Weekly Chasidic Story #971 (s5776-43 /28 Sivan 5776)

Disney World Comes to Lubavitch

He decided to consult with a Rabbi, but before he could he 'happened' to encounter a Chabad friend.

Connection: Shabbat is the 22nd anniversary of the passing of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

Disney World Comes to Lubavitch

He worked at internationally famous Disney World, in Orlando Florida. He held a prestigious high-level executive position with a commensurate high salary. Nevertheless, he wasn't satisfied, or rather, he didn't know if he should be satisfied. For several years he had been entertaining the notion of going independent in the entertainment business, and felt that he had the knowledge, the contacts and the seed money to succeed.

But this was not a simple decision; how could he walk out on his current security and large income? Suppose he wasn't successful - there is no "golden parachute" retirement package when you quit.

At that point in his life he was also newly observant of the mitzvot, so he decided to consult with a Rabbi. But before he could he 'happened' to encounter a Chabad friend, so decided to outline his dilemma to him, setting out the pluses and minuses of each side.

The Chabad friend listened carefully, and then responded, "Look, what do I know about such things? You should ask the Lubavitcher Rebbe."

"But the Rebbe passed away in 1994, right?" What does it mean to ask him? How do you do that?"

"It's easy," answered his friend. "You write your question on a piece of paper, and then fax it - 718 723-4444 -- to the Chabad office next to the Rebbe's burial place. Souls of the righteous are even more powerful after they leave their bodily confines. The Rebbe will surely find a way to answer you."

"But someone told me you are supposed to put the letter in a book of the Rebbe's correspondence, and then open it to see what it says on the page?"

The Chabad man smiled. "If so, then I suggest you combine both methods in the best possible way. Fly to New York! Montefiore Cemetery is only a 15 minute drive from JFK Airport in Queens, NY. Write the letter in the Chabad reception area there, insert it in a random volume of the Rebbe's correspondence ("Igres Kodesh") or teachings ("Likutei Sichos, etc"). Then, in the enclosure ("Ohel") over the Rebbe's burial site, place your letter in the designated area in front of his tombstone. Then return with the book to the reception area; surely you will be able to find someone there to help translate the page that you opened to."

It sounded bizarre…but interesting. He decided to try it. He did exactly as his friend recommended. At the cemetery, when he finished writing his letter, which turned out to be quite long, he stuck it in one of the volumes of correspondence in the library there. Then he took the book and letter to the Ohel, and after a few minutes of sincere prayer for clarity addressed to the Master of the Universe, he returned inside. Sure enough, standing near the hot-water urn was a venerable-looking Chasidic elder with a long white beard.

He went up to him. "Excuse me, sir. Perhaps you can help me? I put a letter in Igros Kodesh and I need help in understanding what I opened to. I don't know Hebrew or Yiddish."

What he had no way to realize was that the chasid he had approached was by no means a fan of the Igros Kodesh technique. "What! You want to solve your problems by putting your letter in Igros Kodesh and hoping to find an answer? Ridiculous! Mickey Mouse stuff!"* he berated in Old-World accented English.

The man from Florida stood there in stunned silence for a few moments; his eyes opened wide and bright in excitement. "That's all right, sir. I don't need the translation anymore. I have my answer. Thank you very much."
And back he went to the huge Florida base of the rodent cartoon star, Disney's most iconic character, without any qualms at all about his decision to stay!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Source: Expanded and rewritten by Yerachmiel Tilles from an email synopsis from a friend in New Jersey, and traced back to the enthusiastic telling by Moshe Yess of blessed memory to a Chabad rabbi in Florida, who corrected several details. The Ohel finale has been confirmed to me by a Tsfat associate, who after hearing it from me and not sure whether to believe it, heard it two years later in New York from a man who said he was present when it happened. (And that is when I decided that finally I could go public with this wonderful story.)

* Editor's note:
"Mickey Mouse stuff" is American slang [Hebrew: Shtuyot, Yiddish: narishkeit, English: infantile]. How remarkable that an old European Jew should use such an expression!

Biographical note:
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe: [11 Nissan 5662 - 3 Tammuz 5754 (April 1902 - June 1994 C.E.)], became the seventh Rebbe of the Chabad dynasty after his father-in-law's passing on 10 Shvat 5710 (1950 C.E.). 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.

Connection: This Shabbat (Gimmel Tammuz) is the 22nd anniversary of the passing of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.



Yerachmiel Tilles is co-founder and associate director of Ascent-of-Safed, and chief editor of this website (and of KabbalaOnline.org). He has hundreds of published stories to his credit, and many have been translated into other languages. He tells them live at Ascent nearly every Saturday night.

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