During the week of R. Gavriel's sheva brachos, I encountered R. Refael Chudaidatov, the father of Reb Gavriel’s bride, on Chodzomski Street, the main street in the Jewish ghetto of the old city. I was then a young boy, just after BarMitzvah. He grabbed me tightly with his mighty hand and ordered: "You are coming with me to sheva brachos!" In general it wasn't easy to release oneself from R. Refael's powerful hands, let alone for the scrawny child I was then. And so I accompanied him to the sheva brachos which were held in the house of the groom in the Old City.

When we arrived, R. Refael sat me down next to him. He did not offer me anything to eat, because he knew that the children of Chassidim were taught never to eat anything outside of their homes. He just served me some fruit and poured me a drop of vodka to say L’chaim.

Why was it so important to him that I attend the sheva brachos? I found out during the meal. When he said L’chaim to the young couple he said, “Do you see this boy? May your children be like him!”

Thank G‑d, the blessing of R. Refael was more than fulfilled, and all of R. Gavriel Saidov's children grew up in the Torah observant way.