What is behind a holy person's supernatural abilities?

Question:

I have read a lot about the Rebbe and have heard much about him at my local Chabad Center. One area I'm interested in is his ability to know what one would ask before actually being asked. I've also read here and there that on occasion he gave blessings which healed physical ailments. I'm not a miracle seeker but I would like to know more about this aspect of his life.

Answer:

The Rebbe was a humble individual who rarely took credit for his role as a miracle worker. Instead he would attribute the miraculous results which his blessings and advice yielded to a prayer he offered at the resting place of his father-in-law, the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, or a new mitzvah which the affected individual undertook to observe. There are hundreds of published stories regarding the Rebbe's supernatural abilities, and many more remain unpublished.

How did the Rebbe know information before he was told? And what was behind the supernatural blessings that he gave?

It is explained in the chassidic teachings that we all possess a G‑dly soul. This soul is a spark of pure G‑dliness, and as such is endowed with infinite abilities, including the supernatural. In most of us, however, this divine soul is obscured by our ego and buried away deep within in our consciousness. Within a tzaddik (righteous person), this G‑dly soul is revealed and its infinite abilities are openly expressed. The body is "translucent" -- acting as no more than a conduit for the G‑dly soul.

It's hard to appreciate this aspect of the Rebbe's life without first understanding the definition of a Rebbe. The word "Rebbe" is made up of three Hebrew letters - Reish, Beit, and Yud. These letters also form the acronym of the Hebrew words "Rosh Bnei Yisroel" - "The Head of the Jewish People."

The Jewish people are compared to a large body, every Jew comprising one limb. Every generation has one leader who is the "brain," the nerve center of the entire body. Thus the Rebbe has the ability to sense the needs of all his fellow Jews and direct them in their mission in life.

For more information on this idea, may I suggest reading the book "To Know and to Care." Click here to read this book online.

The Rebbe's bond to his fellow Jews is not bodily based, rather it is a soulful connection. Jews of all walks of life come from around the world to visit the Rebbe's resting place for blessings, spiritual guidance and inspiration.

Yours truly,

Rabbi Yisroel Cotlar