On Tuesday, Sivan 10 (May 23), I received a very nice letter from the Rebbe. This is a rough translation of the Hebrew:

(1) Regarding the diary, I have read it and again it finds favor in my eyes. I wish to add that your son-in-law, Rabbi Shmuel Lew, is correct when he maintains that when you write your diary and describe a farbrengen, it is worthwhile to write at least about one of the points that were discussed.

(Hitherto, I have invariably had a Yechidus before leaving for home, this, in addition to our regular one. I had requested from the Rebbe for this goodbye yechidus in a letter.)

(2) Regarding speaking to me personally before your departure: In general you are quite right. In this instance, however, there are so many people from Georgia, Bucharrah and other places in Russia, who have waited for decades for this opportunity and who will be unable to come here in the near future. They are not accustomed to write to me and they are here for only a few weeks. If I were to fulfill the aforementioned good thing, of speaking with you personally in my room more than once, then the yechidus would last a considerable time. I am sure you will agree that these people should have precedence. I am sure you will understand.

Of course I understand!

Sunday night there were over sixty people to see the Rebbe, who was kept constantly busy from 8:00 p.m. until about 5 the next morning. On Tuesday, nearly fifty people kept the Rebbe fully and continuously occupied, without a break (except for maariv), until after 4:30 in the morning.

Rabbi Shlomo Goren had visited the Rebbe a few weeks previously and stayed for two hours.

Those days (or nights!) have now gone when I could spend two and half hours at one yechidus, and then still have an additional yechidus for an hour-and-a-half before leaving for home.

Thank G‑d, in the fourteen years since I have been visiting our Rebbe, the Lubavitch movement has grown enormously all over the world.

Fifteen years ago in Manchester, one could count on the fingers of one hand the number of people who wrote to, or communicated with, the Rebbe. (I think this is also an exaggeration because after Rabbi Rein, my uncle, passed away, I cannot think of even one person who wrote to the Rebbe from Manchester, let alone visited the Rebbe.)

Today, still referring to Manchester, there are literally hundreds of men and women, boys and girls, who are constantly writing to and actually visiting the Rebbe in Brooklyn. In my own family during the past twelve months, Roselyn and I, Avrohom, Hindy and Shmuel and four grandchildren have been to see the Rebbe, and our family is small compared to others.

Multiply this all over the world and you can readily understand a quarter of this wonderful “problem.” This is the natural increase. Add to that the increase in the number of those Jews who have joined Lubavitch ranks from other branches of Judaism, or those who have converted to Judaism and joined Lubavitch. Additionally, travel by plane now is quicker, cheaper and more convenient than it used to be. It is now possible, and very plausible, to visit the Rebbe for just a few days. Look how many came last year for the 70th birthday of the Rebbe. This huge shul has become much too small, whereas fourteen years ago the even smaller shul upstairs was quite ample.

The past year has also seen the growth of another modern invention, “direct dialing.” It is a marvelous convenience. One just lifts the telephone and dials fourteen digits and in a couple of seconds one is directly in touch with 770, at only 25p for half a minute.

And everyone wants only the Rebbe. Alright, it is admitted that one does not speak directly to the Rebbe, but through the various secretaries, the Rebbe has to transmit his replies and advice that are sought, even through the phone and so forth.

How one human being can cope with such a huge “business” is beyond anyone’s understanding.

So when Label Groner tells one not to keep the Rebbe too long in yechidus, one should take notice and not be selfish, for the Rebbe’s sake and for the sake of everybody else.