Rebbe’s Letter Reaches Netanyahu After 28 Years
A remarkable incident of Hashgacha Protis unfolded during Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu’s recent visit to Russia. While there, he received a letter that was sent to him from the Rebbe exactly 28 years prior while he was the Israeli Ambassador to the UN, which is remarkably timely to this very day, but which he had never received.
The letter is among thousands of letters of the Rebbe that were preserved by his head secretary Rabbi Nissan Mindel, OBM, who turned over his archives to his son-in-law, Rabbi Sholom Ber Schapiro.
Every week, Rabbi Schapiro randomly selects a letter from the archive which he sends to the Kfar Chabad Magazine for publication, in addition to the weekly letter published here on CrownHeights.info.
A couple of weeks ago, Rabbi Schapiro randomly selected a letter from the archive, written by the Rebbe to then-UN Ambassador Benyamin Netanyahu in 1988. He sent the letter to the Kfar Chabad Magazine for publication, unaware of what would soon unfold.
Upon receiving the letter and realizing its significance to the current political affairs of Netanyahu, now the Prime Minister of Israel, the editor of Kfar Chabad Magazine contacted the chief rabbi of Russia, Rabbi Berel Lazar, and sent him a copy of the letter to gift to the Prime Minister upon his arrival there for a state visit.
Rabbi Berel Lazar framed the letter, and a few days later, on Tuesday, June 7-Rosh Chodesh Sivan, upon greeting the Prime Minister in Moscow, presented the letter as a gift to him and his wife.
Upon receiving the letter, the Prime Minister expressed great excitement and emotion, saying that he had never before seen the letter, yet the letter was remarkably relevant to him as if the Rebbe had written it to him today.
In the letter, the Rebbe urges Netanyahu to utilize his talents to ensure the security of the Land and People of Israel.
The Prime Minister was even more astonished when he looked at the date of the letter – Rosh Chodesh Sivan, 5748 (1988)!
The Prime Minister thanked Rabbi Lazar for finally getting this letter to him 28 years after it was written, and a few days later informed him that the framed letter was proudly displayed on the wall of his office in the Israeli capital.
yehuda
Now if he will only follow the Rebbe’s instructions
Sd
Thanks for sharing! So special
28= KOACH
28 YEARS. May he use his KOACH in the right way- following the TORAH WAY!!! And the same for all of us Yidden, we should each take a lesson from this and use OUR KOACH in the right way- the TORAH WAY, TO BRING MOSHIACH NOW!!!
ANONYMOUS
Moshiach is just about here, let’s quickly be ready to greet him!!!!!!
Rebbe
Important question:
If this letter was never sent by the Rebbe at that time – who is to say and decide to present him now with this letter?!
Perhaps the Rebbe had a reason for not sending it.
Is there an explanation for this?
Rena
I imagine that the letters in that archive were all sent at the time, including this one. Maybe the original got lost in the mail?
Hanistoros lhashem
Hashgocha Protis
Or, we could assume that whether or not it was sent in ’88, perhaps R. Mindel was told to hold it back… by hashgocha protis it was delivered now, because now when it was meant to be seen.
We know of many similar stories when a Rebbe gave someone a letter or a shlichus that took a long time to reach its final stage.