A young Reb Shneur in Chevroner Yeshiva. Wiki Photo.
There's a bit of legend mixed up in the facts, but the basic story is as follows. (
Lubavitchers always get their facts wrong, don't they?) The late BMG'er
Rebbetzin escaped to Shanghai via Kobe, Japan. (
Regardless of what Wikipedia says. she didn't go Eretz Yisroel in 1940) Before the war she was already engaged to
Reb Schneur, who made his way to
Eretz Yisroel, studying in
Chevroner Yeshiva. After the war RSK traveled to the US to be reunited with his father.
Rishel was stuck in Shanghai until 1947. So said her son
Aron at the
levaya. So the
chosson and
kallah were apart for some 6-7 years. During that time
Rishel contacted typhus or TB. I forget which. She of course recovered, but only after
Reb Meir and his
Rebbetzin nursed her back to health. She was also apparently smuggled into the US by
Lubavitcher bochurim. That's how the
Lubavitcher version goes. The
Kotler family was still worried and thought about breaking off the
shidduch, as we say in Brooklyn. The story goes that the late
Shanghai'er Rov, Reb Meir Ashkenazi, grandfather of the late
KfarChabad'er Rov, who was held in high regard by all who came in contact with him, was asked to intercede on
Rishel's behalf. He went to the
Frierdige Rebbe who sent him to the
Rebbe who told him what to do. Basically, that since they wrote the
Tenoyim already that they're required to keep the
shidduch and they should be told as much. In the end it all worked out - and the rest is history.
Reb Aryeh Malkiel Friedman. Photo Source
The funny thing is that the
Kotler family made no mention of it at the
shiva. Despite the fact that
R' Shragie Kotler married a granddaughter of
Reb Meir Ashkenazi. They have a totally different version. I heard from people who were there at the
shiva that according to the sons SHE was the one who wanted to break off the
shidduch - or at least she told them that she was no longer a
yachsan, since her father was a
Baalbatisher Yid and a
Talmid Chochom, but he's no longer alive. Her father was, after all, a
Slabodker talmid and a
chaver of RAK, and she saw that as her only right, so to speak, to enter into a family such as the
Kotlers. And also that she had been ill and that the doctors say that she will not be able to bear children. According to the family it was her future
shver that was to have told her that since
Reb Elchonon Wasserman הי"ד was the one who made the
shidduch in the first place that there was nothing to worry about, and that the
shidduch must go on.
B'chol ofen, ווי עס זאל נאר ניט זיין, it makes for good conversation.
Agav, I mentioned to a Lakewood
talmid friend of mine who grew up there that based on what they say of her, how she cared
poshut b'gashmius for every
talmid, that the title "Mother of
Klal Yisroel", which was bestowed on the very righteous
Rebbetzin Kanievski by the editors at Artscroll, would be much more suited to the
BMG'er Rebbetzin than to her, simply for the amount of
talmidim and
talmidos she came in contact with and helped out.
Zol zee zayn a gutte betterin far di gantze BMG mishpoche.
