Recording of a Beautiful Yechidus with the Rebbe in 1982

The Avner Institute is happy to present an audio recorded yechidus that Reb Zalmon Jaffe–author of My Encounters with the Rebbe–and his wife Roselyn had with the Rebbe after mincha, Sivan 16, 5742 (1982), in Gan Eden Hatachton (the area right outside the Rebbe’s office). Below is the audio recording. To learn more about the Rebbe Visit: www.inspiringageneration.org

Present: Yechidus of Zalman and Roselyn Jaffe (of Manchester, England), after mincha, Sivan 16, 5742 (1982), in Gan Eden Hatachton (the area outside the Rebbe’s study).

Full transcript in the Extended Article!


ZJ: Nu, time to say l’hitraot [farewell].
The Rebbe: We begin with a mitzvah: give for charity, for tzedakah in England.
Mrs. RJ: Thank you very much.
ZJ: Thank you very much.
The Rebbe: How was yesterday [at the siyum Sefer Torah in Buffalo, New York]?
Mrs. RJ: Very nice indeed, very nice, a lovely big crowd, kein ayin horah.
The Rebbe: Big crowd.
Mrs. RJ: Big crowd. Lovely. Beautiful concert hall and a nice okug [crowd] on top, very
nice…
ZJ: …Including me.
The Rebbe: ? … it was in beseder also? [?] Chaos [?] or it was in order?
Mrs. RJ: In order!
ZJ: Not chaos. No, no, no.
Mrs. RJ: Very nice indeed…
ZJ: But I sat at the back, so I couldn’t hear [the speeches]…
The Rebbe: Huh??
ZJ: I sat on the stage…
The Rebbe: Yeh.
ZJ: …behind the speakers, so I didn’t hear too…
The Rebbe: They have a ram-kol…
ZJ: A Stage.
The Rebbe: That means there also the hookup or something like that or [?]…
ZJ: A microphone.
The Rebbe: A microphone.
ZJ: Yes. That’s why I like to be facing the Rebbe [during the Rebbe’s farbrengen] than
behind the Rebbe. Mrs. Itkin again, she said she read my book [“My Encounter with the
Rebbe” that Mr. Jaffe wrote yearly for 26 years] and it is the first time she could
understand a sicha, from the Rebbe’s sicha.
The Rebbe: You spoke [yesterday] in English, or in Yiddish?
ZJ: No, I am talking about in my book… Yesterday…
The Rebbe: You spoke yesterday?
ZJ: Yes, I did.
The Rebbe: In English?
ZJ: In English.
The Rebbe: English. Not speakers in Yiddish there?
ZJ: Yes.
Mrs. RJ: Yiddish, Ivrit, and Russian. Bronevor spoke in…
The Rebbe: In Russian…
Mrs. RJ: In Russian as well, English and Russian. Very good, excellent.
ZJ: There were 30 from Toronto, and Chicago; Dr. Weiss was there from Chicago…
The Rebbe: Chicago?
ZJ: Yes… and a lot from New York. He paid for our tickets, as well, so we wanted to go
see the Niagara Falls. I’ve never seen them yet, after all these years, but…
The Rebbe: It will be [there] for your next visit, next year [?]
ZJ: Part of what, I said a few words, was that that’s a miracle of nature…
The Rebbe: Yeh.
ZJ: …but higher than nature is that a Sefer Torah’s being written in Buffalo.
The Rebbe: But the Siyum Sefer Torah you think it will be in Tishrei, I don’t know. But
Niagara Falls, you will [still] have in Tishrei also.
ZJ: In Tishrei? In London?
The Rebbe: No, you are speaking about Niagara Falls?
ZJ: Niagara falls, yes.
The Rebbe: It will be…
ZJ: it will be in Tishrei…
The Rebbe: …in Tishrei also, or next Shavuos or next… But the Siyum Sefer Torah, that
is now.
ZJ: I know… I can hear the Rebbe’s ke”h is very pleased with the Sefer Torah this
morning…
The Rebbe: Yeh.
ZJ: …you’ve got fulfillment of some work going on and lovely. I like to see the Rebbe
relaxed.
The Rebbe: There are English participants that participate in your Sefer Torah in Buffalo
or in…
ZJ: In London, we have in London and we have one… I participated, personally, in the
one Los Angeles as well…
The Rebbe: Los Angeles…
ZJ: That one as well. We’ve got a few all over, of course, yes. Got to help ? everything.

=+=

The Rebbe: I’ve heard that you have missed a big event in Manchester. You know not at
all about it?
ZJ: No.
The Rebbe: The visit of the Pope.
ZJ: We knew about it, before – that’s why we went away… But Jacobovitz was there, I
believe.
The Rebbe: Doctor? Jacobovitz, Chief Rabbi
ZJ: Jacobovitz, I believe so. And my brother, of course he was the Mayor.
The Rebbe: I heard that he [the Chief Rabbi] especially arrived from London to…
ZJ: He did.
The Rebbe: …to visit him in Manchester, because he was in London on Shavuos time, I
heard. Ober, ihr hott nit gornit gehert, [but you heard nothing] no details?
ZJ: No. We saw it in the newspaper, but there’s nothing…
The Rebbe: But your brother…
ZJ: But he probably… probably he was welcome, he was the mayor, “with his chain.”
The Rebbe: But s’doch a big shaalo about how to address him [the Pope]. He has an
official title.
ZJ: The Pope.
The Rebbe: The Pope.
ZJ: Yes, I know.
The Rebbe: And to address him with his official title, dos iz [this is] a real avodah zara.
ZJ: Of course. Well, I don’t think that [my brother] Joe would say too much about that.
The Rebbe: He has a protocol?
ZJ: I don’t know whether he was in…
The Rebbe: What was, how Chief Rabbi address[ed] him?
ZJ: I wouldn’t know, I wouldn’t know.
The Rebbe: A very, very “aidele” situation.
ZJ: I’m no say… In my opinion it was very foolish to go all the way to the Pope, vos darf
er hoben?
The Rebbe: Especially to travel [all the way] from London…
Mr. Jaffe: To Manchester!
The Rebbe: And I heard that he, the Pope, was going to the Canterbury – what is his title?
Not the Bishop, the head of the church… English.
Mrs. Jaffe: Yes, English church.
ZJ: Yes, in Canterbury.
The Rebbe: Canterbury. But I heard that the Pope traveled to him.
ZJ: Yes, of course, that’s right, he didn’t go to the Chief Rabbi, no that’s right, we’ve got
that straight.
The Rebbe: ? is real discrimination. Dos iz ‘Atoh Bechartonu,’ not to discriminate.

=+=

ZJ: …We must be special to [be able to] see the Rebbe smiling and [this] relaxed and I’ve
never seen you anywhere so lovely. It makes my heart…
The Rebbe: Zei’er fein. Ven fort ihr, haint? [Very well. When are traveling today?]
ZJ: We’re going in a few minutes. I’m just saying goodbye to Rabbi Chodakov,
Chodakov to say goodbye, always say goodbye to him.
The Rebbe: Bechol ofen, ir vet lozen alemen grissen. [Whatever the case, send regards to
everyone.] You have mentioned nothing about … [a Rabbi who was not well]. What is
his…?
ZJ: No, no, he’s not, not well, not well, no, not well.
The Rebbe: A visiting the [?] or something?
ZJ: Nothing at all, nothing.
The Rebbe: Nothing?
ZJ: Cut himself away from everything, everything.
The Rebbe: Synagogue? Beis Hamidrash?
ZJ: Nothing. nothing, nothing.
The Rebbe: Yomim tovim? Pesach?
ZJ: Gornish. Nothing. Gornish.
The Rebbe: He devens at home?
ZJ: I believe so.
The Rebbe: But there is no one who can implement [?] him…
ZJ: It’s a tragedy.
The Rebbe: … if he go to shul for yizkor or…?
ZJ: It’s just a tragedy.
The Rebbe: But not to go to the shul for yizkor, that is something…
ZJ: He’s frightened, frightened, he’s frightened of himself, afraid of himself.
The Rebbe: He is not forced to make a speech yet, and a drasha.
ZJ: No, no.
The Rebbe: But to be at yizkor or in shul…
ZJ: I tried to see him a few times and he won’t see anybody.
The Rebbe: Is he not… nothing?
ZJ: At his house. I’ll try again when I get back, I’ll try again to see him.
The Rebbe: How is he receiving his wages? Not supposed to go somewhere to pick it up?
ZJ: I don’t… No, no, no, no, no. It’s automatically… He retired a few years ago,
officially, and he got a big pension and he gets a pension, no worries. The yunger yuren,
he was always worried about money, not about health, now he’s got money…
The Rebbe: The Chief Rabbi, being a visit in Manchester, he’s not tried to visit him?
ZJ: No, no, no, no. He won’t see anybody, he won’t; gornisht.
The Rebbe: But that is something special –Chief Rabbi of England.
ZJ: I know.
The Rebbe: I mean it can be used as a trick.
ZJ: Yes, I understand. We’ve tried to trick him in all sorts of things, and he just won’t. I’ll
try again when I get back and see if I can push him. I know I’m wasting my time.
The Rebbe: You can try ?? from me [?] the Siyum Sefer Torah.
ZJ: We’ll try again. The Rebbe’s shlichus, nu, you never know. The Rebbe gives a bracha
and it could work, becomes [fulfilled] overnight.
The Rebbe: And who is the household?
ZJ: He’s got his wife, children; still not married.
The Rebbe: Children living with him?
ZJ: Yes.
The Rebbe: In his house…
ZJ: Yeh.
The Rebbe: …in his apartment?
ZJ: In his house, a big house.
The Rebbe: And that is impossible to influence through his children? That’s also not
possible?
ZJ: No, not possible, no.
The Rebbe: What is the occupation of the children?
ZJ: [?] is a teacher?
Mrs. RJ: [?] is the secretary or something, but one’s a teacher in a Jewish school in
London, and there’s a boy…
ZJ: And the boy’s, he’s… He’s got a job… He’s not too bright.
The Rebbe: No social activity?
ZJ: No social activity, not of the girls.
The Rebbe: Not askonim?
ZJ: Nothing.
The Rebbe: Nu, bavaizt ah ness in Manchester! Di nissim darf zain davka in New York?
[Nu, demonstrate a miracle in Manchester! The miracles have to specifically be in New
York?] Try to make it in Manchester.
ZJ: [?] I’ve had plenty nissim. I’ve become a world famous author; fun gornisht. Rabbi
Mentlick wanted to know whether I was a professional writer. And I was a shadchan – in
two weeks I became a marvelous shadchan, lovely since then. So, now I’ll try again,
perhaps…
The Rebbe: Now in Manchester. Now collecting all your are work [?] in the United
States… United States, it was a colony of London, a long time, three, two hundred years
ago.
ZJ: A colony, yes.
The Rebbe: You must show the…
ZJ: The mother country.
The Rebbe: … the United [?] colonies…
ZJ: The mother country, the mother country…
The Rebbe: [?] lozen dort grissen di brider [convey my regards to your brothers], with all
the family, and your daughter and son also. You received my…
ZJ: I got your reply, very good, so quickly, within minutes!
The Rebbe: I had no choice; you wrote me that you are departing immediately after
mincha and I must hurry [?]
ZJ: Within minutes I get a reply, very good. Hillary is supposed to be coming in for Yud-
Bais Tammuz, with a whole group of girls again.
The Rebbe: A class?
ZJ: A class. But I don’t know… The woman in the Machon Chana said she won’t be
here. Anyway I’ll find out when I get back. Now, this [the money the Rebbe handed at
the beginning] is for tzedaka, mivtza tzedakah? Good.
The Rebbe: Zo1 zain ah guteh n’siyah… [it should be a good journey.]
ZJ: Thank you very much Rebbe.
The Rebbe: …mit gezunt ??? [with health.]
ZJ: and thank you for everything.
The Rebbe: And as I said before, begin to show nissim [miracles] in Manchester.
ZJ: and thank you for everything.
The Rebbe: Ir fort dernuch in Eretz Yisroel eichet? [Are you also traveling to Israel
afterwards?]
ZJ: Yes, in about four, five weeks time.
The Rebbe: Zohl zain besha Tova umutzlachas. [it should be in an auspicious and
successful time.]
ZJ: We go to prepare for Tishrei. We’ve got…
The Rebbe: [?]
ZJ: …the grandchildren coming in Tishrei. We’ve got to prepare…
The Rebbe: Room for everyone.
Mrs. RJ: Thank you very much.
The Rebbe: Foren gezunterheit un besuros tovos. [Bon Voyage and good news.]
ZJ: Thank you very much.