I Was Lost & Depressed - The Rebbe Said This

I wasn't sure about many things I was in a stage of uncertainty I was then in my early 30s So maybe I was too young for a midlife crisis Or maybe I just got my midlife crisis earlier than some people I was probably depressed because of this or just in general and I wasn't sure where to go I called the Rebbe And I got thru immediately to the secretary He answered on the phone hello? Who is this? In English if I'm not mistaken And the Rebbe said froma distance I know it was the Rebbes voice because I knew the Rebbes voice Who's speaking? So the secretary asked me "who's calling?" I said "I'm a Jew from Maryland, from silver springs Maryland" "Why are you calling?" I didn't say my name He says " why are you calling? " I told him I have questions about decisions I have yk make about my career" I spoke to him in English "I have questions of faith, I am a person of many questions, I'm at a very uncertain stage of my life I would like to ask the Rebbe about decisions I have to make" I used the words uncertainty and decisions So as I was talking the secretary was paraphrasing What I was saying on the phone, I imagine so that the Rebbe should hear He was saying "decisions about faith, professional choices..." Things like that. I could hear the Rebbe said in the background: "Tell him there is a Jew in Maryland to who he can speak, His name is Weinreb." The secretary says to me "did you hear what the Rebbe said? " I didn't believe my ears, Because I knew for sure I hadn't said my name. I wasn't going to say my name Unless I was directly asked And I knew I was never asked my name So he said "did you hear what the Rebbe said?" I said "no," because I wanted to hear it again. So he said "the Rebbe said ..." Quoting the Rebbe verbatim, "There is a Jew in Maryland with whom he should speak" " His name is Weinreb " So I tell the secretary" MY name is Weinreb" I heard the Rebbe say "If that's the case then he should know That somtimes one needs to speak to himself" The secretary was stunned I mean you could hear, he just stopped He was short of breath he said The Rebbe said that sometimes it's best to talk to yourself. Is your name Weinreb?! I said yes my name is Weinreb But maybe the Rebbe means a different Weinreb? He said no if the Rebbe says to talk to Weinreb You've gotta talk to Weinreb So I thanked him very much I did talk to myself and it helped Obviously since 1971 I've had many questions about many different things And unfailingly whenever I have any kind of question Even if it's a question in Jewish law Or whether I should learn this tractate this month or another tractate Or if it's a deeper question about marrying off my children My own personal decisions Before I speak with anybody else I put myself aside some time And I study something to do with the Rebbe Likkutai sichos or something to connect again And I think about it myself I listen to my "inner voice" I call it And it's very very helpful I've encouraged other people Before you go asking this and that person Whoever it is , a Rebbe a rabbi First talk to yourself Listen to what you have to say about it Sometimes that's the best advice