In the small hallway near the Stairs

This morning before Shachris in 770 i went to the sink under laibels office (the new sink) not the old ones that were in the good days near the driveway.

I stood for a second near the elevator and looked at the door to the stairs, and i remembered standing there as a kid, before Bar Mitzva (so it must of been BTW Mem Tes and early Nun Alef) shaboss moring waiting for the Rebbe to come down to Shachris.

For those of you who did not grow up in 770 you might not of heard about this, but some kids would wait by the door for the Rebbe on Shaboss morning before shachris, to tell the Rebbe good shaboss, some kids would run ahead on the shevil the second they saw the Rebbe some kids would run behind the Rebbe to the ches and some would go to there fathers place.


I would Daven in the chess next to Shlomo Cunin (with eliezer Z and Slavin sticking his nose out behing the Aron kodesh) once i heard of this concept, when i came early i would wait by the door.

Prior to the Rebbe's arrival all types of discussion would take place, the second the handle would move we would freeze and stand along the wall and tell the Rebbe Good Shaboss, the feeling of Aima that you felt then in the small narrow hallway so close to the Rebbe is indescribable.


to keep in line with yisroels post on the Richuk/Kiruv. one shaboss one of my classmates, was leaning on the door, all of a sudden he feels the handle move.. it was the Rebbe (sometimes one of the vadd hamisader would come out a bit before the Rebbe to make sure all is OK) The fright an the poor boys face, he went from .. to pale...



Anyways, Bekorov Mamosh !!

One of things that most impressed my little mind during my earliest memories of 770 was how the Rebbe pulled the chair in behind while getting ready to sit down. The Rebbe reached back with his right hand and pulled the chair, which would turn the chair towards the left. And the Rebbe would straighten the chair without using the other hand, just by forcing the chair straight with the right hand, It was a pretty heavy chair, I think.

Also, in the Nuns, or maybe also earlier, when the Rebbe was saying a Sicha very often during the week and giving dollars even more often, there was a Siman that the Rebbe used, to indicate to Leibel that there would be a Sicha. Something with the hand...? Anyone remember? Am I making this up?

P.S. In connection to Birchas Kohanim...duchening in 770 by the Rebbe (Shavuos nun alef) was a mind-blowing experience for the midwestern boy. First of all, getting to the sink and back to the Bimah...that took a while. Then, you need to find a Tallis. Then you go up on the Bimah and get your shoes off...and stand on them if you want to get them back....

After Duchening, during Sim Sholom or Kaddish, I remember that the Rebbe's Tallis slipped all the way off...a sight. Anyway, as we filed off the Bimah, the Rebbe, who was standing just to the left of you as you went down the steps, nodded and said Yasher Koach Kohen to every Kohen, I think. I know I got one.

birchas kohanim

Sukkos Tof Shin Nun, i was in the ches for davening and when the Rebbe came down into the ches for birchas kohanim, i climbed on to the table of the ches on the tzofon side to be able to see the Rebbe. After a few seconds, the Rebbe motioned with his hand for me to get down. It took me a few seconds to realize what was going on. The Rebbe did it three times, until i chapped that he wanted me down, not to block the crowd behind me. I didnt tell anyone about it, hoping no one noticed. Of course that didnt work, and i got told about it all Tishrei.

A freeze in time

One afternoon in Nun Bais ,walking home from OT, carrying a cool Trapakeeper talking about who knows what, all of a sudden i notice a Cadillac driving up troy ave, everything stops as we watch the car progress, total silence, thirty seconds later life does not return to normal.

that freeze that we all got when the Rebbe walked by, but on a regular day on a pushte street.

Lcho Dodi was the highlight of life. The tunes I remember them using are Bcho Hashem Chosisi for the beginning of Lcho Dodi and the nigun simcha for Lo Sevoishi. Also, Yechi Adoneinu (the long, original one) starting at Lo Sevoishi...awesome.

Someone told me once that at the top of the steps, when the Rebbe comes upstairs after Kabolas Shabbos, the Rebbe says gut Shabbos to whoever is there. So after Lcho Dodi, I pushed out and went upstairs to wait. And takeh, the Rebbe came up the stairs, slowly, looking down the whole time, and just about before the last step (as you're turning left) the Rebbe looked up and said gut shabbos to everyone there, and I got one too.

I remember the Friday nights more than anything. I remember the waiting for the the Rebbe to come in. All the bochurim are holding some kind of kovetz and talking to each other so I also pick one up and look like I should be holding it. Then, Zirkind and Yarmush come and shove us all back and lower a table across the front of us and we're all leaning against the table towards the Rebbe's bimah.

A few times, people start shh-shing and singing but then everyone goes back to talking. Then the real thing - the serious pushing begins and the path opens up and the singing is for real...Shuva, or sisu vsimchu...and the Rebbe comes up, macht mit di hant to the Sharf boys, every time without fail and goes up the steps to his shtender...