Photo Sparks Childhood Memory

Seeing a weekly picture of the Rebbe that was released this week sparked a childhood memory for Rabbi Sholom Ciment, Shliach in Boyton Beach, Florida.

by Rabbi Sholom Ciment

The early morning hours of Gimmel Tammuz at The Ohel are prime time for reminiscing. Hundreds of groups sit huddled together, detached from their every worldly concern. Collectively, thousands of Chassidim relive their dearest memories of being home with their spiritual father, The Rebbe. Unmistakably, there is a warm glow impossible to replicate, that projects itself from this remarkable scene. Fortunate is the one who merits basking in it.

A picture released this week, triggered the childhood memory that I had shared in my pool of fellow Chassidim that morning. By evening, I heard it retold many times, with people asking if it was true. Considering the interest, it seems worthy to be retold. Here, more detailed for those too young to remember the context.

It was a summer in the early 80’s. My younger brother and I spent our vacation with our newly married sister and her husband. I was about 11, my brother 9.

Our brother in law was rigid about being present whenever The Rebbe came out. Each Monday and Thursday at 10 AM was Krias Hatorah. The minyan began at 9:30. The Rebbe arrived at 10 and entered the upstairs Beis Medrash. Going in, he gave coins to the children, often waiting for the last one to deposit theirs in the Pushka. The coins in his left hand he would put into his right inner pocket while touching the mezuzah and entering the Shul. The door remained open and The Rebbe stood by a table top Shtender. The Chumash prepared on it, was opened by The Rebbe and Kriah began.

The Rebbe received Shlishi. After his Aliya, he stood at the Bimah’s side watching Hagbah. Returning to his place facing the Aron, he opened the Tehillim that was there. He would recite his and the Rebbetzin’s Tehillim. Upon the Torah’s return to the Aron, The Rebbe closed the Tehillim and would for a few precious seconds longer remain standing as he gazed towards the Aron and those standing around it. When he finished saying the last words of his Tehillim he turned, touched the mezuzah, and returned to his room across the hall.

At 3:15, The Rebbe would enter the Beis Medrash for Mincha. The door was closed.  The table on which the bochurim learned was cleared and its plastic cover removed. The Rebbe placed his siddur on the table while beginning Ashrei. As he carefully donned his gartel, those standing close-by could easily hear the Rebbe articulating clearly each word of Ashrei in slow, melodic fashion.

After Kedushah, The Rebbe would sit on the bochurim’s bench. His siddur was open to the page where the Chazzan was repeating Shemoneh Esrei while his right hand was at his forehead in a salute like pose.

After Oleinu, as the Chazzan’s Kaddish, Mishnayos and final Kaddish began, The Rebbe would close his siddur and look intently at the Chazzan and those standing around him. During these few minutes he finished Oleinu and Al Tirah by heart. All who were within earshot could hear The Rebbe saying, methodically, each and every word. (Anecdotally, The Rebbe concluded each Teffilah with the Mishna “Rabbi Chananya Ben Akasha Omer…”). At 9:30 PM, The Rebbe would come into the Beis Medrash for Maariv. Many, if not all, of his Mincha rituals were repeated.

To my brother in law’s everlasting credit, we rarely missed a weekday Teffilah. He would posit us, each time, in front of The Aron.

One day after Mincha, Rabbi Chodakov called my brother in law into his office. He said (translated); The Rebbe wants to know why the Ciment boys are not in camp?! The Rebbe wants a Duch as to what they are doing on a daily basis.

The Rebbe oft repeated that a child’s summer vacation was to be in a camp environment. It seemed, my brother-in-law had been “caught” doing otherwise and now an explanation was requested.

Our father in Boston, may he live and be well, had sent us to New York with a daily learning regiment. It was to be done in the mornings before any of the afternoon activities which our sister arranged.

That night we wrote and re-wrote our “Duch.” We explained that since we were “out of town” kids, we wanted to spend at least the summer months near The Rebbe, since the local kids had a whole year to be there. We detailed our daily learning, davening and afternoon activities as neatly as we possibly could. We gingerly placed the Duch in an envelope and my brother in law delivered it to Rabbi Chodakov the next morning. With great anticipation and a fair measure of anxiety we waited, not knowing what to expect.

After Mincha, Rabbi Chadakov summoned my brother-in-law into his office. He told him that the Duch was read and then he said these words: .מ’איז געווען צופרידען.  (The Rebbe was happy). One can only imagine the elation.

This one little story about two little kids on their summer vacation is filled with so many lessons. Chof Av is about the relationship of a father. Underscored here is The Rebbe’s fatherly love showered in extra measure upon those who care and wish to be connected to him.

It is no wonder how the bond of Chassidim Ein Mishpach remains so alive. The glow at the Ohel Gimmel Tamuz in the morning was merely a reflection of the father we have. Our family remains whole and intact due singularly to the awesome greatness of our father. On this, his father’s Yahrzeit, we must ask what can be done to strengthen this father/child relationship that we are fortunate enough to have been blessed with forever.

Reb Levi Yitzchak’s paternal Great-Grandfather and Rebbe’s namesake, The Tzemech Tzedek, exclaimed; The Achdus of the Chassidim/Children will bring the Geulah. Our achdus rests in our fulfilling our father’s wishes. Without question it alone will make our family unbreakable and bring the promised Geulah, imminently.