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Chassidic Story
#266
(s5763-12/ 15 Kislev)
THE MISSING VOCAL CHORDS
"The Lubavitch Rebbe told me to start learning
Tanya because of a miracle in our family."
THE
MISSING VOCAL CHORDS
About thirty years ago, a Chabad chasid, Rabbi
Shalom-Ber Segal, worked as a headmaster in the Chatam Sofer Yeshiva
in Bnei Brak. One day he noticed something unusual: one of the students
was studying from the book 'Tanya'.
Now, Tanya is universally accepted as a masterpiece but it is mostly
studied by the followers of Chabad. So Rabbi Segal asked him for an
explanation.
"The Lubavitch Rebbe told me to a year ago to start learning
Tanya because of a miracle that occurred in our family," was
the answer.
After a bit of prodding, the young man continued.
"My fifteen-year-old sister (then aged thirteen) was the pride
of her school; she was active, intelligent and a very talented speaker.
But one morning, with no warning, she woke up unable to utter a sound.
At first my mother was calm and encouraging, then she begged, finally
even tried threatening, but my sister only wept and wrote on a page,
'I want to talk, but nothing comes out.'
"My mother called my father from work in a panic, and he too
tried to be calm, 'It's probably just laryngitis or fatigue or even
nerves. No sense rushing to the doctor, just a little rest will do
the trick.'
"But after three days the entire family was hysterical. They
succeeded in contacting a medical professor in Tel-Aviv, a department
head in a hospital. Although at first his secretary told them that
they would have to wait four months, after she heard their story and
reported it to the professor, she informed them that he agreed to
see them immediately. Half an hour later they were knocking at his
door.
"The professor received them cordially, showed them in and asked
my sister to sit down. But as he began to examine her, the expression
on his face turned to anger. He looked up at my parents, furiously
threw his wooden tongue-depressor into the garbage pail, leaned toward
them and shouted, 'Who do you think you are trying to fool? Do you
think I am some child that you can play games with me!'
"They were astounded; their eyes wide in amazement. 'We don't
understand,' stammered my mother. 'What is wrong?'
"'Don't understand, is it?' the doctor sputtered. 'My dear lady,
your daughter was born with no vocal chords! She has never spoken
a word in her entire life!'
"My parents looked at each other in shock. What was going on
here?
"'It can't be!' blurted my father. 'Just three days ago she spoke
perfectly! For years... all her life... she spoke beautifully! You
can ask the principal of her school. She was a prize student, I promise
you!'
"In minutes, the doctor's secretary had the principal on the
phone. The professor began to grill him. But after a few minutes the
Professor thanked him, hung up the phone, and turned to the parents.
'It's impossible! I never saw anything like it in my life. I'd stake
my reputation on it, that it is physically impossible that this girl
ever spoke.'
"He began pacing back and forth deep in thought. Suddenly he
stopped, turned to my parents and said: 'Listen, I don't understand
what is happening here. I apologize for what I said to you earlier
and for getting angry. I'm sorry, but there is absolutely nothing
that can be done, or at least nothing that I can do.'
"But they did not give up. There is more than one doctor in the
world, they thought. So for the next few months they traveled from
doctor to doctor hearing the same story, until finally they ended
up in the office of a doctor in England who was supposed to be the
foremost specialist in the field. He was their last medical hope...but
he, too, disappointed them.
"Now it just so happened that while in England they were staying
by a cousin of theirs, who, when he saw the looks on their faces when
they returned from the specialist, suggested that they go to see the
Lubavitcher Rebbe, 'If anyone can help, he can.'
"But my father wanted no part of it. 'No sense in getting desperate,'
he said. "We aren't Chabadniks. This is obviously something from
G-d. Only He can help, and surely He will help,' and so forth.
"But his objections didn't work. My mother was all for it. That
day they bought the plane tickets and two days later they were at
the Rebbe`s headquarters in Brooklyn.
"Back in those years there wasn't such a line to see the Rebbe,
and because of the urgent nature of their visit, they were already
scheduled for 'yechidut' the next evening; the Rebbe would
see them privately.
"Later, my mother told me that the moment they entered the Rebbe's
room she felt for the first time there was really hope; here was someone
who really cared. She couldn't restrain her aching heart, and for
five minutes she wept and poured out her soul. When she finished,
the Rebbe requested that, if they didn't mind, he would like to speak
with my sister alone.
"When they closed the door behind them, the Rebbe looked deeply
at my sister and said: 'I know that you are an intelligent and mature
girl and that is why I'm going to tell you this. In your previous
incarnation you did things that were not good. It is not important
what they were, but the only way to correct them was to have your
soul come into this world and be mute from birth. In heaven, however,
you have some very holy relatives and in their merit you were given
the power to speak... until three days ago.'
"The Rebbe paused until it was clear that she understood and
then continued. 'Now, this is where you have to do your part. If you
are willing to accept on yourself to make Shabbat parties every Shabbat
afternoon, to which you will invite all the non-observant girls in
your area and talk to them about Judaism, you will be able to talk
again. Do you understand?'
"She nodded her head in eager affirmation.
"'Do you agree?' She again nodded, with even more enthusiasm.
"'If so' continued the Rebbe with a smile, 'Say yes.'
"Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she gazed into the pure
blue eyes of the Rebbe. Without hesitating she clearly said...
"'Yes!'
"From that moment on my sister spoke normally, and every Shabbat
she makes a party to which more than 50 girls come from all over.
"The next year my parents took me to receive the Rebbe's blessing.
He asked me where I'm going to learn Torah, and when I told him he
answered: 'Because you are going to be learning in a chasidic yeshiva,
it is a good idea that you should learn Tanya a half-hour each day.'
"And that is why I learn Tanya."
[Adapted by Yrachmiel Tilles from the rendition of Rabbi Tuvia
Bolton <www.ohrtmimim.org/torah; yeshiva@ohrtmimim.org>,
who heard it from Rabbi Pinchas Segal, the brother of the Rabbi Segal
in the story.]
Biographical note:
The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (11 Nissan
1902 - 3 Tammuz 1994), became the seventh Rebbe of the Chabad dynasty
on 10 Shvat 1950. He is widely acknowledged as the greatest Jewish
leader of the second half of the 20th century. Although a dominant
scholar in both the revealed and hidden aspects of Torah and fluent
in many languages and scientific subjects, the Rebbe is best known
for his extraordinary love and concern for every Jew on the planet.
His emissaries around the globe dedicated to strengthening Judaism
number in the thousands. Hundreds of volumes of his teachings have
been printed, as well as dozens of English renditions.
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