Story

Reb Volf once told me the following story:

In the early years in Montreal there was a young man who helped with the development of Merkos and collecting maamad etc. When he became a choson he wanted the Rebbe (before the nesius) to be mesader kiddushin but the Rebbe declined. Reb Volf was concerned that this person would feel hurt and it may affect his future involvement in askonus for Lubavitch so he called the Rebbe and tried to explain why it would be a good idea to be mesader kiddushin. The Rebbe responded:

מיט הפחדות שרעק'ן מיר נישט און מיט חניפות נעמען מיר נישט איין איך האב געזאגט איך קען נישט קומען

And hung up the phone.