One of the Rebbe’s followers once came to him. He had a serious ailment in his arm and was in such great pain that he could not move it at all. He had his arm in a sling and was totally unable to lower it.
The man was sitting at the Rebbe’s table for the Shabbat morning meal. The Rebbe remarked that the man certainly had faith, and all those sitting there agreed.
He discussed this a while and then repeated himself, asking again if this man had faith. Those present again answered yes. Suddenly the Rebbe commanded the man, “Lower your arm!”
The man sat there amazed, and everyone else was also very surprised. What was the Rebbe saying? The man had been afflicted for a long time and it was absolutely impossible for him to move his arm. Why was the Rebbe telling him to do the impossible?
But as soon as the Rebbe gave the order, “he decreed, spoke and it became fulfilled.”295Cf. Job 22:28. See Shabbat 59a; Ta'anit 23a; Ketubot 103b; Sotah 12a; Bava Metzia 106a.
His follower removed the man’s sling and the latter instantly lowered his arm. He was totally healed and it was an obvious miracle. He regained full use of his arm and it remained healthy for the rest of his life. Many awesome miracles like this occurred from time to time. The Rebbe, however, was compelled to minimize them.
I saw the Rebbe soon after he healed the man and spoke to him about it. It was obvious that he was not feeling well. The Rebbe said, “Whenever I am involved with miracles, I always suffer from it. Whenever I do anything like this, I pray to God that it be forgotten.”296This may be the reason why so few of his miracles have ever been recorded (Kokhavey Or, p. 36).
פַּעַם אַחַת בָּא לְפָנָיו אִישׁ אֶחָד מֵאֲנָשָׁיו שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ חֹלִי וּכְאֵב גָּדוֹל בְּיָדוֹ, עַד שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה יָכוֹל לְהָזִיז בְּיָדוֹ כְּלָל. וְהָיְתָה יָדוֹ תְּלוּיָה בְּצַוָּארוֹ כְּדֶרֶךְ הַחוֹלִים בִּידֵיהֶם. וְלֹא הָיָה יָכוֹל בְּשׁוּם אֹפֶן לְהוֹרִידָהּ, כִּי הָיָה חָלְיוֹ וּכְאֵבוֹ גָּדוֹל מְאֹד.
One of the Rebbe’s followers once came to him. He had a serious ailment in his arm and was in such great pain that he could not move it at all. He had his arm in a sling and was totally unable to lower it.
וְהָיוּ מְדַבְּרִים לִפְנֵי רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל, שֶׁהוּא צָרִיךְ לִשְׁתּוֹת סַאלְץ (מֵי מֶלַח) וּלְקַבֵּל רְפוּאוֹת. וְהָאִישׁ הַהוּא הָיָה עָנִי גָּדוֹל וְלֹא הָיָה לוֹ דָּבָר עַל הוֹצָאוֹת וּרְפוּאוֹת.
The Rebbe’s followers told him that this man was very poor and could not afford the expensive salts and other remedies that he needed for his arm.
בְּיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהָיָה יוֹשֵׁב עַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן בִּסְעֻדַּת שַׁחֲרִית, עָנָה רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל וְאָמַר לְאוֹתָן הַיּוֹשְׁבִין סְבִיבוֹ: שֶׁזֶּה הָאִישׁ בְּוַדַּאי יֵשׁ לוֹ אֱמוּנָה. וְהֵשִׁיבוּ: הֵן.
The man was sitting at the Rebbe’s table for the Shabbat morning meal. The Rebbe remarked that the man certainly had faith, and all those sitting there agreed.
וְכָפַל הַדְּבָרִים וְדִבֵּר מִזֶּה קְצָת אִם יֵשׁ לוֹ אֱמוּנָה, וְהֵשִׁיבוּ: הֵן. אַחַר כָּךְ צִוָּה רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל פִּתְאֹם לְהָאִישׁ הַנַּ"ל שֶׁיּוֹרִיד יָדוֹ.
He discussed this a while and then repeated himself, asking again if this man had faith. Those present again answered yes. Suddenly the Rebbe commanded the man, “Lower your arm!”
וְנִבְהַל מְאֹד, וְכָל הָעָם נִבְהֲלוּ וְנִשְׁתּוֹמְמוּ, כִּי הָיָה דָּבָר תָּמוּהַּ מְאֹד מְאֹד, כִּי זֶה הָאִישׁ הָיָה חוֹלֶה בְּיָדוֹ זְמַן רַב שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהוֹרִיד יָדוֹ, וְעַכְשָׁו יוֹרִידֶנָּה פִּתְאֹם?!
The man sat there amazed, and everyone else was also very surprised. What was the Rebbe saying? The man had been afflicted for a long time and it was absolutely impossible for him to move his arm. Why was the Rebbe telling him to do the impossible?
אֲבָל תֵּכֶף שֶׁצִּוָּה רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל, גָּזַר אֹמֶר וַיָּקָם.
But as soon as the Rebbe gave the order, “he decreed, spoke and it became fulfilled.”295Cf. Job 22:28. See Shabbat 59a; Ta'anit 23a; Ketubot 103b; Sotah 12a; Bava Metzia 106a.
וְתֵכֶף לָקְחוּ מִמֶּנּוּ הַמִּטְפַּחַת שֶׁהָיְתָה יָדוֹ תְּלוּיָה עָלֶיהָ בְּצַוָּארוֹ וְהוֹרִיד יָדוֹ תֵּכֶף. וְהָיָה נֵס מְפֻרְסָם לְעֵין כָּל, שֶׁנִּתְרַפֵּא יָדוֹ תֵּכֶף בְּאוֹתָהּ הַשָּׁעָה, וְתֵכֶף חָזְרָה יָדוֹ לִבְרִיאוּתָהּ וְאֵיתָנָהּ כִּשְׁאָר כָּל אָדָם עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה. (כָּאֵלֶּה וְכָאֵלֶּה נִרְאוּ מִמֶּנּוּ כַּמָּה מוֹפְתִים נוֹרָאִים לִפְרָקִים).
His follower removed the man’s sling and the latter instantly lowered his arm. He was totally healed and it was an obvious miracle. He regained full use of his arm and it remained healthy for the rest of his life. Many awesome miracles like this occurred from time to time. The Rebbe, however, was compelled to minimize them.
אַךְ בְּעֵת שֶׁהָיָה עִנְיָן הַנַּ"ל שֶׁל הָאִישׁ הַנַּ"ל, אַחַר־כָּךְ בָּאתִי אֵלָיו וְסִפֵּר עִמִּי קְצָת מִזֶּה וְהָיָה לְרַבֵּנוּ ז"ל, אָז אֵיזֶה מִחוּשׁ וְחוֹלַאַת. וְאָמַר אָז שֶׁבְּכָל עֵת שֶׁהוּא עוֹשֶׂה אֵיזֶה דְּבַר מוֹפֵת יֵשׁ לוֹ יִסּוּרִים אַחַר־כָּךְ תָּמִיד. וְאָמַר שֶׁבְּכָל פַּעַם שֶׁהוּא עוֹשֶׂה אֵיזֶה דָּבָר, הוּא מְבַקֵּשׁ אַחַר כָּךְ מֵהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ שֶׁיִּשְׁתַּכַּח הַדָּבָר.
I saw the Rebbe soon after he healed the man and spoke to him about it. It was obvious that he was not feeling well. The Rebbe said, “Whenever I am involved with miracles, I always suffer from it. Whenever I do anything like this, I pray to God that it be forgotten.”296This may be the reason why so few of his miracles have ever been recorded (Kokhavey Or, p. 36).