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Stories & Memories of Rabbi Wagner

By: Ploni May 18

Chassidesher Kook

I never learnt in Toronto but I remember one time when Rabbi Wagner came to LA and farbrenged on shabbos. There was a story going around then of a polisher chossid who couldn't have kids and R' Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin convinced him to go to the ohel. He was later blessed with a lot of kids and his youngest was named Menachem Mendel. I remember the talk being how this chossid put other names ahead of the Rebbe even though it was a clear Brachah from the Rabbe and how he should have named his first Menachem Mendel. I don't remember the way Rabbi Wagner said it but he spoke about this story and the lesson to be learnt from this chosssid. Had he named his first child Menachem Mendel, he would've accepted the Rebbe's brachah and allow himself to disassociate himself, and future Brachos from the Rebbe. By always keeping a "chov" to name a child Menachem Mendel, he understood that all his children were a Brachah from the Rebbe and that he still "owes" the Rebbe so much. I remember hearing this fresh perspective from him and it made me think about the proper way to be Dan Lechaf Zechus, as well as the proper persective one should have in his hiskashrus to the Rebbe

 
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