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Everyone Needs Someone

     During the three years he spent there, his home served the physical and emotional needs of thousands of Jews. The Rebbe did not wait for someone to come knocking at his door in need. He sent people out daily to the train station in search of Jews who were arriving from different concentration camps. They arrived as broken, dejected, oppressed shells of humanity, looking for a shred of hope or encouragement to want to live. More than once, these pitiful people arrived off the train to hear "Shalom Aleichen, the Rebbe has sent me to invite you to his home. He awaits your arrival."

     Meanwhile, the rebbetzin and her daughters would stand for hours on end happily preparing meals for whoever appeared. They were hearty, filling meals that nourished as well as make the individual feel wanted. The people felt like the Rebbe was their father and the rebbetzin was their mother. What motivated the Rebbe and his family to give so much of themselves? They simply wanted to act as YHVH'S restoring agents. Their love for each Jew was overwhelming. Their apartment became a restaurant and a dormitory. Friday night, the Rebbe's Shabbat reading brought tears to everyone present.

     The people wept in sadness over what they had lost, but also cried with renewed hope in what they could rebuild in the future, thanking YHVH for sparing their life. One young man remembers his first welcome into the apartment. As soon as the rebbetzin noticed him she said, "go wash your hands and eat." As soon as he completed his meal, eating to his heart's content, he broke down and cried uncontrollably. The years of pain and persecution, the family he lost, all surfaced with this unprecedented gesture of love and kindness that was shown from this family. The Rebbe looked at him and said, " don't worry my child, from now on this will be your home, my bread will be your bread."

      In a sense he became the kinsman redeemer to all of the people who came through his door. It's not any different for us. You will find everyone & every creature, needs someone to love them. We can't take in Holocaust victims, but we can all love "life's victims." When I see an abandoned animal on the street, I feel so terribly sad that it has no one to show it love. No one to rub it or talk to it. No animal or person should have a life without love from "someone" in it, it's a cruel thing we could eliminate if everyone followed Torah. Make a difference in "someone's" life today!