Thursday, April 06, 2006
This is the first year I've ever had cleaning help for pesach. Thank you, G-d. Thank you, Margarita.
So she came today and we're both cleaning, and she started to clean a picture of the Rebbe. She asked me about him. We spoke in spanish. Despite only 2 years of it in high school, we communicate fairly well.
So she asked if he was "el papa," to which I responded that he didn't have any children. Then she said, "no, like "el papa de los Catolicos." Then I realized she was asking if the Rebbe was the Jewish pope. I laughed. How could I, with my limited spanish, explain what a Rebbe is?
So I said, "Yo soy una Lubavitcher, y el rabino esta "el papa" de los Lubavitchers," (Silently cringing for comparing the Rebbe to the pope. I didn't know how else to make her understand). "Lubabeechers?" She raised her eyebrows. "Si, estas muchos Judeos, pero todos los Judeos no estas Lubavitchers." "Ahhh," she nodded. "Y todos los Judeos no estas religiosas." "Si," I said.
I tried to explain how he loved all people, not just his own flock. Everyone was precious to him. I cursed my lousy spanish as I tried to extoll the virtues of my Rebbe to her.
If it was better, I would have explained how a rebbe is like a spiritual bridge between a person and G-d. I would have tried to explain the chossid-rebbe relationship. I would have tried to tell her about Moshiach, and the Rebbe's campaign to spread the 7 Noahide laws - the Torah's commandments that apply to all nations. If I could have, I would have told her how the Rebbe was not just the Rebbe of Lubavitch. He was - and he remains - the Rebbe for the entire world.
Yet I think that even if my spanish was muy, muy bueno, Margarita wouldn't get it anyway.
Love, Maven @ 
2 Comments:
At 12:17 AM,
Tamara said…
Great story. When I go to my rabbi's for Shabbos, they're Lubavitch too, I sometimes would chat with Katrina (their helper). She was great. I would ask the rebbetzin if she explains to Katrina why certain things were done as they were, i.e. two sinks. If you think about it, someone coming from a poor family, especially in Mexico or Central America, it would seem like so much excess with two fridges, two sinks, and for those who are able to, two ovens etc.
Now, my other Rebbe question for you. You say you would tell her or share with her that he is not just the Rebbe of Lubavitch but the rebbe of the people. I would like you to explain how you mean this? Are you saying or alluding to him being Moshiach, or am I missing something here?
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