One of the Rebbe’s followers came to him on the day before Yom Kippur. The man had been very sick and told the Rebbe of his great suffering. One of his townsmen and good friends standing nearby said, “His illness has become worse because he immersed in the mikvah.”
פַּעַם אַחַת בָּא לְפָנָיו בְּעֶרֶב יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים אִישׁ אֶחָד מֵאֲנָשָׁיו שֶׁנֶּחֱלַשׁ בְּאוֹתָן הַיָּמִים וְסִפֵּר לְפָנָיו צַעֲרוֹ וְחֻלְשָׁתוֹ. וְעָמַד שָׁם עוֹד אֶחָד מֵאוֹתוֹ הָעִיר שֶׁל זֶה הָאִישׁ הַנַּ"ל, שֶׁהָיָה אוֹהֲבוֹ, וְאָמַר לִפְנֵי רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל, שֶׁחוֹלַאְתּוֹ הִכְבִּידָה עָלָיו בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁהָלַךְ הַיּוֹם לַמִּקְוֶה לִטְבֹּל.
One of the Rebbe’s followers came to him on the day before Yom Kippur. The man had been very sick and told the Rebbe of his great suffering. One of his townsmen and good friends standing nearby said, “His illness has become worse because he immersed in the mikvah.”
עָנָה רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל וְאָמַר: לָמָה אַתֶּם תּוֹלִים הַכְבָּדַת הַחוֹלַאַת בְּמִצְווֹת, טוֹב וְרָאוּי יוֹתֵר שֶׁתִּתְלוּ בַּעֲבֵרוֹת.
The Rebbe replied, “You blame the illness on a good observance. It is more fitting to blame it on sin.”
וְזֶה הָיָה בְּעֶרֶב יוֹם כִּפּוּר הָאַחֲרוֹן שֶׁל קֹדֶם הִסְתַּלְּקוּתוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בְּאוּמַאן.
This took place in Uman on the Rebbe’s last Yom Kippur.