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Video: Say “Modeh Ani”

A fascinating video of a unique encounter with the Rebbe during dollar distribution has just recently been obtained by CrownHeights.info, courtesy of JEM. The video, filmed on Sunday, December 22nd, 1991, shows a father approach the Rebbe with his son in tow. The father says to the Rebbe in Yiddish “He needs a blessing for speech; he cannot speak well.”

The Rebbe responded in English with his standard “May G-d Almighty bless you; have good news.” Then, as the two are walking away, the Rebbe turns to the boy and loudly says “say Modeh Ani!”

The bewildered father was taken aback and says “what?” and the Rebbe repeated “say Modeh Ani!” “Say it now!”

The boy hesitated, and then slowly began to say “Modeh Ani Lefonecha,” completing the full prayer with a little assistance from his father. The Rebbe then gave each of them another dollar and a blessing.

A relative told CrownHeights.info that the boy had always suffered from a severe speech impediment, but following his encounter with the Rebbe, his condition began to improve.

“Today, he can speak fluently and effortlessly, and one would never know listening to him that he once suffered from a speaking disability,” the relative said.

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22 Comments

  • jem please interview the boy and his father

    they need to interview the boy and his father

    thank you

  • "cant speak" is what the father said. Please be accurate!

    Actually the man said his son “cant speak”. You write “he cant speak well”. The miracle is that he even said anything out of his mouth not that his speech improved which obviously also was the case. Please be accurate when posting such posts!

  • Anonymous

    I know both the father and the son. it would have been nice if they were asked permission to publicize this.

  • Is that Rabbi Greenwald from Long Beach?

    Is that Rabbi Greenwald from Long Beach?

  • please JEM!!!

    Release more videos of the Rebbe what ever you have we want to see all of it. Thank you for all your incredible work keep it up

  • talking

    Was he not able to speak at all? Or he just couldn’t talk well for his age..?

  • Listen.

    He tells the Rebbe that his son “Kan Nisht Raidun Gich” – which means “he can not speak fast”

  • Mother of nonverbal autistic little boy

    Oh how I miss the Rebbe. I’m sitting here in tears. Rebbe, we need you!!!!

  • thoughts...

    Okay……we need to do some follow ups.

    I always thought it would be a great idea for JEM to show a “dollar session” – which to the stranger could seem really simple – but then go to the individual and have them tell their story.

    This could be a huge serious. They could only maybe do 15-20 people in a 60 minute project. This wouldn’t just be stories with the Rebbe, it would specially be the aftermath of a dollar sunday visit.

  • Anonymous

    I know this family. They like to have their privacy. It would have been nice if jem would have asked them permission to publicize this.

  • Missing the point.

    The Rebbe took an interest in this boy and asked him to say something that the boy was likely well versed in. Demonstrating to the kid that he can say the Modeh Ani with relative ease was an immediate boost to the child’s and the father’s spirit. This is characteristic of the Rebbe and something that we can all learn from. When someone has a problem, we need to see what we can due immediately to help. Focusing on whether this was a miracle or not misses the point.

  • moshe with # 19

    your observation is head on that’s exactly what the Rebbe is doing!

  • #17

    the only ppl that know who he is r ppl that already know the story (veharaya- #2 & #10