Lag BaOmer

The friends of R. Yisroel’s children recognized his uniqueness and looked up to him. Though a generation apart, he did not hold himself aloof; rather, he shared in their lives. One of the shluchim in Eretz Yisroel whom the Duchmans knew well had been childless for several years after their marriage. Sensitive to his friend’s anguish, R. Yisroel took the initiative to approach the Rebbe during a Lag BaOmer farbrengen — when the Mitteler Rebbe would work miracles, most of which involved blessing for childless couples — and asked for a bracha for that couple. The Rebbe gave his blessing and shortly thereafter the couple was blessed with children.

R. Yisroel also imparted insightful thoughts in his unique style. Once, after the Rebbe had held a weekday farbrengen, a number of the bochurim gathered together with R. Yoel Kahan, the Rebbe’s chozer, to review the farbrengen. R. Yoel’s office was, at that time, in R. Yisroel’s basement. After the review of the Rebbe’s farbrengen, R. Yoel and the bochurim began an informal farbrengen . R. Yisroel, hearing what was happening, brought down, not only mashkeh, but also frankfurters and cold cuts from his butcher store.

As the bochurim were hungry, they heartily ate the food provided. R. Yoel continued the farbrengen, explaining how the Rebbe was giving them a foretaste of Toraso shel Moshiach, the Torah’s inner secrets that Moshiach will reveal. R. Yisroel glanced at the bochurim and commented, “M’est frankfurters un m’redt zich veggen Moshiach...” “You’re eating frankfurters and you’re speaking about Moshiach... ”

There was a double meaning to his words. On one hand, they were a form of critique. He had been brought up in a generation where spirituality was synonymous with sacrifice; people were honest enough to realize that you cannot mix material desires and spiritual yearnings together. On the other hand, he was also aware that a new light was dawning. The time was coming when the material – not man’s seeking indulgence, but the goodness and plenty that G-d had brought into the world — would not be a contradiction to spirituality anymore, and that soon, with Mashiach’s coming, their fusion would be complete.