Bochurim Publish Rabbi Herson’s Personal Rebbe Stories

In honor of the shloshim of Rabbi Moshe Herson AH, dean of the Rabbinical College of America and Head Shliach of New Jersey, a collection of his favorite stories he told the bochurim and later checked over were published for the public.

In honor of the shloshim of Rabbi Moshe Herson ע”ה, dean of the Rabbinical College of America and Head Shliach of New Jersey, we are privileged to share and publish a collection of stories that he personally conveyed to the bochurim on numerous occasions throughout his years of service and dedication.

This precious compilation of stories was later handpicked and then carefully reviewed and edited by Rabbi Herson himself to ensure that each story preserved its authenticity and meaning.

Originally printed in Hebrew as an addendum to the Kovetz Ha’aros Hatmimim v’Anash (No. 798), we are pleased to reprint these stories here, now freshly translated into English for the very first time. In doing so, we hope to make these tales and testimonies of Rabbi Herson accessible to be enjoyed by a broader audience.

For the benefit of our readers, we have included photographs relating to several of these stories. Please note that these images are for illustrative purposes only and are intended to enhance the experience of the stories, providing context and visuals to these powerful moments and memories.

Above all, these stories reflect Rabbi Herson’s tremendous hiskashrus to the Rebbe, about whom all of these accounts center. His unwavering devotion to the Rebbe’s teachings, guidance, and vision was the cornerstone of his life and work. Through these stories, we are reminded of Rabbi Herson’s deep connection to the Rebbe, his commitment to carrying out the Rebbe’s mission, and his tireless efforts to bring the Rebbe’s message of Torah and Chassidus to the world. It is through this profound hiskashrus that Rabbi Herson’s legacy continues to live on, inspiring all of us to strengthen our own bond with the Rebbe and to continue advancing in our own shlichus.

The kovetz Haaros Hatmimim V’Anash of Morristown is currently procuring a beautiful sefer for Yud Aleph Nissan with 124 haaros in the Rebbe’s Torah, anyone who has ever studied in Morristown or feels a special connection could submit a he’ara at kovetz@rca.edu.

Click the links to download a PDF of the stories in Lashon Kodesh and English.

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1

“After Yud Shvat, Things Change”

I once phoned Rabbi Hodakov and asked if I could ask the Rebbe about a certain issue. His response was interesting: He told me to wait until after Yud Shvat, and explained, “After Yud Shvat, things change”.

2

The True Significance of Beis Nissan

There was once a prominent rabbi visiting the U.S. around Rosh Chodesh Nissan. He was about to return home for Pesach but then thought, “How can I go home and not be with the Rebbe on Beis Nissan, the yahrzeit of the Rebbe Rashab?” – His father had been a chossid of the Rebbe Rashab, so he felt he should stay. He wrote to the Rebbe, explaining that despite the fact that he is usually not here, he was thinking to stay for what he intended was the Rebbe Rashab’s yahrtzeit.

The Rebbe replied that he should indeed stay because “it is the day my father-in-law, the Frierdiker Rebbe, was crowned as Rebbe.”  (Obviously, this also applies to Yud Shvat in regards to our Rebbe).

3

The First Basi L’Gani

I merited to be present at the first “Basi L’Gani”. A newspaper announcement had stated that on the 10th of Shevat, the new Lubavitcher Rebbe would be crowned. Many people came anticipating a grand ceremony no one expected the coronation to be held in “the small zal” by the entrance of 770, but the Rebbe did not want to move to any other place (in later years, larger rooms were rented for such occasions).

The room was packed, and there was simply no room to get in. Although it was a very cold day the ceiling was “dripping” with sweat from the immense heat due to the number of people. If I recall correctly, even when the Rebbe himself arrived, He couldn’t enter immediately because of the crowds. The Rebbe stepped up onto one of the benches, and swiftly crossed to the other side.

The gathering began like any other farbrengen, and the crowd listened attentively to his words, but later, when most of the “outsiders” had trickled out, the atmosphere became more “heimish”, the Rebbe spoke: “Do you think you can leave all the responsibility on one person? I will help you out, but you must not just rest comfortably. You’ll trouble me, and I’ll trouble you, until together we will have “worn out” the entire golus.”

4

The Rebbe’s Reluctance to Accept the Nesius

Initially, the Rebbe did not want to accept the nesius. An elder chassid told the Rebbe that he had a dream in which the Frierdiker Rebbe instructed that the Rebe should take on the nesius, he intended to push the Rebbe into accepting the nesius. The Rebbe responded, “If that were true, I should have had the dream, not you.”

5

A Dream of Light Amidst Darkness

Rabbi Alexander Sender Reinen was highly respected, his wife worked as a translator at the UN, and the Rebbetzin had been close friends with her when they were both in Paris.

Rabbi Reinen had a certain illness, and after his wife passed away, the Rebbe told him not to stay alone at night and instructed him to request permission from the yeshiva to have one or two bochurim stay with him. I was one of those bochurim (about a year later I was joined by Rabbi Immanuel Schochat), and often we would sit with him in his kitchen – especially on Friday nights – and he would tell us stories. By nature, he was a man of truth and precision.

One Friday night, he told me the following story:

At a certain point in time, the Frierdiker Rebbe was quite troubled by the war, the killing of the bochurim and many prominent figures of Lubavitch, at that time he dreamed that his father, the Rebbe Rashab, said to him: “Why are you so upset when they are still learning by you through the night?” Or, another version, “It’s bright by you during the night.” He woke up and saw the moon shining in his room, but he thought that this certainly wasn’t the intention of his father, and he got up and wandered around the house. He saw light in the room of the Rebbe, the door was slightly open, and he saw the Rebbe sitting and learning. Then he understood the intention of his father. I heard this story from him, and I knew that by nature, he was a man of truth. However, I had no idea all these years where he knew this from.

After the “Reshimos” were published, I saw it there, exactly as he had told me. [Apparently, the Frierdiker Rebbe had shared this with the Rebbe. There were no secrets between the Rebbe and the Frierdiker Rebbe, and they were very close. I heard several times that the Frierdiker Rebbe expressed that the Rebbe “cares for me, not like a son, but like a daughter”.] After I saw this, I understood that Rabbi Reinen must have heard it from his wife, who had heard it from the Rebbetzin.

6

Four Pairs of Tefillin

When the Rebbe asked the Frierdiker Rebbe if wearing four pairs of tefillin was relevant to him. The Frierdiker Rebbe responded, “Everything is relevant to you… I will arrange the tefillin for you.”

7

The Rebbe’s Hesitation to Move to America

While in Paris, the Frierdiker Rebbe urged the Rebbe to come to him in America. He later requested from a number of senior chassidim to write letters encouraging him to move. The Rebbe once told an elder chassid, “How can I go? I know what awaits me there!”

8

The Rebbe’s Work at the Brooklyn Navy Yard

When the Rebbe arrived in the U.S., he worked at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Some remember the Rebbe going to the subway with a lunch bag. During that time, the Rebbe worked with classified materials. Later, when discussing the issue of Jewish-owned ships sailing on Shabbos – specifically the “Tzim” company from Israel, and the question of Jewish passengers traveling on Shabbos -, the Rebbe told Rabbi Moshe Feinstein that he knew exactly how ships operated from his time working in the Navy. Eventually, Rabbi Feinstein agreed with the Rebbe’s opinion.

9

Zone of Truth

The Rebbe once told someone in yechidus while motioning with his holy hands, “In these daled amos, there is (only) truth.”

10

A Meeting Without Truth

The Rebbe once sat for half an hour with an Israeli government official in yechidus. Afterward, he said painfully, “He sat with me for half an hour, spoke most of the time, and not a single word of truth came from his mouth.”

11

Yitzhak Rabin’s Remark About the Rebbe

Yitzhak Rabin visited the Rebbe as Israel’s ambassador to the U.S. When he left, he was asked how the meeting went, and he said, “In that room sits a man who knows more about what happens in Israel than most members of the Knesset.”

12

Precision in Language

Some prominent government officials in Israel once wrote to several great Jewish leaders to receive their advice on the issue of “mihu Yehudi (who is a Jew).” They also asked the Rebbe. Knowing that his response would be used officially, the Rebbe first sent a formal letter with his opinion.

The next day, the Rebbe sent another letter, writing, “Yesterday I sent you a letter without any diplomatic language; now I am not writing in formal or semi-formal style…”.

In one line he wrote (free translation): “It’s likely that the following lines will cause surprise in your mind, do you really think that with my letter I can change or influence your worldview after decades, especially the worldview of someone who has seen the fruits of his labor?”

The usual expression is “good fruit of his labor,” but the Rebbe used “fruit of his labor” without the word “good,” although the person was a highly important individual, and extremely well accomplished, and the intent of the letter was to bring him closer to working for the benefit of the Jewish people and for proper giyur, the Rebbe would not use any language that wouldn’t have been totally true or an exaggeration in his writing.

13

“A Gut Yom Tov, Rebbe”

On yud beis Tammuz 5710-5711 (1950-51), I went to the Frierdiker Rebbe’s tziyun. Since there weren’t many people, I ended up standing very close to the Rebbe, he was reading from his Ma’aneh Lashon, and I read out of my own, because I stood so close, I could see into his.

Being but a young bochur, newly arrived from Brazil, I didn’t yet understand that one shouldn’t stand so close to the Rebbe, but no one told me to move away or corrected me. When he finished reciting the Maaneh Lashon, he looked at the tziyun and whispered (that only I, being that I was standing so close, was able to hear), “A good Yom Tov, Rebbe,” then stepped back and burst into deep sobbing.

14

Your Ufaratzta

When the Rebbe spoke often by farbrengens about “Ufaratzta”, many bochurim (and yungerlait) including myself, wrote letters to the Rebbe expressing their willingness to take action, to go out and spread Chassidus. Rabbi Hodakov later summoned each of us to his office to deliver the Rebbe’s message: “your mission for now, is Ufaratzta in the spiritual sense.”

15

A Dollar for the Yeshiva

I used to write the Rebbe a report almost every week. Around Yud Shevat in 5752, I wrote that recently I had spoken by many Farbrengens, and my main point was that each day has its special mitzvah – for example, the shofar on Rosh Hashanah, the sukkah and arba minim on Sukkos, etc. – and that on Yud Shevat “the mitzvah of the day is strengthening the hiskashrus to the Rebbe”. That was the wording in my report.

At that time, on days when the Rebbe would go to the Ohel, he would distribute dollars after Maariv. These were unlike the distributions on Sunday, as it was quick and the Rebbe did not stop to speak with anyone – he simply distributed dollars. Many people, including myself, usually avoided going in line so as not to disturb the Rebbe after spending all day at the Ohel without eating. But on Yud Shevat, for some reason, I decided to go through the line.

When I passed the Rebbe, he gave me a dollar. Uncharacteristically, he then called me back, handed me another dollar, and said, “This is for the Yeshiva.”

This was the only time the Rebbe gave me money specifically for the Yeshiva. There were occasions by dollar distributions that the rebbe would tell me different things, such as “Twice the success,” “For all of New Jersey,” “For the whole city of New Jersey,” “Much success in all,” and “For the whole state,” but the phrase “This is for the Yeshiva” was unique. I assumed it was in response to my report about my farbrenging in Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim, Tiferes Bachurim, N’shei Chabad etc. about strengthening hiskashrus.

16

The Last Sunday Dollars

On Chof-Vov Adar 5752 (the last time the Rebbe held a “Sunday dollars” distribution), I passed by the Rebbe for dollars with a group of lay leaders. As the Rebbe handed me a dollar, he told me “for all of New Jersey.” One of the Baal Habatim asked for a bracha, and when the Rebbe answered him, the Rebbe’s words were weak and difficult to hear. At the time, I thought that the Rebbe must have been very tired after standing for so many hours, who would have then imagined what would take place the next day… (the next day – the 27^th of Adar – the Rebbe suffered a major stroke).

17

A Birthday Instruction

My birthday is in the summer.

One year, when I was a bochur in yeshiva, I went into Yechidus and asked for a blessing for my birthday. I also mentioned the date when my chavrusa and I were planning to travel on Merkos-Shlcihus, asking for a blessing in all respects. The Rebbe asked what Maamar I had studied recently, I answered, “Basi L’Gani, 5713.” (It was not the Maamar we had learned in shiur – I had studied it in preparation for the Yechidus, and was quite involved in it – this is why  I answered as I did.)

The Rebbe paused for several moments – it seemed to me as if to recall the exact subject of the Maamar, and then instructed me to repeat part of it on Shabbos, the day of my birthday. While on Merkos-Shlichus, I made a gathering – a Seuda Shlishis – and repeated part of the maamar, just as the Rebbe had instructed.

18

Between the Lines

During the trial for the seforim, there was a meeting at a hotel with many rabbonim, and I was present as well. After the meeting, a report was written about the discussions. Rabbi JJ Hecht was the moderator, and when Rabbi Leibel Groner handed the report to the Rebbe, he mentioned that it was from Rabbi Hecht, the Rebbe then opened it and immediately remarked, “This is Hershel Fogelman’s handwriting”, Indeed, Rabbi Fogelman had written the report, and Rabbi Hecht merely handed it to Rabbi Groner.

19

Shlichus in Newark

I came down to New Jersey in 5722, still a young yeshiva student, thinking that the Rebbe would eventually send me to Brazil.

One day during seder, Rabbi Jacobson entered the Zal and told me to come with him. I went with him to Reb Shmuel Levitin’s office, where members of the hanhala were sitting. He asked if I was willing to go to Newark, and I replied by asking if they thought I was suitable. He answered, “Go, and we’ll see.” I wrote to the Rebbe, and the Rebbe told me to go. I became the mashgiach for Chassidus there. When we arrived in Newark, it was a dark building, with no heating, as the city had turned off the electricity, etc.

Earlier I had studied in Montreal for about half a year. One day, a bochur approached the bochur sitting at the table to my right and mentioned that he had a phone call – and that it seemed to him that it was Rabbi Hodakov on the line.

After the call ended, I asked the bochur what had happened. He explained that it was indeed Rabbi Hodakov, who had told him that they were considering sending him to Toronto to work in education and asked if he agreed. I inquired what he had answered; he said, “I replied, ‘After all, I’m still a bochur in yeshiva – does this question even apply?’” Rabbi Hodakov then told him, “We know.” I asked what else was said, and the Bochur mentioned they even discussed what the payment would be, etc. When I heard this, I said nothing, though I thought to myself that he would no longer be sent on the Shlichus – that he was “lost.”

The next day, he received another call from Rabbi Hodakov telling him, “We have decided that you are right – continue studying in the yeshiva successfully.” That bochur, to this day, never went on shlichus…

20

The Rebbe’s Guidance on Choosing a Shliach

During one of Rabbi Shlomo Cunin’s yechidus’n, he asked the Rebbe what to look for in a candidate he was considering bringing down as a shliach to work with him (this was the first shliach he was planning to bring to the state).

The Rebbe replied: 1) You must know who he is—his identity, who his wife is, who his parents are, who her parents are. 2) To find out if after the Released Time hour he immediately returns to Yeshiva or, if needed, he stays around. 3) In general, you should know, we’re not begging anyone…

21

A Mezuzah for Chase

I once worked on a request for funding from Washington – a grant for drug rehabilitation, which was also meant to help the yeshiva. There were experts working on the paperwork for the program. From time to time, I wrote to the Rebbe asking for a bracha for its success, but I received no response.

At that time, Mr. David Chase, during a yechidus, asked the Rebbe for the z’chus of receiving a mezuzah from 770. The Rebbe smiled and said that he would arrange for a mezuzah. A few days before Shabbos Mevorchim Elul, I received a phone call from Rabbi Hodakov asking if I planned to come for Shabbos (for the Farbrengen).

Truthfully, I hadn’t planned on coming, but since Rabbi Hodakov never called without a reason, I responded that I would come. Rabbi Hodakov then asked if I had planned to come before, and I didn’t respond. He continued that he was asking because, on Motzei Shabbos, the Rebbe wants to give you the mezuzah for Chase, along with some instructions.

On Motzei Shabbos, I entered the Rebbe’s room; aside from the two small lights behind the Rebbe’s chair, the rest of the lights were still off – the room was still “Shabbosdik.”

The Rebbe was standing by the table, and when I entered he said to me, “A gutte voch dir, Moshe” [the table was so crowded with books and letters I couldn’t have seen the Rebbe sitting]. The Rebbe then asked, “Do you know that Chase was here?” I answered yes and that I had brought him. The Rebbe said he would give me the mezuzah, and instructed me to ensure that the entire family was present when it was affixed, and that I should repeat a vort from the farbrengen. (There were other instructions as well.) I replied that I would go immediately (I had intended that I would go right the next morning), but the Rebbe told me not to go right away, as it was too late, and I would arrive in the middle of the night.

I took the opportunity to give over some good news to the Rebbe, that I had arranged with the Jewish Federation that every Jewish family that moved to Morris County would receive a visit from the Federation and be presented with a Mezuza as a gift. The Rebbe responded that this was a very good thing and asked how I arranged this. I responded that we have good relations with them, and they liked the proposal.

The Rebbe asked me who would be funding the Mezuzahs to which I responded that we were covering the cost. The Rebbe immediately responded, connecting what I had written about the grant from Washington, and the mezuzahs while pointing to the enormous pile of letters on his desk, “you will receive the funding from Washington and it will also cover the cost for the Mezuzahs”. This was said as a promise, not just a bracha.

A few days later, I received a letter from Washington denying the grant. However, they left one option: if I did something specific, I could still qualify. I made a copy of the letter and sent it to the Rebbe, mentioning that if I didn’t receive the grant immediately, I would make the adjustments they suggested. The Rebbe responded, “I will mention it by the tziyun.” I followed their instructions, and ultimately received the grant of $1,000,000, distributed over a period of three years.

22

“Your People”

The Frierdiker Rebbe once received a newspaper HaChomah from Neturei Karta. He handed it to the Rebbe with a smile and said, “Here, this is from your people.”

23

A Heartfelt Miracle

I had a baal habos, a man of great influence and a loyal friend who brought us many acquaintances. A wise and understanding individual, he went through a difficult period in the late 1990s, he became seriously ill with a heart condition.  He went from doctor to doctor, and the diagnosis was clear – he needed a heart transplant. To qualify for the procedure, he had to undergo a series of tests to determine if he was even eligible and what type of heart would be a suitable match.

After successfully completing all the necessary tests, he called me joyfully on a Friday afternoon, just before Shabbos, to share the news that he had been placed on the transplant waiting list. I encouraged him, but in my heart, I wondered what there was to celebrate – typically, patients wait months or even years before a suitable heart becomes available.

That Shabbos was Chai Elul. I told him that on Sunday, I would be going to the Rebbe’s Ohel to Daven for him and asked if his family would like to join me. He agreed, and when I arrived at the Ohel, his entire family—men, women, and children—were present. They each wrote a note for the Rebbe, and I also wrote a request for a bracha for him, adding that all his descendants were now gathered at the Ohel. When they left, they were in high spirits.

This was on Sunday. On Monday night, at 11:00 PM, I received a phone call from him. He told me that a nurse had just spoken to him, informing him that there had been a severe car accident in Baltimore. As a result, there was a possibility that he would move up on the transplant list. If this were the case, she would call him again. A short time later, she called again and said that the heart was a perfect match and was already on its way to him, and that the surgery would take place within a few hours at a hospital in New York.

By the time I arrived on Tuesday morning, he was already in the operating room. This was a clear miracle – the result of the blessing request at the Rebbe’s Ohel and the merit of the holy day of Chai Elul. Against all odds, he had received a perfectly matched heart within just 36 hours – something almost unheard of – despite initially being at the very bottom of the transplant list. In an incredibly short time, he had been moved to the top!