Mendel Notik

In which years did you work for the Rebbetzin? באיזה שנים עבדת אצל הרבנית?

1977-1980 (5737-5740). תשל"ז- תש"מ.

How did you come to work for the Rebbetzin?

You could say I wasn't the biggest scholar in the yeshiva, so naturally I became a sort of "activist" at 770. I successfully helped with many things at Beit Chayeinu and in the neighborhood, and then I was noticed as the right person to help the Rebbetzin in the right place.

What does it mean to "work" for the Rebbetzin?

The Rebbetzin was very, very careful about the feeling that I was supposedly her employee. The Rebbetzin generally wanted as little as possible to trouble and ask things from others, only if she really needed to. Here's an example of a story that happened to me.

Once, the Rebbetzin and I were sitting and talking, when in the middle she said to herself "Oh, I need to remember to hang my husband's shirts to dry, so that in case the house cleaner comes tomorrow, she can iron them." I immediately told her I'd be happy to do it. The Rebbetzin immediately said "No, no! That's not what I meant. I was just talking to myself. I'll do it later. This isn't work for you, I don't want to trouble you..."

I tried to tell her it wasn't trouble at all, etc., and finally I also tried my luck with the argument that I would do it for the Rebbe (which was something I would say to the Rebbetzin at times when she wouldn't allow me to do certain tasks...). But she said "No, I'll do it later." Some time later the Rebbetzin received a phone call, I went downstairs and hung the shirts to dry.

Later that night the Rebbetzin actually took the time to call me and tell me that she wasn't pleased that I had troubled myself...

Did you have fixed working hours?

No. I would usually call her every day. And when the Rebbetzin needed something, she would call me and I would come.

Can you tell us a bit about your personal relationship with the Rebbetzin?

Of course I can't tell everything. I can say that she knew how to listen. She was very, very interested in everything I was going through and what was happening with me. You must remember that I was a young man in a place without his parents. And the Rebbetzin was really like a mother to me. This was expressed in constant concern that I eat and sleep and so on.

In one of the cold winters, she pressed to go buy me a coat... and I told her not to trouble herself, I'll go buy it myself. One time she even bought me a kippah. She really felt like a mother who needs to take care of her son.

The Rebbetzin spoke a lot about the shluchim and their self-sacrifice. She was interested and full of admiration for their work. She knew what was happening with them and their families. You must remember that this was decades ago before the internet era. And despite all this, she knew what was happening with the shluchim.

Working for the Rebbetzin, does that also mean working with the Rebbe?

Almost not. Usually when the Rebbe would arrive home, I would immediately leave. I felt that the little time the Rebbe has at home with the Rebbetzin, I must not disturb. Of course there were a few 'exceptional' days. One of them, for example, was on Purim day, because of the amount of mishloach manot and phone calls coming to the house, I needed to be there, I had to stay in the house. On this day I had the opportunity to meet the Rebbe face to face.

Working in the Rebbe's house, just the thought is overwhelming, how do you "live" with that?

The principle is not to think too much. You understand that you have a great privilege to help. Take it day by day as a simple servant and focus on the work. As I will tell later, the Rebbetzin tried to use me only for things that were really difficult for her alone, and made it clear to me unambiguously on the first day that she is going to pay me every month for the work and there's nothing else to think about. Either I pay you or you won't be able to work here. And even so, she thinks ten times if she can manage without troubling me.

Also part of the mission of working in the holy, is that as few people as possible know what you're working on, to prevent pressure of questions and disturbances, because in this type of work the most important thing is to always close your eyes and ears and especially your mouth.

Many times I've heard from you about the Rebbetzin's devotion to the Rebbe.

Her entire essence was devotion to the Rebbe! Her contribution to the world (and especially to the Chassidim) was the Rebbe. She gave up for decades, day by day, her time with the Rebbe, her meal times with the Rebbe, and her sleep time, literally, and all this without complaining.

She always stayed awake at night, until the Rebbe arrived after finishing with the yechidus or farbrengens, sometimes even past midnight and 3:00 in the morning and sometimes even 6:00 in the morning. She saw the Chassidim and shluchim as her children, her devotion and caring towards them knew no bounds.

The Rebbetzin was the embodiment of perfection from the very fact of being always ready to help, to lend a listening ear and to serve everyone - as much as she could - with sincere and genuine concern.

What does the date 22 Shevat mean to you?

The day on which, to our sorrow, the Rebbe's greatest Chassid passed away. An irreplaceable loss, and you could even say that many things changed with the Rebbe after the Rebbetzin's passing. Things that everyone could see.

This day also reminds me how much the Chassidim didn't know the importance of the Rebbetzin in the Rebbe's life, and from that it's self-evident in all our lives.

Where were you when you heard the news about the Rebbetzin's passing?

At the house where I lived at the time in the King and Queen neighborhood, just a few minutes after this horrifying event happened around 1:00 AM New York time.

If you could now say 2 sentences to the Rebbetzin, what would you say to her?

I miss you very much, thank you for being like a mother to me. It's a shame you didn't let more people know your greatness and learn from you and your unique way of life.

Interview

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