Reb Avraham Ber Yirmiya’s was a chossid of the Tzemach Tzedek, the Rebbe Maharash and primarily the Rebbe Rashab. The Frierdiker Rebbe spent much time with him and writes very highly of him. He was a great maskil in Chassidus, a baki be’Shas, and fluent in Kabbala and Chakira. He was also a great ba’al midos tovos. Reb Avraham Ber earned his livelihood from bookkeeping.
From a young age, Reb Avraham Ber was very inquisitive and would frequently ask his father questions about Hashem’s existence. His father was worried that his inquisitive mind might bring him to doubts in emuna r”l, so he took him to the Rebbe. He wanted the Rebbe to bentch him in this regard.
When they came into yechidus, the Tzemach Tzedek took out his handkerchief and wrapped it over his hand, and moved his hand back and forth. He asked the boy, “What do you see?” “I see a handkerchief moving from side to side,” the boy answered. “And who is moving the handkerchief?” the Rebbe continued. “The Rebbe’s Hand,” the boy answered. “But you do not see the hand?” the Rebbe asked and continued, “Which means, that things that cannot be seen with the human eye are also true and correct...”
From then on, the questions of Avraham Ber disappeared. He grew up a great maskil and a chossid. Here is an excerpt of the fascinating and moving recount of Reb Avraham Ber’s impressions of his visit to Lubavitch as a child:
“...‘Remember well,’ my father tells me, ‘the bracha that the Rebbe gave you. Im Yirtzeh Hashem, when we come home you will tell your mother everything in detail.’ I did not get a chance to prove to my father and show him that I remembered the Rebbe’s words, for at that moment Reb Zalman Yaakov Esther- Dishe’s came to my father and took him to the table to partake in the mashke and cookies that were brought.
“My father handed me a cookie as well. I loudly made a bracha ‘borei minei mezonos’, and my father and those who stood nearby answered ‘amen’. Reb Aba Dovid the Chazan and Reb Boruch Shimon the Bookbinder praised my father for bringing me to Lubavitch. “You are very wise,” Abba Dovid the Chazan said to my father, “for taking your Avraham Berel to Lubavitch. In this day and age, one has to train the children in Chassidus from the day they stand on their feet.”
“In my opinion,” added Reb Boruch Shimon, “the wisdom is more with her than with him (referring to my mother). She is truly wise. She brings in guests and she is a Chassidishe women.”
(התמים כרך א' ע' 214)
