Rabbi Kaufman arrived in Detroit as a learned and G-d-fearing young man. There he made the acquaintance of R’ Meir Avtzon, and their acquaintance grew into a close friendship that was to greatly impact the life of Rabbi Kaufman. Often they found occasion to learn together, both gemoro and sometimes a perek Tanya, and Rabbi Kaufman found himself turning to R’ Meir more and more often for advice and encouragement about personal matters.
At this time, Rabbi Kaufman was experiencing a crisis in his own life. It was a few years after his marriage, and he had not yet been blessed with a child. He visited a doctor, who checked out him and his wife and gave the terrible news: ‘You have no hope of bearing children’.
The couple, understandably, was devastated. Nevertheless, they did not lose hope, and immediately set up an appointment with a different doctor. Rabbi Kaufman first made a personal request of the doctor: ‘Whatever conclusion you arrive at, please share it with me and not with my wife’. He was very eager to spare his wife possible bad tidings, that he worried would negatively influence her health.
The second doctor, however, was no more positive than the first, and – disregarding the personal request of the husband – he shared with the couple his own dire prediction that concurred with that of his colleague.
The couple returned home in very low spirits, and Rabbi Kaufman shared the latest development with his friend Rabbi Avtzon, who strongly urged them to visit the Rebbe and ask for a brocho.
‘In truth’ Rabbi Kaufman later recalled, Rabbi Avtzon had already known about our predicament, and had
