“I’m on My Way to Lubavitch!”

Reb Yosef, the son of R. Yissochor Ber the rov of Lubavitch, was married to the Tzemach Tzedek’s aunt, and was affectionately known as “Der Feter Yossele” (Uncle Yossele). When chassidim found him sitting in the snow deep in thought, his answer surprised them.

Reb Yosef, the son of R. Yissochor Ber the rov of Lubavitch, was a great gaon and chossid. He was married to the sister of R. Sholom Shachna, the Tzemach Tzedek’s father, and was thus affectionately known as “Der Feter Yossele” (Uncle Yossele).

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Reb Yosef was a shadar who would travel collecting tzedaka funds for the Rebbe.

In one of the towns R. Yosef visited, he told his host to stop by his home for a tea on his next visit to Lubavitch. One Erev Shabbos, the chossid arrived in Lubavitch and looked forward to taking up R. Yosef’s offer.

When he arrived at R. Yosef’s home, he saw R. Yosef pacing the room back and forth in a trance, clearly not noticing him. When he finally realized that the chossid was sitting there, he asked what he was waiting for, and the chossid replied that R. Yosef had invited him for a tea.

Reb Yosef, still in his state of dveikus, replied: “My eyes are popping out of my head trying to leave my weekday mindset and enter a Shabbos mindset, and you speak to me of tea!?”

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Reb Yosef was once travelling in the wintery weather on a sled on his way to Lubavitch. The sled made a sharp turn and R. Yosef tumbled out of the carriage onto the snow. Being in a state of dveikus, he didn’t realize what had happened, and neither did the driver.

When other chassidim passed by and noticed him lying on the snow, they asked him what he was doing there. He answered, “I’m on my way to Lubavitch!”

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There was once a big rainstorm, and the streets had filled with mud. A man entered shul and complained about the terrible weather. R. Yosef turned to him in astonishment: “And you can do better?!”

For sources, visit TheWeeklyFarbrengen.com