Gimmel Tammuz!!!

11 years! It is difficult to believe that 11 years have passed since the histalkus of the Rebbe.

One thing appears obvious to me - we must continue the Rebbe's work by doing, or at least contributing to, mivtzoim. OK, I know that this is nothing new. Some of you may say it is the "party line" or whatever but the fact is the Rebbe put most of his emphasis into caring for yidden everywhere. This caring is carried out in a practical way by reaching out to other jews and bringing them closer to yiddishkeit. (I will write more about this in another post)

The Rebbe treated every single Jew, and non-Jew, as an important person in themselves. Looking at the lines of people waiting to spend a few moments or even seconds with the Rebbe during "dollars" on a Sunday morning one would see Jews and non-Jews from all places and walks of life. During Sukkos when the Rebbe said a sicha every evening there were shtreimals and spodics along with the borsalinos and knitted kippot in attendance. These scenes I witnessed personally.
There is the story of the policeman who named his son Mendel in honour of the Rebbe...these and other inspiring stories show the public face of the Rebbe's caring.

An older couple (not Lubavitchers) were in New York in the late 1980s and I had arranged for them to attend a group yechidus. One comment made an impact on me - the woman said that after the Rebbe spoke everyone filed past to give the Rebbe a note and receive a dollar to be given to charity. With the 100 or more people in attendance she expected the Rebbe to be giving the dollars out in a casual manner. What struck her was that the Rebbe looked at every person and directed his attention at them individually as they walked past.

The story that I witnessed personally happened one summer Friday night in 770. [By way of introduction it is well known that the Rebbe was extremely careful to use his time to the fullest. They say that when the Rebbe returned to his room after davening that by the time Laibl Groner walked into the room - a few seconds behind the Rebbe - the Rebbe was already seated with a sefer open.] I was davening near the front of shul close to the Rebbe. When davening finished the Rebbe would turn around and say "Good Shabbos" to the people close by and then walk back to his office. On this occassion there was a man and his disabled son (it appeared that he had a mental disability) standing close to the Rebbe. The Rebbe stood and waved at the boy who at first didn't see the Rebbe. It took about 60 seconds for the boy to notice the Rebbe and during this time the Rebbe was standing, waving and smiling at the boy until he was noticed.


The Rebbe cared (cares) about every Jew. Maybe this Gimmel Tammuz we should resolve to do the same.