Rebbetzin Chana, “Do you know that tonight is Yud Aleph Nissan?”

“All of the Chassidim were in total awe of the tremendous respect the Rebbe had toward his mother during his visit in Paris” The Rebbe would visit his Mother twice a day during his Visit to Paris in 1947. Rabbi Nachum Yakobovitch, a longtime Lubavitcher Chassid now living in Jerusalem, relates a tender scene that took place in the French capital after the Rebbe was finally reunited with his mother. It’s an excerpt from the new book on the Rebbe “The Rebbe Inspiring a Generation” to see more on the book visit: www.inspiringageneration.com

“It was 11 Nissan. Unknown to us, this was the Rebbe’s birthday.

We were sitting in the home of Rabbi Zalman Schneerson when the Rebbe’s mother Rebbetzin Chana walked in and asked us, ”Do you know that tonight is 11 Nissan?”

We nodded uncomprehendingly.

She continued, “Yud Aleph Nissan is my son’s birthday. Ask him to farbreng.” She was referring to the classic Chassidic custom: a gathering to celebrate life, G-d’s world, and a chance for spiritual elevation. And what better occasion than a birthday?

So the group of elder Chassidim, who were in Paris at the time, complied. They approached the Rebbe and politely asked if he would farbreng.

Smiling, the Rebbe answered, “A vade a glaiche zach [definitely it’s a good thing].” Although I remember only vaguely what the Rebbe spoke about at that farbrengen, there are two things that stayed with me.

The Rebbe spoke about the photo of himself and his father-in-law the Frierdiker (Previous) Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak, playing chess. This photo was taken at the time that the Frierdiker Rebbe had been advised by his doctors to get more rest and refrain from activities that might interfere with his health. So the Frierdiker Rebbe, obeying the doctors’ wishes, decided to play chess.

And he asked me to play with him. After the first game the Frierdiker Rebbe felt that I didn’t play properly, so we played a second game–and the Rebbe concluded I was victorious.