It was September 2007 and I was in Monte
Carlo for a friend’s wedding.
We prayed that Saturday morning at the local
synagogue and later walked to the nearby Hotel
de Paris. Entering the lobby, I was surprised at
the large security presence. I soon learned that
the legendary former South African president
Nelson Mandela was a guest in the hotel. As it
happened, he was sitting in one of the stately
public rooms on the lobby floor as I passed by.
I instinctively wanted to meet the iconic
statesman. The slim chance of gaining access to
meet Mandela did not stop me from asking the
security guard at the door if I could please step
in to bless the former president. Just then, a
second member of the security detail
approached and asked what I wanted. The first
bodyguard explained that I was a rabbi who
wanted to bless Madiba on the holy Sabbath.
They agreed to let me go over to greet him.
As I approached the former president, he looked
up and beamed. I was dressed in the full
Chabad Shabbat attire, the flowing black frock
and black fedora, and since I had just left the
synagogue my white and black tallit was draped
over my shoulders.
After we had been introduced, Madiba invited
me to sit near him. He asked me to please bless
him and mentioned how touched he was that I
had blessed him on the Sabbath. President
Mandela also told me how much he cherished it
when ‘his rabbi,’ Chief Rabbi Cyril Harris,
would bless him back home.
Looking across at the great man, who had
suffered for decades, fought for freedom, and
pulled a splintered nation together, I felt
compelled to ask one question. Had he ever
compared his story to that of the biblical
Joseph?

Without pause, Madiba replied that he felt a
strong affinity with Joseph. Joseph had been
imprisoned for life, yet he found strength in his
positive outlook and had finally emerged to lead
a nation. With twinkling eyes, Mandela laughed
out loud: “But I spent many more years in
prison then Joseph did!”
I then asked him, “Is it in honor of Joseph’s coat
of many colors that you wear your trademark
colorful “Madiba shirts”?
“No,” he replied, “I wear these shirts to
represent my people and their struggle and to
represent the beautiful diverse cultures and
traditions of Africa.” He tenderly touched the
African continent embroidered on his custom-
made silk black shirt.
We chatted easily and he shared the story
behind the Madiba shirts. On the first Shabbat
after he had been elected president, back in May
1994, he visited South Africa’s largest
synagogue, the Green and Sea Point Hebrew
Congregation in Cape Town. “His rabbi,” Chief
Rabbi Harris had invited him to attend morning
services.

Mandela recounted how he had addressed the
packed crowd and had “appealed to the local
Jewish community to implore their South
African family members who had emigrated to
return home to help rebuild a new democratic
South Africa.” He also reassured the local
Jewish community not to be afraid of a
Government of National Unity and promised
that “together we will succeed.”
He then recalled, “When I returned to the
motorcade, my driver handed me a gift from a
women who had attended synagogue that
morning. It was a beautiful black shirt, with a
colorful design of golden fish across it. I chose
to wear that shirt to the opening of parliament of
our new democratic government.”
“After I had worn that shirt, this same woman
(South African designer Desre Buirski)would
continue to send me shirts. We become good
friends, and she designed hundreds of shirts for
me. These shirts help me carry my message all
over the world.”

He smiled and added, “And all because I went
to synagogue on a Saturday morning.”
I stood up and thanked him for the generosity of
his time and the honor of meeting him. Before I
walked off, Mr. Mandela complimented the
traditional look of my Chassidic dress. “I am
happy to see you dressed this way; you should
always be proud to wear the clothing of the
Jewish faith as a mark of honor,” he said.
As I shook his hand, he told me, “Remember
young rabbi, when you dress in your royal garb,
you represent what the Bible stands for: How
all humans are G‑d’s children, created in the
image of G‑d, regardless of ethnicity, color or
faith.”





SOURCE

Nice man #4664 #MadibaTheGreat

yeah he was