On Monday thousands will visit the kever of Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel Slonim in Chevron, who was known for working miracles, and saved many through her blessings. Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel is the granddaughter of the Baal HaTanya, the founder of Chabad Chassidus, and the daughter of the Mittele Rebbe. It has become a tradition to visit her kever in Chevron to pray for salvation for one′s self, and all of Klall Yisroel.
During her lifetime famous Rabbonim felt privileged to visit her at her home in Chevron and be blessed by her. Rabbi Yechezkel of Shiniva, son of the "Divrei Chaim" of Sanz and Rabbi Eliezer Mendel of Lelov visited her and were blessed by her.
Father′s Heavenly Promise
The Rebbetzin′s longing to live in Eretz Yisroel began during the lifetime of her father, the Mittele Rebbe′s. However, it seemed that there were delays from On High for this dream to become a reality. One year the Rebbetzin fell ill, and the doctors that took care of her said that her situation is critical.
At that crucial moment a messenger was sent posthaste to her father the Rebbe, informing him of her dire situation. The Rebbe heard the message, and was silent, weighing the information in his mind. After a moment he turned to the messenger in a promising tone and bade him to go to his daughter and tell her, in his name, that she will recover quickly from her illness, and will live to travel to Eretz Yisroel.
The messenger returned to find her in bed, not moving a muscle. Someone approached her bed and whispered her father′s words in her ear, and when he repeated the Mittele Rebbe′s promise that she would live to travel to Eretz Yisroel, she opened her eyes. It didn\t take much longer until she was completely recovered.
Between the Raindrops
A few years passed and the Rebbetzin had not yet realized her holy father′s promise, and so she began preparing for the long journey to Eretz Yisroel.
Before she set off to Eretz Yisroel, Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel went to receive a blessing from her brother in law, the Rebbe Tzemach Tzedek. It was a cold and snowy winter, and the Rebbetzin told the Rebbe that she was afraid of catching cold and becoming ill, G-d forbid. The Rebbe brushed away her fears and remarked, "Nu, so what? Travel between the drops!"
The Rebbetzin took his words at face value, and set off on the tedious journey. She hired a wagon that took her and her family from Lubavitch to Shklov, and from there she hired another wagon and the family continued on their way. After letting them off in Shklov, the wagon driver returned to Lubavitch. He reported a wondrous occurrence that he witnessed while taking the Rebbetzin and her family to Shklov: it was raining very hard all the way, the roads turned thick with mud, so thick that travel was almost impossible. But when his wagon made its way on that road, it seemed as if the rains didn′t affect the roads, and the journey went smoothly.
Tradition tells that rains didn′t affect the Rebbetzin, not only on her way to the Holy Land, but throughout the years that she lived in Chevron. Raindrops never fell on her, only on her immediate surroundings. This was a well known fact in Chevron in those times.
Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel lived in Chevron for more than fifty years. She was involved in the Jewish life in Chevron, and her presence was a blessing and a strong positive influence on the city.
The Rebbe′s Shluchim in Chevron, Rabbis Danny Cohen and Victor Attiyah, have established the Menucha Rochel Institutions in Chevron, under the auspices of the Chabad House in Chevron.
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