Jewish Educational Media (JEM) recently released a MyEncounter with the Rebbe video titled “When the Rebbe asked for a Favor” of Rhoda Friedland. See the 5 minute video here on YouTube or see video below.
The point of this story isn’t to ignore expert medical advice. The Rebbe would repeatedly encourage people to seek second medical opinions. And it’s not only about the blessing of the Previous Rebbe just days before his passing, or how the Rebbe believed with unwavering faith in that blessing despite the urgent repeated insistence of one medical doctor after another.
This story also tells of how the Rebbe didn’t want her to cut off that opportunity for a blessing forever. He kept urging her to try again, not to give up on having children. He even considered this a personal favor, it meant a lot to him.
Somehow I never thought about it this way until after the Rebbe’s passing, but think about it: all this encouragement and urging and blessing for children (to Rhoda and to countless others) from a Rebbe and Rebbetzin who were not blessed with children of their own.
This story was all the more meaningful personally after spending some quality time recently with alumni couples, a number of whom are now pregnant or recently gave birth to babies, some of whom have waited a considerable time or went to great lengths for this blessing (that’s all too often taken for granted).
This also reminds me of an inspirational and memorable email we received on this topic from a well-known and highly regarded Rabbi B. (in response to an alumni question) – but that’s for another time.
This story also reminds us that we often have no idea of the internal issues that people are dealing with. Whether its a about weight loss or childbirth or whatever, its not our place to judge. Who knows what people are going through? Who knows the challenges or conditions (medical or otherwise) that people face?
Lastly, it recalls a graduation weekend some years ago, probably in the early 2000’s, when graduating seniors were sharing some of the things they gained most at Shabbos House. For some it was the religious experience, for others the social interactions and sense of community, some spoke of personal growth opportunities, others about how they grew in observance… one girl said: “Before coming here I pretty much decided against having children, but having spent all this time here, I look forward to having children as one of the great blessings in my life.”