Is everyone entitled to an opinion?

Yes!  But there is one condition, that it’s your field of expertise.  The plumber will opine on the latest pipes.  The doctor will offer his choice of treatment for nose bleeds, and the cheder rebbi will tell you what kind of discipline works best.  

Ok, I get it; you’re all saying, well what right do you have to give your opinion.  I can honestly say I don’t think I give my opinion on issues outside of my league.  I do try to get my writings proofed by those that can give me their unbiased opinions, and more is erased then printed (thank G-d!). 

There's a story of a famous rabbi that was puzzled as to why his children were not following in his ways, while his neighbor the simpleton, merited that many of his children grew up to be great scholars. 

He went to a Tzadik for advice.  The Tzadik explained  to him: "Since you’re a rabbi of great prestige, you therefore feel entitled to give opinions regarding your peers – all the others great sages (and his comments about them were not always that complimentary – to put it mildly).  Your neighbor on the other hand realizes that it's not his place to talk ill about others that are not on his level.  His children therefore only heard great things about rabbis.  Hence they strongly aspired to become big in Torah themselves".

Possibly the simple neighbor was not all that simple.  His approach comes from a place that many don’t reach.  Sometimes the simple path is the truer path.

Can rabbis make mistakes - The Spirituality of Imperfection

The Spirituality of Imperfection[1]

Recently a famous Rosh Yeshivah stepped down admitting to of made a big mistake.

Yes a Rosh Yeshivah can make a mistake.  Even a great Rebbe and a Tzadik can make a mistake.  Did you know that even an Angel can make a mistake (see the Shaloh Beis Yisroel 18a quoting from the Medrash).

We do hold our Rebbe’s and Rosh Yeshivahs in very high regard.  The Tzemach Tzedek (quoted in Toras Shalom p. 169) said that the Alter Rebbe in the days of the Tanaaim would have been a Tanna.  The Chazon Ish (Igros Chazon Ish Vol. 1 letter 32) referred to the Vilna Goan as a Rishon. 

And yet, the pesukim are full of references to the mistakes and imperfections of the greatest of men.  To list a few, see Melachim 1 5:46; Divrei Hayomim 6:36, Mishlei 24:16 and numerous others.  There is even a special sacrifice designated for any mistakes that the High Court makes.

The rabbis of the Talmud say that Daniel made a mistake (Megilah 12a).  The great sage Rava told his students of his possibility of making an error (Baba Basra 132a). 

Yes, the Talmud is explicit (Shabbos 55b-56a) that one that says that our great Tzadikim sinned is mistaken, or as the Talmud says (Gitin 7a,) that Hashem doesn’t even cause the animal of the Righteous to sin, that is all regarding sin, but mistakes they can and do at times make[2].

Rav Nachman of Breslov famously said (Likutey Moharan I, 72; Likutey Halakhos, Hilkhos Shiluach Hakein 4:8-11): The world makes a mistake. They think that a groisa mensch [literally, a “great person”—i.e., a Torah sage and tzaddik] can’t make a mistake. It’s not so. Such a person can make a mistake. The mistake is a mistake and the groisa mensch is still a groisa mensch.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe a in public talks and in letters admitted to making a mistake (see Igoros Kodesh Vol. 1 p. 13, p. 135, Toras Menachem Vol. 12 p. 204).

I am not comparing Rabbi Laam to the Lubavithcer Rebbe, nor am I comparing the Vilna Goan to Reb Yehudah HaNasi.

…

Recently a friend of mind told me that he scream at his 8 year old out of frustration.  Later he realized that he overreacted and apologized to his son.  How beautiful. 

Humility and honesty is so important in all aspects of our lives.  But for our leaders, our teachers and yes us as parents, can make an especially strong impact.  I do not think this diminishes their power and impact, quite the contrary.

---

[1] I took this title from the name of a well know book.

[2] .  Tosfos in his comments to Gitin ibid. says that even sins can occur inadvertently by Tzadikim, and the Talmud is only referring to sins relating to eating, where there Hashem doesn't let a sin to take place even inadvertently.   

Are we off the derech?

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

Pondering the Protest

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.

Gimmel Tammuz #19

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…

Not for votes

Someone recently showed me a clip of a very famous and influential politician shmoozing with school children for over 30 minutes.  We always see the 10 second chit chats and photo ops, but to see such a figure really sit down and hear these little kids ask him question after question, had me in a bit of awe.  This man seemed to really care; he seemed to really value the children, beyond their vote ten years down the line.  

L’havdil elef havdolos we saw this with the Rebbe (and he didn’t need the votes).  That was actually what came to my mind right away.  This politician reminded me what my Rebbe was like - on an obviously much larger scale. 

The Rebbe, as far as I know, was the only gadol (maybe in history – although Mordechai Hatzadik did gather the children on one occasion) that had numerous set times throughout the year where he would come out and spent hours with the children.  It was uniquely for them.  You would see how the Rebbe kvelled in his every moment that he spent with his children.  I’m sure the kids felt like a million bucks. 

This is a true example of an educator par excellence. 

The Rebbe’s time was precious.  But Lag Ba’omer was one of those times where the Rebbe was there with the children. 

Watch these two videos

http://tinyurl.com/cybp2df

http://tinyurl.com/dylyxbw

You see the Rebbe talk to the children for over 50 minutes!  He then watches them parade - he was there. 

How often do I feel that there are much bigger issues to deal with then listening to our little ones, and playing with them?  I mean 5 minutes is enough…

The Rebbe taught me otherwise. 

Is your child special?

Recently an educator (Mr. McCullough – a high school teacher of 27 years) spoke to a group of graduates saying:

“You’re not special. You’re not exceptional…Yes you’ve been pampered, cosseted, dotted upon, helmeted, bubble wrapped…If everyone is special than no one is…”[1].

 After he said that he was hammered, but also praised in some quarters.

I think Torah has a unique twist on this topic. Yes, “you come from a drop of semen and are destined to return to the dust of the earth[2]”. But on the other hand, we are holy. We are truly unique and G-dly. We are the chosen people. “The world was created for me (alone)[3]”. That itself is a drive to do more – but even without any accomplishments – we are really special[4].




[1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4qfUyfPEj4 
[2] Mishnah Avos 3:1
[3] Mishnah Sanhedrin 36a
[4] This is illustrated by what R’ Simcha Bunim M’Pshischa said to his students: “you should all have two pieces of paper, one should say “the world was created for me” and the other it should say “I come from dust”.