The story of the life of Fraida is special to me, just like the story of her younger sister Devorah Leah. Fraida inspires me with her eagerness and great knowlegde of Torah. This was more exceptional in those days than in our time. Her understanding, dedication and knowlegde of the mystical dimension of the Torah is why her father delivered a scholary discourse especially for her.
On many occasions her brother Dov Ber would have liked to ask his father a scholary question, but he felt a bit apprehensive about it, and he would rather asked Fraida instead.
One day it was such occasion that Fraida was questioning her father about the signifance of the High Priest clothing. To get the response of his father first hand, he was hiding in the room, in a corner and unseen. While Dov Ber was listening, his father patiently explanning the complicated subject to his daughter about the avnet- the sacred belt worn by the Kohen Gadol.
From his hiding place, unseen to his father, Dov Ber signaled to his sister to ask about the belt, pointing at his own belt.
When Fraida put her question acoss, the Alter Rebbe was smiling at his daughter, before answering her with a question of his own. He wanted to know why Dov Ber was hiding in the room, because he understood that was not Fraida's question, but that of her brother.
This short story emphasize the intimate bond between the Alter Rebbe and his daughter, but it also indicates her sharp and great knowlegde of Jewish studies.
Eventhough there are not many records of detailed stories about Fraida's life, there is another story much later on in her life, which emphasizes how she manifest her scholarship to great achievement.
After Fraida's death, a chossid Reb Mordechai Yoel met Rabbi Nuchem the son of Rabbi Dov Ber. They where at the kever of his grandfathers in Hoditch, it was there when the chossid asked Rabbi Nuchem why his aunt was buried besides the Alter Rebbe's kever. Rabbi Nuchem told him about an incident that happend just before Fraida's passing.
Fraida was not a physically strong woman, she became even weaker after her father's passing. She was taken to the countryside, were they believed that the fresh air would revitalize her and give her back the strength. After some time, instead of getting better and strong, Fraida grew weaker. It became obvious that her life would soon come to an end.
Fraida made a discision and gathered the chassidim, she imformed them that her life would soon come to an end, and that she would liked to be buried besides her holy father. The chassidim were at this point confused, they knew of the great respect the Alter Rebbe had for his daughter, but they weren't certain this would be appropriate.
It was a few days after her request, and once again she called the chassidim together. This time they gathered around her bedside, as she was too weak to leave the bed. Fraida began to recite Elokai neshama prayer:
" HaShem, my G-d, the neshama which you have given me, within in me is pure. "You have created it, and formed it, You have breathed into me, and You have perserved it, within me."
When Fraida reached the next words it became emotional and her pure and beautiful neshama will live on, and will inspire other women, even centuries later.
Her final words were:
" You will eventually take it from me. "
She the lifted her hands towards heaven and cried out:
" Tatty, wait, I am coming !" With these final words Fraida's neshama departed. "
The Tzemach Tzedek, tells that The Alter Rebbe's aunt Rebbetzin Devorah Leah, was a great scholar, a Lamdan he called her, which was the highest scholary distinction of that time. For this reason The Alter Rebbe named his second daughter Devorah Leah. Fraida, manifested her greatness in the realm of a gift and revelation. Both Fraida and Devorah Leah were named after their ancestors, but fraida did not earn a scholarship, it was a gift from HaShem.