“I Sometimes Forget That I Never Met the Rebbe Physically”

The Rebbe is called to the Torah on Chol Hamoed Sukkot, 5749 (1989).
Rabbi Zalman Duchman is seen looking on.
Photo Credit: JEM Living Archive ID: 122279

By Zalman Duchman

A friend once said something that stopped me in my tracks. We were talking about the Rebbe, and he said, “I sometimes forget that I never met the Rebbe physically.”

He went on, “His voice feels so familiar. When I watch the videos, it’s as if His eyes are looking straight at me. And when I need guidance, I turn to Him.”

That simple line echoed deeply within me.

I was lucky. I grew up in Crown Heights. I saw the Rebbe many times. Those memories are etched in me. But my friend reminded me: this connection isn’t limited to those who stood in 770 or received a dollar from the Rebbe’s hand.

The Rebbe’s leadership was never bound by time or geography. His impact continues to reach people across generations and continents—people who may never have seen him in person but feel no less connected. For them, the Rebbe is alive in their minds, hearts, and decisions. Every day.

It’s been thirty-one years. Still, the Rebbe isn’t a figure of history. His teachings is not from the past. The most powerful stories aren’t about 1973 or 1981. They’re about today, right now.

We live in a world shaken by pain and uncertainty. But something remarkable is happening. A spiritual awakening. A sense of mission rekindled.

Young people, supposedly detached, are finding their Jewish identity. Students on college campuses are putting on tefillin for the first time, proudly, in public. Soldiers shout the Shema with full hearts before heading into battle. Businessmen are realizing their success is a means to something higher.

This isn’t random. The Rebbe foresaw this. He prepared us for this.

He called on each of us to be lamplighters, and he was clear in his expectations. He looked at a businessman and said, “You have influence. Use it.” He turned to a teenager and said, “You can reach others like you.” He looked at a woman and said, “You have your own unique power to inspire.”

And it’s happening. A young woman in Tennessee drops coins into a Colel Chabad pushka after watching a TikTok about the Rebbe and tzedakah. A mother plays a clip of the Rebbe before bedtime so her children can grow up knowing who their leader is.

Across the world, people are discovering the Rebbe’s message, not as a memory, but as a present-day force.

That’s why my friend’s words stay with me: “I sometimes forget that I never met the Rebbe physically.” Because if the Rebbe shapes how you think, how you act, how you care, then in a very real way, you have met him.

And if you haven’t yet… He is still waiting to meet you.