What I Did To Get Rebbe’s Dollar

by Zeesy Maor

On Yud Shvat I received the most precious gift that every Bas Chabad, especially of my generation, has only dreamed of receiving. This prize was from our teacher and leader, the Rebbe.

Here in the Rohr Bais Chaya Academy of Coral Springs, Florida, we have amazing and inspirational Bnos Chabad programs throughout the year. This Yud Shvat was a day the entire student body and staff awaited, as we look forward to all Chassidishe Yomei D’pagra in our school.

This year, we were fortunate to have a festive breakfast before davening which related directly to the theme of the daily Hayom Yom, “Better to eat for the sake of davening rather than to daven for the sake of eating.”

We then had an interesting and motivational farbrengen with Shliach, Rabbi Yossi Lew from Atlanta, Georgia, who enraptured us with countless stories of the Rebbe, and left us feeling the presence of the Rebbe here and now with every one of us.

We went on mivtzoim, wrote panim to the Rebbe, and painted the 10 mivtzoim on canvases to hang in our school. But if you were to ask any student what the highlight of the day was, she would tell you it was the impressive Hachlata Auction put together by our Bnos Chabad heads.

The auction included fantastic prizes, such as an entire set of Likkutei Sichos, a Living Torah JEM subscription, an Amazon gift card, a pair of Beats headphones, and more.

Although everyone was excited to win these, the grand prize of the auction was a Rebbe dollar, donated by Rabbi Yossi Lebovics of Inverary, Florida.

When I saw this priceless item, I immediately knew this was the prize I both wanted and needed. To enter the raffle, you needed to accept upon yourself a personal hachlata in an area you knew you needed to work on.

I thought deeply about which hachlata to choose and decided on something that, although seemingly small, was very important to the Rebbe. My hachlata was to say and understand in depth the daily Hayom Yom, which I had not done on a regular basis before Yud Shvat.

As I wrote down my name and hachlata on the slip of paper, I wondered if I actually had a chance at winning the dollar. After all, there are 66 girls in school, and each one of them would be vying for a chance to win this Rebbe dollar.

After dropping my ticket into the jar, I sat down with everyone else to watch a video of the Rebbe. One of our Bnos Chabad heads spoke about what it means to receive a dollar from the Rebbe.

Every single dollar the Rebbe gave out was meant for that specific person. The Rebbe knew each of our individual struggles, and he knew exactly what we needed to help accomplish the task Hashem gave to us. Not only that, but the Rebbe knew precisely who else that specific dollar would be passed on to, no matter how many hands it had to go through.

Receiving a Rebbe dollar means that the Rebbe knows who you are and what you need, and this dollar is meant to encourage you at a time when it is most imperative. It was made clear to us that the winner of this grand prize was already determined and chosen by the Rebbe himself, over 20 years ago.

As I processed all this, a personal struggle that had been troubling me for a while instantly popped up in my mind. It had been a major source of stress in my life, and it was something I didn’t know if I was strong enough to overcome. I then understood with complete clarity that if I were to be the one chosen by the Rebbe to win his dollar, this was what it was intended for.

Soon after, the video of the Rebbe began playing, but I found myself unable to focus on what the Rebbe was saying. All I saw were the Rebbe’s eyes gazing intensely and directly into my soul. It was as if everyone around me disappeared, leaving only me and my Rebbe looking at one another and knowing exactly what needed to be done. I decided right then that if I were to win this Rebbe dollar, I would know that I can and will accomplish what I need to.

As the video ended, I nearly laughed at myself, thinking that there was no way I could possibly win this raffle. It just didn’t seem to be a realistic expectation. When the prizes were drawn I only listened to the winners’ names with half an ear. All I could think about was the Rebbe’s gaze, assuring me I was strong enough to overcome any obstacle, prize or not. Finally, there was only one prize left to raffle off – the Rebbe dollar.

In the seconds before the winning name was picked out, I had two conflicting thoughts.

One told me there was no way my name would come out of that jar, but the other, stronger one told me that this was the answer to what I needed, and with Hashem’s help I would win.

A moment later, a name was called, and it took me a second to register that name was mine. I felt a smile break out on my face, but I was in shock. I couldn’t believe I actually won the Rebbe dollar. Throughout the rest of the day my mind raced. It felt like a small miracle. When we sat down to write panim to the Rebbe after the auction I wrote only thirteen words: “Thank you for the dollar. I will Iy”H accomplish what I have to.”

See, the most amazing part of receiving the dollar wasn’t just having a physical connection with the Rebbe. It was the realization and revelation of the extent of our relationship with him. The Rebbe knows who I, a 17-year old girl from Postville, Iowa, am, and I can know the Rebbe, even after Gimmel Tammuz. He knows me, he knows my struggles, and he knows what I need to overcome them.

It wasn’t just that I won a gift donated by Rabbi Lebovics, it was that through him, the Rebbe’s shliach, I received the dollar meant for me specifically. The Rebbe knew that it would be my name, Zissel Shprintza bas Devora, chosen in the raffle, and he understood exactly why.

I have already begun the long journey of fulfilling my promise to the Rebbe. Very often, you may not believe the Rebbe practically relates to you, especially those of us born after Gimmel Tammuz. I am here to tell you that he does. The Rebbe is still with us now, in every one of our personal lives. True, it may not be obvious yet, but Iy”H with our hard work and the Rebbe’s help, we will receive the ultimate grand prize – the coming of Moshiach, speedily in our days.