Article in The Times of Israel by Andy Blumenthal: This year at Passover seder, I had the privilege to sit next to an elderly Jewish lady, whom I’ll call Esther. We sat together at a Chabad seder, and on the wall next to us was a beautiful painting of the Rebbe. My wife and I were spellbound by his lifelike holy image, especially his knowing, piercing blue eyes. In fact, we joked that it would be funny if the eyes started to move back and forth in the painting. Esther, who was sitting directly next to me, overheard us and proceeded to tell me some amazing stories about the Rebbe, which I am pleased to be able to share with all of you.

1. THE BLOGS
Andy Blumenthal
Leadership With Heart
The Rebbe Knew
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This year at Passover seder, I had the privilege to sit next to an elderly Jewish
lady, whom I’ll call Esther. We sat together at a Chabad seder, and on the wall
next to us was a beautiful painting of the Rebbe.
4/28/24, 6:32 AM The Rebbe Knew | Andy Blumenthal | The Blogs
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-rebbe-knew/ 1/4

2. My wife and I were spellbound by his lifelike holy image, especially his knowing,
piercing blue eyes. In fact, we joked that it would be funny if the eyes started to
move back and forth in the painting. Esther, who was sitting directly next to me,
overheard us and proceeded to tell me some amazing stories about the Rebbe,
which I am pleased to be able to share with all of you.
The 1967 War
Esther and her family had immigrated to Israel from Morocco. Her parents, who
wanted her to get a good Jewish education, put her and her siblings in the Kfar
Chabad school. She was 14 years old when the Arabs massed for war with Israel.
In this time of peril, the Chabad school administrators instructed the children to
write letters to the Rebbe in New York to ask for his guidance.
Esther told me how a week before the war started on June 5, the children
received a response from the Rebbe. She told me how while the Israelis were
preparing for the worst, digging mass graves in the parks for what they believed
was the imminent slaughter of the Jews, incredibly, the Rebbe’s letter reassured
them that not only would Israel be victorious in the upcoming war, but also that
it would last just six days, which it did, and hence it is known as the Six Day War.
Whether to Tie The Knot or Not
Esther’s sister was dating a young man, and things were getting serious. It
looked like they would be getting married soon, and so her sister, looking for the
Rebbe’s blessing, sent him a letter asking about this. However, instead of the
Rebbe’s blessing for the young couple, the Rebbe told her to not marry the
young man because, as he disclosed to her, the fiance was not Jewish! The
Rebbe’s perceptive comment was all the more amazing in that he had no idea
who she was dating. Ultimately, she found another young man who shared her
religious identity and beliefs, and they were happily married.
What’s in Store for My Future
4/28/24, 6:32 AM The Rebbe Knew | Andy Blumenthal | The Blogs
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-rebbe-knew/ 2/4

3. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andy Blumenthal is a dynamic, award-winning leader who writes frequently about Jewish life,
culture, and security. All opinions are his own.
As Esther grew, she appreciated her Chabad education but personally remained
at arm’s length from religious Judaism. She was confused between her schooling
and her home life, and she again took the opportunity to reach out to the Rebbe
for his guidance. Before she knew it, she received a response from him that
encouraged her to keep on learning and following in the ways of Hashem, but to
her exact question on what was in store for her future, the Rebbe wrote that
“she would never change.” Sure enough, Esther laughed out loud and told me,
“And it was completely true; I have always been the same and have not been
very religious my whole life, but my hope is for my son to be more religious than
me.”
While unfortunately, the Rebbe is not with us today, we pray for the coming of
the Mashiach speedily and in our days, so that our lives can be filled with
holiness and knowledge of Hashem. Interestingly enough, in the Haftarah for
Shabbat Chol Hamoed of Passover today, we read the vision of Ezekiel and the
dry bones. In this famous prophecy, G-d resurrects the dry bones of Israel, puts
flesh on them, and breathes life into them again. I couldn’t help wondering
whether we’ll be seeing the Rebbe again soon and all the hate, terror. and war
that we are experiencing will be forever just a bad memory, the hostages will
come back home, and we will be able to live holy lives with all of Israel again.
And the world will come to know the One true G-d in our lifetimes.
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4/28/24, 6:32 AM The Rebbe Knew | Andy Blumenthal | The Blogs
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