Rabbi Abouchatzeira and the Rebbe

On Mondayy, a special ceremony was held in the Chabad House in Sderot in the memory of the late Chief Rabbi of the city, Rabbi David Yosef Bar Chen, who passed away eleven months ago.

Rabbi Bar Chen served in his position for around forty years, in which he became a close friend of Chabad. Some of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren became Chassidim and shluchim of the Rebbe.

Hundreds of local residents attended the memorial ceremony, including various leading Rabbis and public figures.

Among those present were the former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi Doron, the Chief Rabbi of Ramle Rabbi Yechiel Abouchatzeira, the head of the Midrashia of Sderot Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, and other leading Torah figures.

Towards the end of the ceremony, Rabbi Abouchatzeira suddenly stood up and told the following story:

One of his supporters once purchased new tefillin written by a G-d-fearing sofer. A few months later, Rabbi Abouchatzeira and this man were in New York and they went to the Rebbe for dollars. Suddenly, the Rebbe told the man to check his tefillin. Rabbi Abouchatzeira was very surprised as the tefillin were new and had been purchased from a well-known sofer. However, they followed the Rebbe’s directive – and found out that the tefillin were completely possul!

Rabbi Abouchatzeira concluded the story with a blessing that the Chabad House would continue to be successful in its holy work and to flourish in every way. 
(SOURCE & PHOTOS: COL.ORG.IL)