It is a Jewish Custom on the holy day of Rosh Hashana to walk to a pond or river and recite certain prayers there.

In Brooklyn, finding such a body of water within walking distance can be a bit of a problem. In the early years of the Rebbe’s leadership, there would be a whole parade every year to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens.

One year, the rain poured incessantly and most assumed the walk cancelled. “Cancelled”, however, was never part of the Rebbe’s vocabulary. When the Rebbe came out for the walk, news travelled like lightning and people scrambled to join. Upon arrival at the gardens, however, they found the gates locked and nobody there to let them in.

The wall around the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens is fairly high. The Rebbe gazed up and said softly to his assistant, “How tall do you think that wall is?”

The assistant had no time to answer. The Rebbe was already climbing the wall.

As soon as they realized what was going on, those close by rushed to assist the Rebbe. He looked down and said, “If you will allow me to do this myself, I think I will be far more successful.”