The Rebbe said, “People bring money to a someone as a pidyon and ask that he intercede for them on high. They tell him their illness and suffering and other problems. It is a wonder to me that the man accepting the pidyon does not suffer as much as the sick person himself ….”
From this we can understand that the Rebbe actually felt the pain and suffering of the sick people for whom he prayed. He literally felt their every ache and pain.
The Rebbe discussed this many times. He said, “When I first began, I asked God to let me feel the pain and suffering of others. Sometimes a person would come to me and tell me his troubles, but I would feel absolutely nothing. But I prayed to God that I should feel this Jewish suffering. Now I can feel the suffering of another even more than he himself can.
“Another man can forget his own suffering by thinking of other things. But I concentrate on it very deeply, until I literally bleed because of his pain.”
Once one of his followers asked the Rebbe not to forget him. The Rebbe replied, “How can I forget you? Don’t you realize that each one of you has a place in my heart?”
אָמַר: שֶׁפְּלִיאָה בְּעֵינַי, אִם מְבִיאִין פִּדְיוֹן לְאֶחָד וּמְסַפְּרִין לוֹ צַעֲרוֹ, כְּגוֹן מֵחוֹלֶה וְכַיּוֹצֵא, – כְּשֶׁאֵינוֹ מַרְגִּישׁ הַצַּעַר וְהַיִּסּוּרִין כְּמוֹ הַחוֹלֶה בְּעַצְמוֹ וְכוּ'.
The Rebbe said, “People bring money to a someone as a pidyon and ask that he intercede for them on high. They tell him their illness and suffering and other problems. It is a wonder to me that the man accepting the pidyon does not suffer as much as the sick person himself ….”
וְהַיּוֹצֵא מִדְּבָרָיו הוּא שֶׁהוּא מַרְגִּישׁ הַצַּעַר וְהַיִּסּוּרִין, כְּשֶׁבָּאִין לְפָנָיו שֶׁיִּתְפַּלֵּל עַל הַחוֹלֶה וְכַיּוֹצֵא, כְּמוֹ הַחוֹלֶה בְּעַצְמוֹ מַמָּשׁ.
From this we can understand that the Rebbe actually felt the pain and suffering of the sick people for whom he prayed. He literally felt their every ache and pain.
וְכֵן נִשְׁמַע מִפִּיו כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים. וְאָמַר: בִּתְחִלָּה הָיִיתִי מְבַקֵּשׁ מֵאִתּוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ שֶׁאֶהְיֶה מַרְגִּישׁ צַעַר וְיִסּוּרִין שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, כִּי לִפְעָמִים הָיָה אֶחָד בָּא וְסִפֵּר לִי צַעֲרוֹ וְלֹא הָיִיתִי מַרְגִּישׁ הַצַּעַר, וְהָיִיתִי מִתְפַּלֵּל שֶׁאַרְגִּישׁ צַעֲרוֹ שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל. עַכְשָׁו כְּשֶׁאֶחָד מְסַפֵּר לִי צַעֲרוֹ אֲנִי מַרְגִּישׁ בְּעַצְמִי הַצַּעַר יוֹתֵר מִמֶּנּוּ. וּמַמָּשׁ נוֹטְפִין מִמֶּנִּי הַדָּמִים מִגֹּדֶל הַצַּעַר שֶׁאֲנִי מַרְגִּישׁ יוֹתֵר מִמֶּנּוּ.
The Rebbe discussed this many times. He said, “When I first began, I asked God to let me feel the pain and suffering of others. Sometimes a person would come to me and tell me his troubles, but I would feel absolutely nothing. But I prayed to God that I should feel this Jewish suffering. Now I can feel the suffering of another even more than he himself can.
כִּי הוּא יָכוֹל לַחֲשֹׁב מַחֲשָׁבוֹת אֲחֵרוֹת וְלִשְׁכֹּחַ הַצַּעַר, אֲבָל אֲנִי מַרְגִּישׁ מְאֹד כַּנַּ"ל.
“Another man can forget his own suffering by thinking of other things. But I concentrate on it very deeply, until I literally bleed because of his pain.”
וְאָמַר לְאֶחָד מֵאֲנָשָׁיו שֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ אוֹתוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁכַּח אוֹתוֹ, עָנָה וְאָמַר: "אֵיךְ אֶפְשָׁר לִשְׁכֹּחַ אֶחָד מִכֶּם? הֲלֹא כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד יֵשׁ לוֹ אֶצְלִי מָקוֹם בְּלִבִּי".
Once one of his followers asked the Rebbe not to forget him. The Rebbe replied, “How can I forget you? Don’t you realize that each one of you has a place in my heart?”