It is well known that the Rebbe had issues with the term “kiruv rechokhim”. The Rebbe seemingly did not feel it was productive to refer to helping Jews get closer to their roots by focusing on what they are not – rechockhim; rather the focus should be on where they can improve.
Moreover, one can never know who is really closer to Hashem. HaRav Lau שליט"א told over the following: "I once mentioned to the Rebbe that I am actively involved in "Kiruv Rechokim," bringing back lost Jews who have strayed afar. The Rebbe immediately corrected me, "We cannot label anyone as being 'far'. Who are we to determine who is far and who is near? They are all close to G-d!"
At another occasion the Rebbe said: "You call them "distant"?! What gives you the right to say that you are close and they are far? You must approach each one of them as though you are the King's servant sent with a message to His most precious child!"
I would like to suggest that a similar approach be applied to those that go – “off the derech”. A. Is this name productive? B. Who can really know?
What do you think[1]?
A Positive Conversation - Letter of the Rebbe from 1944
The Rebbe: Realizing the Potential of the Jew VIDEO
[1] This idea was inspired by a tweet from a friend (@PopChassid
I’m not here to take sides regarding the actual protest. I do think it was very commendable that the site Matzav.com did not let visitors blurb their disrespectful comments about some great manhigei Yisroel and true gedolim that had differing opinions regarding if a public protest was the way to go in connection to the draft of bochurim in Eretz Yisroel.
There was something that did pop out to me in connection to some of these protests in Manhattan, that raised an interesting question.
The organizers of the protest were mainly members of the Satmar Chassidim. One of their biggest issues with Chabad’s involvement with the secular society – is the negative effect this might have on their ruchnius. Yet to go to Manhattan to make a protest IS ok. I don’t get the difference.
The argument that they are protesting the darkness so it therefore won’t affect them is the same argument of those in their Mitzvah TANKS, there to FIGHT the darkness with love.
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In Chabad we don’t make hespedim but the Rebbe once mentioned that stories we do tell.
Here’s a story.
Being that I live in Monsey I am often given the opportunity to defend Chabad on many fronts. Now just to point out, those living in bubbles around fans, are not given ample opportunity to really understand and appreciate their core shitas and styles of yidishkeit.
[Another plus to living amongst others groups of frum Jews, is that we can learn from them as well. To illustrate, I will mention an incident that I heard from Harav HaGoan HaChossid Nachmen Schapiro Shlit”a. He said that in the early years there was a non-Chabad kollel in Crown Heights. The Rebbe once passed the kollel and heard the kol Torah (sound of Torah learning) coming out the window. The Rebbe mentioned to one of his secretaries I am mekaneh (envious) of their chayus in learning.]
Well, I was having a nice conversation with a mechutan of the Vishnitzer Rebbe (Monsey). There were about 15 of his people listening to this conversation. In passing he mentioned that in the 80’s he approached the Vishnitzer Rebbe asking him whether he wanted to go the Lubavitcher Rebbe for a Yat Kislev (i.e. Yud Tes Kislev) farbrengen. The Vishnitzer Rebbe responded (I’m not quoting verbatim) NO! The farbrengen is on cable and I don’t want to encourage such shtisim! If I go anywhere I will go to Chof Alef Kislev in Satmar where they celebrate Reb Yolish זצ"ל safe arrival out of Nazi occupied Poland.
[There was obviously a great level of respect between the Vishnitzer Rebbe and the Rebbe. My cousin in Monsey told me he himself was part of group that drove the Vishnitzer Rebbe to the Rebbe’s levaya on 3 Tammuz. Unfortunately they didn’t make it due to a car crash.]
I said to him ‘Rabbi, do you know I am here because the Rebbe was on cable. I went on to tell him that my mother was flipping channels and saw the Rebbe singing ‘Tzomo Lecho Nafshi’ on Cable. She was immediately enthralled by the experience, and she called the number on the bottom of the screen. She drove in to Crown Heights that night. The rest is history! BTW her friend was also watching cable that night and had the same inspiration. She also drove in that night and met my mother there! They both have families of Chassidim with children on shlichus etc.
The Rabbi was floored, the conversation was over…
