17 TISHREI : RAIN AND SUNSHINE IN THE REBBE’S SUKKA

R’ Zushe Pruss related: In 5727, I traveled to be with the Rebbe for the month of Tishrei. This visit occurred a few years after my father, my older brother Berel, and I left Russia. We made aliya and lived in Kfar Chabad

In those days, when there were few Jews who had left Russia, we merited great signs of closeness from the Rebbe. Before Tishrei, we were told that the Rebbe wants us to come and be with him for Yom Tov and that he would pay for the tickets.

I have many lovely stories and memories of that Tishrei, but I will tell you one thing that happened on Sukkos which was simply amazing.

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It was the middle of Sukkos and at that time, the Rebbe still held farbrengens in the big sukka, which was located where the guest sukka is today. Although it was a large sukka that could contain many Chassidim, it was still extremely crowded. You could barely move.

Long before the farbrengen began, the balabatim and bachurim found places from where they could see and hear. Since I came from Russia, I stood with a group of “pedigreed” guests from Russia, near the Rebbe. In the group were also the distinguished R’ Asher Sasonkin, R’ Mendel Futerfas, R’ Lazer Nannes, the brothers R’ Michel and R’ Bentzion Vishedsky, R’ Yisroel Brod, R’ Berel Gurevitz, R’ Elimelech Lebenharz, my father – R’ Shmuel Pruss, my brother Berel, and me.

As we stood and waited for the Rebbe to come in, the heavens opened suddenly and it poured. Within minutes, the rain was penetrating the sukka and falling on the heads of the hundreds of Chassidim who were waiting for the Rebbe.

The Rebbe came in and I remember that his face shone in an extraordinary way. You could see the joy of the holiday on his face. I saw that the Rebbe was wearing a coat.

He sat down and immediately began the farbrengen while the rain continued to come down. There was lightning and thunder and at a certain point a “window” opened in the s’chach and a heavy stream of water began pouring down on my head. I was drenched from head to toe.

There was some confusion and concern among the crowd. Would the farbrengen continue like this? If yes, for how long?

As I wondered about this, the Rebbe said, “Nu, maybe if we take off our coats, the rain will stop.” The Rebbe then got up, took off his raincoat and put it on the table.

Of course, everyone followed suit. The first to do so was R’ Moshe Slonim and then R’ Yisroel Leibov. I could not take off my coat because of the impossible crowding, although the coat was no help.

At that moment, and I emphasize that it was at that exact moment, a ray of sunshine came forth from the black clouds and came through the “window” in the s’chach. It was extraordinary, as up till that point thick black clouds covered the sky.

The Rebbe continued to farbreng with great joy. They sang niggunim and said l’chaim. I was finally able to concentrate a bit on what was being said, no longer having water pouring over me.

At the end of the farbrengen, after the bracha acharona, the Rebbe got up, put on his coat again, and turned to leave the sukka. A minute after he put on his coat, the skies opened up again and it continued pouring.