"I'm going to tell you how I came to be born into this world. My mother was married to a man for ten years, but they were not blessed with children. As is sometimes done, they divorced, in the hope that children would be born from another marriage. After the divorce my mother remarried, but after another ten years of marriage with her second husband, she still had not had children.
"Her second husband was bitterly disappointed and wanted to divorce her, hoping to remarry, and have children with a different wife. My mother, however, refused to accept the divorce, since she knew that the likelihood of her remarrying after this was remote.
"In spite of the law which clearly allows childlessness as a basis for divorce, my mother insisted that they go to a Jewish court.
"The great rabbi who was asked to head the trio of rabbinical judges at this court-hearing was the illustrious Chasid and legal expert, Rabbi Hillel of Paritch. After hearing the particulars of the case, he agreed to head the court, but only on the condition that the court sit in Lubavitch, in the presence of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel (known as the Tzemach Tzedek).
"To everyone's great surprise, the Rebbe agreed to this request, and the court met in Lubavitch. The day of the proceeding arrived and both sides presented their arguments. The judges listened carefully and then went to confer amongst themselves.
"Finally, Reb Hillel, the chief judge, spoke: 'It is the opinion of this court that G-d should grant this couple healthy children. In this way, the matter will be resolved to the satisfaction of all concerned.'
"When he heard this verdict, the Tzemach Tzedek smiled broadly. He was heard to say in a quiet voice, 'Indeed, they should have children.'
"And so," concluded the Chasid, "here I am!"
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