A vital - and revolutionary - concept

The time for our audience arrived, and I knew that the wife is the mainstay of the home; it all depended on her – would it be a chasidic home, a Chabad home, or would we remain stuck on a different path? We entered – my wife, our baby girl, my son and I. We gave the Rebbe a whole list, all of our requests and questions. And the Rebbe turns to my wife and says, “Since I was informed that you are the granddaughter of the late Rabbi Amram Blau, may you live many long years, and he corresponded with me and studied Chabad teachings, Tanya, Likkutei Torah, and so on. He was a resolute person – that was his method – and he was successful: Successful in his own home, with his family – there’s no doubt about that; we can see it. But even on the street, he succeeded through his resolute ways. Since you are his granddaughter, you must be forceful in spreading the idea that women must study chasidic teachings, because they relate to the fundamental mitzvos in which women are obligated.” The Rebbe gave a whole talk, complete with sources: “As the introduction to Sefer Hachinuch states ‘One of the mitzvos is love and fear of God.’ And Maimonides writes: ‘How is one able to love and fear God? By meditating on subjects that lead to love of God.’ And whereas, the Alter Rebbe rules that women study those mitzvos in which they are obligated – you must give publicize forcefully the need for women to study Chasidism, discourses that bring one love and fear of God. This will further increase God’s blessings.” The Rebbe gave her very special blessings, which I’d rather not mention now, but during that audience she received very unique blessings. What happened next is obvious... Our home was transformed. And my wife was undeterred. She’s an administrator in a very religious school for the strictest groups in Jerusalem – she runs the department of home economics, and she speaks about it in the staff room. Wherever she goes, even at her parents’ house. It doesn’t help anyone to tell her to stop… She’s fulfilling her mission: “The Rebbe told me to spread ‘love of God and fear of God…’” To this day she does it. And thank God for it, may He continue to help her.