45 years ago, before traveling on shlichus to the Yeshiva Gedolah of Melbourne, Dayan Levi Yitzchok Raskin had a yechidus with the Rebbe, along with his grandfather, R’ Yaakov Yosef Raskin. When he passed by, the Rebbe asked a question, the meaning of which became clear only recently.
By Shmuel Yosef Greenbaum
My shver, Dayan Levi Yitzchok Raskin, Rov of the Lubavitcher kehilla in London, shared the following story during the seudah on Shvi’i Shel Pesach—the yahrzeit of his zeide, Reb Yaakov Yosef Raskin, A”H.
On Rosh Chodesh Adar 5740 (1980), before traveling on shlichus to the Yeshiva Gedolah of Melbourne, my shver had a yechidus with the Rebbe. The parents of the other bochurim in the kevutza joined as well.
Since his own parents were in London, and his zeide, Reb Yaakov Yosef, was then in New York (in connection with the Shloshim Shana of Yud Shevat), he went into the yechidus in their place—apparently at the advice of his son, Reb Dovid Raskin A”H.
The Rebbe gave the bochurim-shluchim a bracha and handed each of them thirty liras (as they were traveling via Eretz Yisroel), three ten-dollar bills in Australian currency, and three one-dollar bills to give as tzedakah in the U.S. The Rebbe also gave them Volume 15 of Likkutei Sichos and that week’s Likkut—Mishpatim.
(By hashgacha protis, when we notified the Rebbe of our own upcoming shlichus to Australia, my shver happened to be in Eretz Yisroel. He had with him the envelope from that yechidus, containing the same items, and decided to give us one of the Australian bills—the one shown in the attached picture.)
After the bochurim, the parents passed by the Rebbe, who also gave them a shlichus of tzedakah.
When Reb Yaakov Yosef passed by, the Rebbe asked: “An einekel? An ur-einekel? Or just stam?”
He answered: “An einekel.”
The Rebbe repeated: “An einekel?”
He clarified: “My son’s son.”
The Rebbe then gave him a bracha regarding his granddaughter, who had just become engaged at that time.
—
One thing is certain: a word from the Rebbe is never without meaning.
The einekel traveled on shlichus to Australia.
And now, forty-five years later, the ur-einekel is going too—on the Rebbe’s shlichus to Australia.
Help support Shmuel Yosef and Mushka Greenbaum as they begin their “new” shlichus in Melbourne, Australia:
To hear the Rebbe ask “An ur-einekel”:
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