A Chassidic story a day, keeps the Yetzer Hara away

The following story was told to me by my grandfather.

I would fly to South Africa frequently, and as per my custom I visited the Lubavitcher Rebbe requesting his blessing before I would travel.

At one occasion, the Rebbe asked, if I would be stopping off at Dakar (Senegal) to which I said no – having previously inquired of the Federation who informed me that there were no Jews in Dakar. Yet before I left the audience with the Rebbe, once again he enquired, are you stopping off at Dakar?

I realized that whatever a Rebbe says is Divine so I told my wife that something is amiss, so she shouldn’t expect the usual telegram I would send upon my arrival in South Africa.

I was then flying together with a Rabbi who was going to South Africa for Kashrut supervision and I told him I believe something different may occur and lo and behold as we were flying over Dakar the pilot announced, there is engine trouble and we need to make an emergency landing.

Of course I realized this was Divine providence to go out and light the Jewish souls in Dakar.

I didn’t need to wait long, for I prayed in the airport and I saw someone staring for the full hour of my prayer intently at me. I walked over to him and I asked him “can I help you?” “Yes, my name is Clement and I am wondering if you’re a Rabbi” I answered in the affirmative.

Turns out, Clement was a Jew from Egypt and he came to Dakar to work in his uncle’s factory. I asked him “do you know of any other Jews, here?”

“No” he replied.

“Come I said to him, let’s go find the Jews of Dakar.”

We literally went onto the main street and shop by shop we asked and found app. ten families of Jews living and thank God we brought them together and started a Cheder for their children.

Clement didn’t leave my side, the three days I was in Dakar and when I was about to board the plain continuing to South Africa, I saw something was troubling him, so I said “Clement I am about to board, please tell me what’s on your mind” – “Rabbi, you won’t believe it, but for a long time, I have felt torn, because I know I should marry a Jewess, but as there are no eligible bachelorates in Dakar I said to God, ‘if you show me a sign within two weeks I will only marry a Jewess’ and I saw you on the last day of the two weeks – now, so long as I am with you, my resolve is strong, but now that you are going…”

I realized that the situation was precarious, so I grasped his hand in mine and said to him “Clement, there are many Egyptian Jews in France, promise me you’ll go there” and Clement said “I promise.”

Sure enough, three months later, an invitation came to my door inviting me to his wedding.