Travelling To A Tzaddik

(Picture courtesy of Hawaii.edu)

I have never met him face to face and he has informed me that he is planning to return to the United States for another visit. I have spoken to him on the phone at length on a number of occasions but nothing can replace seeing a tzaddik face to face; looking in his eyes and having him look into my eyes.

I am now only bound to this tzaddik with a hiskashrus comprised of a telephone line; a pseudo-hiskashrus in many people's eyes, but a hiskashrus nevertheless. In a conversation a few months ago, the Sudilkover Rebbe expressed a great desire to to meet me since we had been speaking on the phone for almost two years. He even suggested that if he was able to find time after meeting with Skverer Rebbe that he would make trip to meet me. In response I answered, "I am deeply touched Rebbe, but in all due respects, a chassid travels to his rebbe and not the rebbe to his chassid."

The opportunity passed by, and once again I foolishly missed it. I have to say that at this point I am ashamed that I have never travelled to meet him.

A few weeks ago, the Sudilkover Rebbe informed me that he was planning to return to the United States for another visit in a few weeks time. He again expressed a desire to meet me face to face to discuss in depth a question I had posed to him regarding a person's birthday and his tikkun neshoma.

To these words, I could not say no. It would be the height of idiocy.

I made a resolution in my mind that I would do everything in my power to make a trip to see the Sudilkover Rebbe when he visited Boro Park. I have been davening since then that I will be zoche to finally reach the day when I can see this tzaddik's face and speak to him heart to heart.