This story occurred in the middle 1960’s. Thousands of Jews were crowded into the huge synagogue of the Chabad Chassidim in Brooklyn New York to hear the Lubavitcher Rebbe speak. Not only religious Chassidim but all sorts of Jews filled the crowd and even those who didn't understand a word of Yiddish were hypnotized by the awesomeness of the man.
Mr. Dovid Asulin came to see for himself and, although he didn't exactly believe all the stories, he was glad he came. He was born in Morocco where everyone believed in Tzadikim; uniquely holy Jews who were more G-dly than human. So all this wasn't completely new to him. Although, since he moved to France twenty years ago he had almost forgotten about Judaism, now surrounded by all these religious Jews he felt totally at home.
This was his first visit to America, he was going for business, and his friends told him that if he wanted an unforgettable experience he had to see the Lubavitcher Rebbe. And they were right.
After about two hours of listening, everyone began singing a lively melody while some people from the crowd formed a line down the middle of the room to the Rebbe and when they reached him he would give each one a bottle of vodka. Mr. Asulin didn't understand that the bottles were only for those people that were making special events throughout the world and that these people had handed in a bottle before Shabbat.
He thought that everyone was entitled to a free bottle. So he got in line as well!
When it came his turn and he was face to face with the Rebbe, the Rebbe smiled, gave him a large bottle and said in French, "This is for the wedding."
He was amazed; how did the Rebbe knew he spoke French? That was astounding. The Rebbe certainly had uncanny powers!
But one thing for sure...it also proved the Rebbe could make mistakes; What he said about for the wedding was clearly wrong. Dovid had been happily married for years!
A week later he returned to France, unpacked, and when he showed his wife the bottle they had a good laugh over what the Rebbe said. But when he visited his local Chabad house (Rabbi Chiam Malul in the city of Cartel) the Rabbi and assured him that the Rebbe is never wrong and in time he would see that it was no mistake.
"Rabbi Malul is certainly a bit brainwashed." David jested to himself, "But he is a nice Rabbi, very smart and dedicated. So what if his Rebbe made a little mistake." and forgot the entire incident.
Months later he happened to open the cabinet where he had put the bottle and it reminded him of his experience in Brooklyn. "You know" he said to his wife, "It's a shame that this should just remain unused. Let's make a party, invite all our friends and family and give them all to drink a Le'chiam. It will be fun for everyone and a blessing as well. And I'm sure they will all come. Rabbi Malul said we should use up the vodka before Passover."
They began making plans. At first they thought of making the party at their home but at the last moment decided it would be less trouble to move it to the small wedding hall of the local synagogue (in Rancee near Paris) and to have it catered by a local kosher restaurant.
The day of the party arrived and the guests began arriving in good spirits. A small band played happy music and people were exchanging greetings and handshakes. But as they were sitting down to begin the meal a Rabbi, the Rabbi of the synagogue, entered the room with a smile, looked around for the head of the party and when someone pointed to Dovid, he took him aside and whispered something in his ear.
Dovid turned to the crowd and said: "The Rabbi needs nine men to join him to make a minyan for prayer (Jews try to pray in a ‘minyan’ i.e. groups of ten or more). It will only take a few minutes, who wants to join me? I'm going to go."
In no time he had the required number following the Rabbi to the next room for what they thought would be prayer but they were in for a surprise.
In the room stood a bride and groom alone; it was a wedding! Jewish weddings also require the presence of ten adult males.
In fifteen minutes the entire wedding ceremony was over. Dovid and the other men shook the groom's hand, wished the newlyweds 'Mazal Tov' and gingerly asked where the wedding meal would be held (they also were wondering why there were no guests but were ashamed to ask).
When the groom answered that no meal had been arranged Dovid joyously announced that, if so, he invited them to his meal in the next room! Dovid's informal party suddenly became a real wedding.
The band played merrily and the men began to dance on one side of the room with the groom and the women on the other with the bride when the dancing finished they all sat down to eat.
Then in the middle of the meal Dovid stood, held up the Rebbe's bottle, cleared his throat for silence to make a toast to the newlyweds and suddenly remembered the Rebbe’s words. Now he understood that the Rebbe wasn't mistaken at all.
Excitedly he wiped his brow, called for silence and related the story.
"What!" exclaimed the bride, "That bottle is from the Lubavitcher Rebbe for my wedding!?" and she burst into tears.
When she calmed down she explained. These were tears of joy! This was her second marriage. Her first ended in a bitter divorce that, coupled with the fact that she decided to be an observant Jew, made her entire family turn against her and to complicate matters her new husband was a convert to Judaism. So neither of them had any family at the wedding.
Just before the wedding she felt so uncertain and alone that she thought she was going out of her mind until someone suggested she write a letter to the Lubavitcher Rebbe asking for some sign that the marriage would succeed. She didn’t get a return letter but she did get the bottle of vodka the Rebbe sent with Dovid Asulin.
"And here you are with the Rebbe's blessing!!"
