Rebbe’s Mashke Is Reproduced

By COLlive reporter
Photos by Levi Percia

Last year, COLlive reported about a bottle of Smirnoff that the Rebbe himself touched in 1993 – a rarity as vodka is chometz and chassidim won’t sell it to a gentile for Pesach.

The Vaad Hatmimim organization explained that its source was a non Jewish physiotherapist by the name of Tony who was on the medical staff that treated the Rebbe after the 1992 stroke.

They said that Tony once saw a chossid leaving the Rebbe’s room with a bottle in connection with his birthday and the doctor, whose birthday was near, insisted on getting one as well.

But with so many bochurim in New York for the month of Tishrei, the Vaad Hatmimim decided on reproducing the mashke in a larger quantity.

Tony gave them another pour of the drink and they mixed it with Smirnoff they purchased. The tedious work included an injector with which they poured the newly created “Rebbe’s mashke” in personal small bottles.

The prized gift was given out Wednesday at the Tzeischen L’Shalom farewell farbrengen in Campus Chomesh in Crown Heights for the Tishrei guests.

Participants heard from the Rebbe’s choizer, Reb Yoel Kahn, Migdal Haemek Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Yitzchok Goldberg, Montreal Mahspia Rabbi Itche Meir Gourary and Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, Vice Chairman of Merkos.

A kovetz that was handed by the Rebbe was raffled off, in addition to tens of sets of seforim from the Rebbe, insuring that the bochurim take the inspiration back to their yeshivos.