3 years ago

Story Time: Mivtzaim On Pitkin Avenue

On our way home, we couldn’t believe what we had gotten ourselves into. How would we get places for twenty five people to sit by the farbrengen? How would we protect them from the pushing and shoving, and how would they understand what the Rebbe was saying? • By Baila Brikman, Beis Moshiach Magazine • Full Story

Baila Brikman, Beis Moshiach

Pitkin Avenue in Brownsville was a busy street filled with all types of stores. Although most of the Yidden had already moved out of the neighborhood, some of the Jewish store owners had stayed.

Each week, I would go on mivtzaim with a friend to help those store owners put on tefillin. We knew it was a dangerous neighborhood, but we didn’t think about it. All we cared about was that there were Yidden who needed to put on tefillin and learn about Yiddishkeit.

When they would see us coming, their eyes would light up. Being able to put on tefillin and hearing words of Torah meant so much to them, and they looked forward to our visits each week.

One week, a store owner had an idea. “Pinchas, why don’t you come to my house once a week and teach us Torah? I’ll invite my relatives and neighbors, and we’ll all enjoy!”

I said, sure! The next Monday, my friend and I drove to his house in Queens to give a shiur in Tanya. As soon as we started, everyone had questions! They were so thirsty to learn and understand that it turned into a big farbrengen! Everyone got very involved, and the hours flew by quickly. When we stood up to leave at 12am, they begged us to stay! We couldn’t believe it!

The next week, the crowd was even bigger. Everyone was so excited to learn about Torah and mitzvos! Once again, the shiur turned into a lively discussion and they were very inspired. We realized that once a week wasn’t enough for these Yidden, so we started coming to Queens twice a week. We also started giving a shiur once a week in Brooklyn, in the home of Joe Dayan.

Three times a week, we would teach these Yidden Torah and encourage them to keep more mitzvos. One thing, though, was a sore topic. Any time we tried convincing them to close their stores on Shabbos, their wives would get very upset. “How can you tell our husbands to close their stores on Shabbos?” They’d yell. “We won’t have money for food! Will you come and pay our bills?”

We knew it was our job to teach them what was right and wrong, but it was a very painful topic to bring up. They just couldn’t bring themselves to close their stores on Shabbos!

During one of our shiurim, we spoke about the Rebbe and how much he cares about every Yid. As they listened to the stories we told, they became very excited. At one point, I showed them a dollar I had gotten from the Rebbe. (It was before the time that the Rebbe would give out dollars every Sunday, but the Rebbe would sometimes give them out during farbrengens.)

Everyone wanted to see the dollar! “I’ll give you $100 for that!” someone piped up. “No, give it to me for $200!” another person yelled. Soon enough, there was a bidding war! Everyone wanted to have it! One man pulled out $1,500 cash from his pocket, begging me to accept his offer!

“Calm down!” I shouted above the tumult. “You don’t need to get the Rebbe’s dollar through me! You can get one directly from the Rebbe!”

“How?” they all wanted to know.

“Sometimes, the Rebbe gives them out during farbrengens,” I told them. “Come to a farbrengen, and you might get one! Even if the Rebbe doesn’t give out dollars, it will be an experience you will never forget!”

The next farbrengen would be on Purim night. They all said they would come and marked down the date in their pocket calendars.

***

When the date of the farbrengen came closer, we sprang into action. We gathered a group of our friends and planned how to make the experience comfortable for our guests. We chained benches together and had bachurim stand guard to make sure that nobody sat there. We bought ear pieces that would translate the Rebbe’s words as he would speak, because our guests didn’t understand Yiddish. We told them to come early, and we stood in empty parking spaces to make sure they’d have a place to park. It was a lot of work! After all that, we hoped they would actually show up!

One by one, they pulled up in front of 770. We unchained the benches, gave them their translators, and went to our own places.

Suddenly, the room erupted into song! The Rebbe was coming in! The niggun of “Vayehi Bimei Achashveirosh” filled the room. The Rebbe swang his hands into the air, and the crowd jumped up and down, singing and clapping with incredible simcha!

The Rebbe began saying a sicha, and then there was more singing. The whole time, I kept looking at my guests and feeling so happy that they were there. After all our hard work, they were finally experiencing a farbrengen with the Rebbe!

All of a sudden, I got the chills. Was I dreaming? The Rebbe began speaking about how store owners have to close their stores on Shabbos! I listened intently, hoping that my group of guests were able to understand. The Rebbe spoke about it for more than twenty minutes!

When the farbrengen was finished, my friend and I ran over to them. “Nu, how was it??”

“It was amazing!” they exclaimed. “And the Rebbe was speaking to us! He said exactly what you always tell us, that we shouldn’t work on Shabbos!”

They had understood! We were thrilled! “This is your chance,” we told them. “Decide right now that you won’t work on Shabbos, and it will be a source of blessing for you and your families!” My friend went over to Joe Dayan and tried convincing him. “Write to the Rebbe, and you will get a powerful blessing!”

Joe agreed and wrote to the Rebbe: “I currently work seven days a week. I heard the Rebbe speak about the importance of keeping Shabbos and it touched me very much. I want to keep Shabbos from now on, but I’m asking that it shouldn’t hurt my parnassah because I make a lot of money on Shabbos.”

My friend delivered Joe’s letter to the Rebbe’s secretaries, and on Friday morning, they gave him the Rebbe’s answer. The Rebbe had underlined the words “I currently work seven days a week” and made a huge question mark, as if to say: How is it possible for a Yid to work on Shabbos? Then, the Rebbe wrote that if he doesn’t work on Shabbos, Hashem will make him very successful!

We rushed to Joe’s store on Pitkin Avenue. “You got an answer from the Rebbe!” We shouted. “He said you will get tremendous blessings if you close your store and keep Shabbos!”

“So what am I supposed to do?” he asked.

“Very simple. Close your store early on Friday and don’t open it on Shabbos.”

He looked very unsure, so we continued encouraging him. Finally, he made up his mind. He told his workers to close the gates and not to come in the next day. Then, he gathered his things and stood up to leave.

We wished Joe a good Shabbos and went home. We couldn’t believe it! That week, Joe Dayan would keep Shabbos!

On Sunday, I went to Joe’s store to see how his Shabbos had been. “It was terrible!” he said. “The whole Shabbos, my wife was nagging me that I was crazy for closing the store! But a promise is a promise, and I won’t open my store on Shabbos!”

The next Shabbos, Joe had it even harder. All his neighbors and relatives told him that he was crazy too! But he remained firm and didn’t back down. I was so humbled. Here was a man who barely knew anything about Yiddishkeit, and he was sacrificing so much because of his emunas tzaddikim!

***

The next week when I went to visit Joe, he ran over to me and gave me a big hug! “Guess what?” he shouted. “The Rebbe’s blessing came true!”

“What happened?”

“Somebody offered to buy my store for an incredible price!” Joe said, looking like the happiest man in the world. “I thought he was joking—but he actually gave me a contract and I signed it!”

I couldn’t believe my ears! Hashem was rewarding Joe for his incredible mesiras nefesh for closing his store on Shabbos!

“You won’t be seeing me here anymore,” Joe continued. “I decided to go into the wholesale business! I did my research—in that work, everything shuts down on the weekends. I won’t have the test of working on Shabbos anymore!”

I was thrilled for Joe and for the strength he had shown. We wished each other well and went our separate ways.

Joe started a new business and became very rich. One day, he called to ask if I could bring him some matza and wine for Pesach. I started laughing. He had so much money—why couldn’t he buy them himself?

“You don’t understand,” he told me. “I want it to be like the good old days, when you used to visit me on Pitkin Avenue!”

As soon as I came, Joe gave me a big hug. “Look at the change you made in my life!” he said. “I used to run around all week trying to earn a living. I had no time to step back and enjoy my family. Now, each week, I spend the entire Shabbos with my wife and kids! And in the past year, I made more money than I ever made!”

I became very serious. “Joe, don’t thank me,” I told him. “Thank the Rebbe for the tremendous bracha he gave you! You must remember and tell your kids that everything you have is because of the Rebbe!”

Joe was very moved. We farbrenged for a little bit longer and then said goodbye.

Every time I think about this story, I am awed by the Rebbe’s impact on Joe’s life. The entire group had heard the Rebbe’s message at the farbrengen, yet Joe was the only one who decided to close his store on Shabbos. Despite the hardships, he remained firm in his promise—and the Rebbe kept his promise as well. From then on, Joe was zoche to tremendous success in all areas of his life, beyond his wildest dreams.

As heard from Reb Pinchas Tevel

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