Day 33 of the Omer

אֵצֶל אַדְמוּ"ר הָאֶמְצָעִי הָיָה לג בָּעוֹמֶר מִיָּמִים טוֹבִים הַמְצוּיָּנִים. מעֶן פלעֶגט אַרוֹיסגעֶהן אוֹיפְ'ן פעֶלד, עֶר פלעֶגט זִיךְ נִיט וואַשׁעֶן, אָבּעֶר נעֶהמעֶן מַשְׁקֶה, וואָס מִצַּד הַבְּרִיאוּת האָט עֶר עֶס נִיט געֶטאָרט. מעֶן האָט דעֶמאָלט געֶזעֶהן אַ סַך מוֹפְתִים. דאָס רוֹב מוֹפְתִים אִיז געֶוועֶן בְּנוֹגֵעַ קִינדעֶר. אוּן אַ גאַנץ יאָהר האָט מעֶן געֶוואַרט אוֹיף לג בָּעוֹמֶר.

For the Mitteler Rebbe, Lag BaOmer was one of the outstanding festivals. He would go out to the fields [together with the chassidim]. He would not partake of bread, but would say LeChayim over mashke (liquor),even though this was forbidden to him for health reasons. [The chassidim present] would witness many miracles, most of which were blessings for couples who wanted to have children. People would wait the entire year for Lag BaOmer.1

A Faithful Shepherd

A young couple had been on shlichus for several years. Their efforts had been successful and they had been able to build a base of activity in a region in which Lubavitch had enjoyed little previous exposure. The one cloud that darkened their sky was that they were childless.

One Lag BaOmer they had planned a parade in their community, but early in the morning they managed to visit Crown Heights. They approached the Rebbe as he entered “770,” and the husband repeated the brief passage quoted above. He then added: “Since the Rebbe is the Mitteler Rebbe’s successor, we are asking the Rebbe for a miracle with regard to children.”

The Rebbe’s face grew serious and he then responded Amen. Within a year, the first of the couple’s many children were born.

There are many similar stories. Not only in the Mitteler Rebbe’s era did chassidim look forward to Lag BaOmer.