Sent by my beloved friend R' C.Y.A.
(Synopsis of story told by the Tolner Rebbe Shlita of Jerusalem. Note: he says due to the fantastic nature of the story he personally testifies that he verified the story and spoke himself to the person who heard it from the father/husband..)
His nephew was on a plane to N.Y. Sitting next to him was a young man with two boys. As is customary they got to talking - why they are going to NY etc. etc.,
And this is the story he told the Tolner Rebbe’s nephew:
They are a very litvish (non-Chassidic) couple from kiryat Sefer Israel (a town that is populated by very non-chasidic families (this is how he describes it).
He was married for more than ten years with no children (rach”l) and as a result the marriage was not the best harmoniously (weak Sholom Bayis), and the marriage was shaky..
The husband went to their mentor-Rov/ Rosh Yeshiva to ask what to do at this point?
He told them that unfortunately there are cases that a divorce is the only option and this seems to be one of them.
The husband told the Rov that he really doesn’t want to tell his wife,he feels to upset to take a negative situation and make it even worse!
So the Rov says that perhaps wait for a 'good' time and then tell her.., meanwhile, go home..
He went home and went to sleep. An hour later his wife wakes him up in a panic and tells him the following:
She had a very vivid dream. In the dream the Lubavitcher Rebbe appeared to her in a very vivid and clear manner (she knew him from the many pictures etc.).
The Rebbe said to her - I understand that you both are contemplating divorce (I’m not sure that even the wife herself knew of the conversation her husband had with the Rabbis that day)..
I want you to know that In the early 80’s your husband learned in the Ponovitch yeshiva (the most famous and prestigious of all “litvish” yeshiva in Israel or even the world) and at that time there was a terrible fight (machlokess) between the Litvish community and Chabad and your husband and some of his friends spoke and wrote very very negative and hateful things about Chassidus, me and my Chassidim.
So before you get divorced perhaps you both should go to a Rov and tell him what I said
and he should guide you as to what to do..
She asked her husband. Is it true what the Rebbe told her in the dream?
The husband, annoyed that he was woken up in middle of his sleep and angry that she mentioned a Rebbe whom he had extreme negative issues with, screamed at her and said “for this nonsense you wake me up?!”
He went back to sleep.
An hour later it was the husband who woke up the wife and shakily told her that he had the exact same dream!
They went to their Rov and told him the story.
The Rov (non chasidic) said that if that’s the case, this is what you need to do. You need to go to the gravesite of the Lubavitcher Rebbe and you need to take ten people and ask for forgiveness for what you said and did, and you should specify exactly what you said and did and ask him forgiveness..
And my advice to you is not to ask the Chassidim around there to be part of the minyan because when they hear what you said it would make them tremendously upset..
So the husband (who it turns out was not just a participant of the talks but a ringleader and one who really stirred up issues against Chabad and the Rebbe in the Yeshiva) told the Rov that he has a brother in law in N.Y. who has a kolel and he will supply him with the minyan.
They traveled to N.Y. and went to the Ohel and asked forgiveness and a year to the day (I think of the visit to the Ohel) they had twin boys.
And every year on their birthday he takes his boys to the Ohel and explains to them the above story and of the consequences of speaking against Tzadikim, and that Tatty (daddy) made the mistake of speaking against a tzadik and this is what happened!!
The Tolner Rebbe explained beautifully why the Lubavitcher Rebbe came all the way down from Heaven to save the marriage and life of a very strong litvishe couple, a couple who were not his chassidim, a person who hurt him etc. - because that is the essence of the Rebbe, to help people..even those who are opposed to you..
[And I think that the result of the whole story, that a Litvishe Yungerman should be spreading this message of כבוד ואמונות צדיקים is also supremely important..]
