a gift from G‑d. And if poor babies have milk, and poor children have food, it's because this Rabbi in Crown Heights had a vision".
But no vision was stronger in the Rebbe than that of the coming of Moshiach. He taught that our generation is a gilgul, a reincarnation, of the Jews who left Egypt. And just as it was in the merit of the Jewish woman that we were redeemed from Egypt, it will be in the merit of the Jewish woman that we will be redeemed in this generation.
The 5th Rebbe of Chabad, the Rebbe Rashab, coined the phrase "simcha poretz geder," that joy breaks all boundaries. Let us take this to heart and serve Hashem with true joy as we watch the Rebbe's vision unfold before our eyes!
