The Gaze of Potential: What I Saw When the Rebbe Looked at Me

For a school project, my daughter once asked me to describe a personal interaction with the Rebbe and what that experience felt like. 

It brought me back to a vivid memory from when I was twelve years old. I found myself standing in close proximity to the Rebbe during a large Chassidic gathering - a moment captured in my current WhatsApp profile picture.

In the intervals between the Rebbe’s scholarly Torah teachings and Chassidic discourses, the thousands in attendance would sing soul-stirring Chassidic melodies.

During one of these interval intervals I found myself standing just a few feet from the Rebbe. As I was singing the rebbe turned his gaze towards me for what seemed like an eternity! As can be seen from the video, I was visibly nervous! 

I explained to her that the Rebbe’s look makes you feel transparent. I felt completely exposed; it was as if he saw every one of my weaknesses, which in turn forced me to confront them within myself.

Then came the follow-up question: 'Was there anything else you felt?’

I paused to reflect on that moment from so many years ago, and then it hit me. I told my daughter: 'Yes, there was something much deeper. While I felt exposed, the Rebbe wasn't actually looking at my flaws. He was looking through them. He saw the unique potential I possessed and the very purpose for which I was born.'

In a nutshell, this is the Rebbe's legacy. He didn't just see who we were; he saw who we could become. May we all be inspired by his supreme faith in the potential of every human being!