Can anyone tell me the significance of those dollars, which the last Lubavitch Rebbe frequently gave out?

Joseph

I heard that it was so that people would give the equivalent value of the dollar to Tzedakah.

Welcome to Global Yeshiva.

From my understanding, it is as Sam says- the Lubavitcher Rebbe zt'l gave out thousands of $1 dollar bills to each person who stood in line to recieve them. They were given the instructions that they may keep the $1 bill they recieved, but that they should put the equivilant amount towards tzedakah.

However, this brings another question of WHY the people would stand for hours upon hours in line waiting to recieve a dollar bill... what was the significance of this one dollar that they recieved? Why not simply put a dollar in the pushka?

People would stand in hours in line with the belief that by recieving a dollar touched by a holy rebbe they would would recieve a little peice of kedusha to hold onto forever.

And not only this, but many times the Lubavitcher Rebbe zt'l would give a bracha to those who waited for hours for a few seconds in which to speak to him as they recieved their dollar.

Shalom.

Thank you both for your responses.

Bracha, isn't the belief that an object touched by a holy person retains his / her kedusha close to idolatry? In the same way, someone once advised me to pray at the grave of the late Rebbe, but to me, it is equivalent to placing an agent between myself and G-d.

The reason I even posted the question was because a rav gave me a silver dollar for Chanuka, and I have no clue what I am supposed to do with it. I am not exactly of age to spin the dreidel for it.

Joseph

Today a lot of not frum people who did believe the Rebbe to be a holy man place there Dollar Bills in places of work to bring them more parnassa that it should bring them mazal or luck. Many arent shomer mitzvot in the least, so I dont know if they care, but I doubt they are allowed to beleive in such things.

quote:

Originally posted by Joseph Zeev:
I am not exactly of age to spin the dreidel for it.

Dreidel is for all ages, and for those that feel that they are too old, well, instead of playing for nickles and dimes, play with five, ten, or twenty dollar bills.