(L-R; R'
Bentzion Shemtov, Rebbetzin Bassie, o"
h and יבלחט"א her husband R'
Shmuel (מולע) Azimov
Received via e-mail: "On an August Paris afternoon, a troubled young man rang the bell of
Rebbetzin Bassie Azimov. He had met her two years before in New York, but how things have changed. They were cousins but he could not recall how. He had fallen in with a hard crowd but had finally willed his way to 28 Rue de Vinaigriers."Who are you?" from the French window on the second floor. "
Ari Brisk," was the answer. "Who are you?" she asked again, looking at me. "What happened to you?" Two minutes later she opened the front door, admonishing him while inviting him upstairs. Rabbi
Mulle (Shmuel) Azimov was on the phone but the harsh words did not stop. To
Ari's dismay, she had drawn a bath, placed all his clothes from the dirty knapsack to wash, and was cooking a meal fit for a king- all this with harsh words, but softened by the smell of fried
shnitzel. Events took a turn for the good.Years later he'd recall this parodox- it stayed with him.
He is not the only one; there are hundreds, perhaps more.
The Jewish revolution of Paris which she spearheaded with her husband was to the curious eye a wonder, yet there were reasons. She lead her life not in the shadow of what her father, the inimitable
chosid R' Bentche Shemtov, had gone through, but as the embodiment of
mesiras nefesh for the
Rebbe's mission with dignity at every moment. Her favorite story of the
Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka being the long walk across Paris "in the cold winter" she'd emphasize, describing the trek for milk and butter for the
Rebbe in pre-War Paris.From five thirty in the morning until one o'clock the next, every day, she taught, lectured Principal a school, guided couples, suggested
shidduchim, cooked, and all this while studying
chassidus every day, sichos, one after the other. Long before igros bibliomancy, she'd approach a problem through a
sicha, "the
sicha always brings a solution." Their house was simply a sanctuary for the light of the
Rebbe's
chassidusת and that luminescence has lit many. I resided there for several months years ago, always considered her greatly, but her light as a
chosid was beyond greatness, her family and the many who knew her now see...
I'd say it was her total
bittul to the
Rebbe which allowed her to saunter from an elevated perch, and touching others, allowing
chassidus to flow through her for there was nothing else.She referred to the
Rebbe as "
dem Rebben" not
der Rebbe, implying a belonging of
chosid to
Rebbe. The
Rebbe was familiar and available but more important was the urgency of the
Rebbe's call. There was work to be done, and, arguably, no
shluchim have done that work as the
Azimovs. I once ate at their
Shabbos table when a guest, new to traditional Judaism, began asking questions about feminism and Judaism when
Bassie interrupted her with a very strong lecture about the state of women today in light of promiscuity in modern culture. I felt embarrassed for the woman;
Bassie was being too strong. To my astonishment the woman became a full
ba'alas tshuveh, within a few months. She was persistent and more importantly lived the
Rebbe's truth in heroic fashion, all this with a life threatening illness that she harbored for years.The involvement of the
Rebbe during her trying sickness, entailed daily updates and guidance. For years she ate butter and told me that when she was unable to digest food, the
Rebbe had recommended butter, and it had been the only food which she had been able to digest the following years.
Bassie never for a moment compromised. Perhaps therein is the secret, how one is imbued with that special spirit to be an infinite
chosid of "
dem Rebben."
Ad kan the email.
HT says: Rebbetzin Bassie Azimov passed away in Paris last week at the age of 67. She was the daughter of the
Chossid Reb Bentzion Shemtov of London and the wife of
Reb Shmuel (Mulle) Azimov, shliach to Paris. She and her husband were responsible for the tremendous "revolution" of
Yiddishkeit in Paris that goes on until today. What has been accomplished in France hasn't happened anywhere else in the world. Hundreds upon hundreds, if not thonsands of families that lead complete Torah lives. Some thrird generation already. All were introduced to
Yiddishkeit by
Reb Mulle and his
Rebbetzin. The love and respect, and even reverence that people who came in contact with the
Azimovs have for them is nothing short of amazing. All their
mushpoyim and
mekurovim are like their own children, and at the
levaya they cried as if their own mother had passed away. No matter where you stand on the
Chabad politics you respected
Mulle and his wife because they demanded respect. Not they demanded it, it was their work and accomplishments that demanded it for them. They themselves asked for nothing. When you saw that she had passed away you were saddened, because you knew that there is nobody that can replace her. You also cried for her husband, a
tzubrochene man physically, who suffered a stroke some years ago, and who now suffers so much more upon his mate. May the
Eybershter give him
lange, gezunte yohren, and may their children know only joy and happiness מכאן ולהבא עד עולם
