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During a Farbrengen on Purim of 1983, a young boy who was sitting under the table where the Rebbe sat, curled up and fell asleep on the Rebbes feet. When the child suddenly awoke he began crying, but the Rebbe calmed him down by giving him a piece of cake. Who was that child? And where is he today? Well, we found out.

Video: Who is the Boy Who Slept on the Rebbe’s Feet?

During a Farbrengen on Purim of 1983, a young boy who was sitting under the table where the Rebbe sat, curled up and fell asleep on the Rebbes feet. When the child suddenly awoke he began crying, but the Rebbe calmed him down by giving him a piece of cake. Who was that child? And where is he today? Well, we found out.

The video was published by Shturem.net from JEM’s weekly Living Torah, and shortly after publication they received a suprising phone call. On the line was Rabbi Mordechai Mendelson, the Rebbe’s Shliach to Karlsruhe, Germany; his voice was choked with emotion.

“From where do you have this video clip,” asked Rabbi Mendelsohn, “It’s amazing, amazing! This child is me! The first time I was exposed to this video.”

“I, Mordechai Mendelson, grew up my whole life on a story my parents told me about how I fell asleep on the Rebbe’s feet. We lived in the United States until Shavuot of 1983. My father, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman OBM, was a teacher in Oholei Torah.

He had always placed me under the table where the Rebbe Farbrenged, where other children would usually sit; one time I had fallen asleep during the Sicha, when the singing started I had awakened and started to cry, and the Rebbe took out a piece of cake and handed it to me. Afterwards, I was passed down to my father who sat below the platform.

I heard this story many times, only I thought the story had taken place on Shabbos and therefore there is no video. Now I’m thrilled to tears to see myself as a child by the Rebbe.”

Rabbi Mendelsohn, who, as noted, is currently a Shliach in Karlsruhe, Germany, goes on to relate: “the morning that you published the video, I had two serious problems on my Shlichus and I really felt that I needed a Brocho and encouragement of the Rebbe. And here, the Rebbe found his way through Shturem.net to give me the encouragement I needed.”

Young Motty Mendelsohn in Oholei Torah the year the story took place.

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21 Comments

  • moshiach now

    when you hear the men singing there is such achdus and energy and positivity,its amazing
    we should be zoche to have it all back with moshiach now!!

  • wonderful

    What a zchus! And just look how well this little boy turned out, a Shliach of the Rebbe. What Brachas he must have received!

  • AA

    Reb Mordechai, your father a”h was an adam gadol. (I was in his class that same year, 5743.) It is good to know that he has heirs continuing in his derech of teaching Torah.

  • mendoza

    wow .. i remember shloma zalmen obm. very well as a older bacure.
    what a nice person .. then later he turn out to be amazing teacher in o.t ..

  • moshe

    May be he needs a TIKKUN for that?! see Shulchan Aruch Horav simen 343 opinion to rectify what was done as a child!

  • family in ch

    what an absolutely amazing story! may you have only haztlacha, bracha and mazel in your shlichus,and for your family!

  • to 8

    There are hotline to help your types. A child belonged by the farbrengen instead of fressing ice cream n Nosh World. No tikkun needed…

  • Avraham Gilman

    One can see on the Dais, the Lelover Rebbe, R. Alte Biderman with streimel. It was the only farbregen he attended as he lived in Israel. I am a researcher and I never knew which farbregen it was till now. He told me that there was never such a great Rebbe in history. I asked him in what way? He said in everything.

  • mendel

    From my entire childhood There was no man that left me with such a positive impression like Rabbi Mendelson. He was my teacher in OT in the year 5740 and many years in Koltuv bongolow colony. an amazing man. you must be “little Motty”. What memories….

  • PURIM SOMEACH!!

    Yes, this is the scene that we will once again witness any moment NOW! The Lebedikeit, the Hiskashrus, the Temimus, it’s all really still with us and with the revelation of Moshiach it will reappear in its full glory! This farbrengen is on Purim of Mem Gimmel. Way before this upcoming Purim of Ayin Beis, we will be Zocheh to see the arrival of the Geulah with Moshiach Tzidkeinu, and we will certainly be spending Purim with our Rebbe and all of Am Yissroel in the Beis Hamikdosh Hashlishi Bsimchah Uvetuv Leivuv Amein Kein Yehi Ratzon!

  • thank you

    amazing once in a lifetime kind of thing

    we hear so many stories of the rebbe caring and going out of his way for children, here we see it

    thank you, zol der zchul dir bay’shtain in altz gut

    to number 8 I have a question. “are you jealous?”

  • Rabbi kass class

    Beautiful story and great class picture.
    Does anybody know all the names in the picture?