Then, handing me a few rags for the walls and windows, Rabbi Groner asked me to stay on for a little longer to put on the finishing touches.
At one point, I noticed a stack of pictures sticking out of a half-open drawer in the Rebbe’s desk. When I got a closer look, I saw that it was a family photo of people that I recognized. “They must have sent this picture of themselves to the Rebbe,” I thought to myself. “I also want to send the Rebbe a picture of my own family.”
I wrote to my parents, and they soon sent me a picture of the entire Malka family which I put into a beautiful frame. Before I returned home, I had a private audience with the Rebbe. When I came into his room, along with my letter, I also presented the framed picture in an envelope, with a little dedication and the names of my family members on the back.
The Rebbe read my letter, gave me a blessing, and then opened the envelope. After studying the picture for a moment, he took the photo out of the frame and laid it on the table. Then, still holding the empty frame, the Rebbe said: “When people would bring their bikurim, the offering of the First Fruits, to the Temple, the Mishna says that the wealthy would bring their offerings in gold and silver containers, while the poor brought theirs in wicker baskets. The wicker baskets were given to the priests along with the fruit, while the expensive containers were returned to their owners.”
Then, handing me the frame, he added, “I’ve taken your picture, but, like they did with the wealthy people, I’m giving the frame back to you.” When the Rebbe returned that frame to me, he truly made me feel rich.
Reprinted from the Hoshana Rabbah 5785 email of “Here’s my Story [with the Lubavitcher Rebbe, zt”l]”, a project of The JEM Foundation. Today Rabbi Malka is one of the senior members of the Chabad community in Rishon Litziyon, Israel, He was interviewed in his home in February of 2012.
