Weekly Chasidic Story#1465 (5786-16) 16 Tevet 5786 (Jan.5, 2026)

"Mystic Teachings and a Suggestion From Heaven"

"When you called, I was still under the influence of the dream. My turbulent thoughts held me captive and I could not pick up the phone. I half dreamt and half dozed."

Why This Week? We study the first parasha-section of the second book of the Torah, Both are called Shmos in the original Hebrew, which means "Names."

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Mystic Teachings and a Suggestion from Heaven

Rabbi David-Moshe Rosenbaum, the son of the Kretshnif Rebbe in Kiryat Gat, Rabbi Yisroel-Nisan Rosenbaum, merited to twice visit the Lubavitcher Rebbe--once in the winter of the year 1991 and once in the summer of the same year. His father's extraordinary admiration for the Rebbe induced him to avail himself of these opportunities.

"When you will see the Rebbe you will get an idea how a student of the Ba'al Shem Tov looks," urged his father.

"Indeed," recalls his son, "the atmosphere of holiness and spiritual elevation I absorbed there, I will forever remember."

"My winter visit with the Rebbe was in the middle of the first Gulf War during the Torah reading of Trumah. Till today, my amazement at the unfailing trust the Rebbe emanated and with which he answered anyone who asked for his opinion about the situation, especially to those in Israel, has not faded.

"The Rebbe took an unusual responsibility by advising people to go ahead with their previously planned trips to Israel, without fear. This strengthened my understanding of my father's admiration for the Rebbe. Where is there anyone it this generation who is able to take such a responsibility and have proved the reliability of his words."

This description by Rabbi Rosenbaum, who is the current Kretshnif Rebbe in Kiryat Gat, is an introduction to the following fascinating story which happened with him personally, or more precise, with his father, the Rebbe.

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It begins one time when Rabbi Rosenbaum's wife was about to give birth to one of their younger children. He was ready to take her to the hospital, yet in spite of it being 5 o'clock in the morning, he didn't want to change the tradition of all previous births of his children, so he called his parents' home to ask for his father's blessing.

His father never answered the telephone; it was always his mother who would pick up the receiver. He was waiting for her to answer so he could ask her to tell his father they were going to the hospital, and to request his holy blessing.

He waited for her to answer but no one picked up the phone. "I guess they don't hear the ringing," he thought, as he hung up and resumed making last preparations for his wife's hospital stay.

When they arrived at the hospital he tried his parents' number again. This time, to his joy, the phone was picked up. However, much to his surprise, it was the Rebbe himself who answered.

The son told his father emotionally that his wife was about to be taken to the delivery room whereupon his father, greatly moved, blessed her with an easy and smooth delivery. Rabbi Rosenbaum noticed that his father's voice didn't sound as it usually did, but being understandably distracted he didn't really pay attention.

At seven in the morning he once again called his parents. "Mazal Tov!" he cried joyfully, "In 'a good and successful time' a boy was born to us!" His father replied with the traditional "Mazal Tov" blessing, after which he added something highly unusual: "As for the name for the newborn - he has one already."

His son had no idea what his father was talking about. What did he mean "he has one already"?! Who had already chosen a name for him?

He asked his father "Please explain to me what you mean? I will accept whatever you say, Father, but I would like to know who it is that already gave a name to my newborn son and why!"

The Rebbe cleared his throat and told him: "Around 5am, at the time that you took your wife to the hospital, I saw the Lubavitcher Rebbe in a dream. The Rebbe's face was shining, and an air of joy was surrounding him while he taught me deep Torah wisdom. After he finished speaking, he remained standing near me. I understood that he wanted to add something.

"What does the Rebbe want?" I asked him. The Rebbe smiled a special smile and said, 'Soon the phone will ring; pick up the horn and you will understand what I want.'

'Exactly at that moment the phone rang," he continued. "I guess that was the first time you called. I was still completely under the influence of the dream. My turbulent thoughts held me captive and I could not pick up the phone. I half dreamt and half dozed.

"Then the phone rang again. Sudden as lightning, the Lubavitcher Rebbe appeared again and ordered, 'Nu, answer the phone.' I quickly picked up the phone and heard your voice, my son, with the good news."

Now his son understood why his father changed his habit and answered the phone himself, a direct instruction of the Lubavitcher Rebbe is not something that happens every day.

"But what has all this to do with a name?" he wondered out loud.

"You shall see, my son," explained his father; "listen carefully. I pondered what was the Rebbe referring to when he said I would understand by myself. That is when I realized that the Rebbe meant that the newborn should be called by his holy name, Menachem-Mendel. That is why I said that your son, my dear grandson, already has a name…a very special name."

It goes without saying that Rabbi Rosenbaum followed his father's instruction, who felt that this was a personal request of the Rebbe. At the brit-milah circumcision ceremony the baby's name was announced: Menachem Mendel ben HaRav David-Moshe.
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Source: Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from the basic translation by Mrs. C.R. Benami, long-time editorial assistant for AscentOfSafed.com, from the Hebrew weekly, HaGeula #1173.

Biographical Note:
Rabbi David-Moshe Rosenbaum is currently Kretshnif-Kiryat Gat Rebbe. He was named after his grandfather, who was the Rebbe of Kretshnif (in what is now Romania) until his passing in 1969. His father, Rabbi Yisroel-Nisan Rosenbaum was the Kretshnif-Kiryat Gat Rebbe until his passing in 2019. [The first Rebbe of Kretshnif was Rabbi Meir Rosenbaum of Nadvorna-Kretshnif, a son of Rabbi Mordechai Leifer, founder of the Nadvorna Chassidic dynasty and the patriarch of all the many rebbes who have "Nadvorna"--or "Kretshnif"--as part of their title.]

Compiler's Note: In addition to his two visits to the Lubavitcher Rebbe in his younger years cited in the above story, 32 years later, on 26 Tevet 5783 (1-18-23), he and his entourage were honored with a guided visit to the Rebbe's room and the next-door famous library. [The article on anash.org is accompanied by 32 interesting large photos.]

[A short video of the Kretshnif-Kiryat Gat Rebbe speaking to IDF soldiers]

Yerachmiel Tilles is co-founder and associate director of Ascent-of-Safed, and chief editor of this website (and of KabbalaOnline.org). He has hundreds of published stories to his credit, and many have been translated into other languages. He tells them live at Ascent nearly every Saturday night.

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