Weekly Story: An Enjoyable Camp Experience Is The Priority

by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon

Being that this coming week the Chasdei Avrohom Eliezer Camp Fund is having their annual fundraising campaign at www.thecampfund.com to help parents cover the expenses of paying for their young sons and daughters to go to camp, I am posting the following interaction that I had with the Rebbe’s secretary, Rabbi Hodakov. It took place in 1978, one year after the Rebbe advised that this camp fund be established. He then explained to me how important it was for the Rebbe that a child has a wholesome camp experience in the summer.

So, on behalf of the camp fund, I ask that you please participate in its campaign, and whatever amount you can contribute, it is greatly appreciated as it will help a child be happy.

The Camp Fund was established in memory of Avrohom Eliezer ben Reb Moshe Pesach Goldman, a brother-in-law whom I never had the merit or opportunity to meet, as he was tragically murdered on the 27th of Sivan, when he was only 17 years old.

As always, your comments and feedback is greatly appreciated.

Before the summer of 1978, Rabbi Simcha Zirkind asked me and Dovid Wilansky if we would be willing to go on Merkos Shlichus to Eastern Canada. He would provide us with a van that portrayed the Mivtzo’im and had the name Lubavitch emblazoned on its sides, as well as giving us contacts who would help introduce us to their community.

We agreed and visited the three main Jewish communities in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, (Moncton, Halifax and St. Johns), as well as many of the smaller towns and villages that only had a handful of Jewish families.

After those enjoyable weeks, I decided that I will be learning in 770 for the coming year, instead of continuing my learning in Montreal. One day while I was learning upstairs in 770, another person who went that summer on Merkos Shlichus to another destination, came over and said to me, that he had just given the Rebbe’s secretary, Rabbi Hodakov a report on where he had visited, and Rabbi Hodakov instructed him to ask me for my report.

I told that person that I had not written one, as no one ever told me to do so. But he should inform Rabbi Hodakov that I will immediately begin working on it. He then informed me what details the report should include.

It took me a few drafts and a few days to complete it. During those days, some friends who went on Merkos Shlichus informed me that when they handed in their report, Rabbi Hodakov gave them a dollar that the Rebbe instructed him to give to all those who went on Merkos Shlichus.
So when I entered his office and handed it to him, I stood there waiting for the Rebbe’s dollar that I believed was coming to me.

Seeing that I was waiting there, he asked me, what I was waiting for?
The dollar that the Rebbe gave you to give to each person that went on Merkos Shlichus, I replied.

The Rebbe gives the dollar to those who Merkos requested of them to go. However, being that you weren’t asked by Merkos to go, I don’t have a dollar for you.

Being quite disappointed I asked, if what I did was not considered Merkos Shlichus, so why was I told that I must hand in the report that everyone that goes on Merkos Shlichus is expected or perhaps required to submit?

The Rebbe wants to know what is going on with Jews in all communities and these reports present that information. But concerning the dollar, this is something that is given to those that are sent, not those who do it on their own initiative.

Seeing that I wasn’t happy with his answer, he explained it as follows:

In a sense you have a convincing argument, you did exactly what the others who were sent on Merkos Shlichus did; you visited far flung communities, and for those weeks you gave up the comforts of eating a regular meal etc. In addition, you didn’t wait to be asked, but knowing that this is important to the Rebbe, you did it. Therefore, you believe you deserve the dollar that the Rebbe gives to those who went on Merkos Shlichus.

However, you should know that as important as Merkos Shlichus is, there is something that is even more important to the Rebbe. And that is that the camps have their staff. We do not discuss with anyone about going on Merkos Shlichus until the camps inform us that they have their entire staff.

So you see, being a learning or activity counselor or any other staff position is a higher priority to the Rebbe, yet for whatever reason the Rebbe doesn’t give a dollar to any staff member, although he does give it to those who go on Merkos Shlichus.

So, while you definitely did what the Rebbe desires and fulfilled his wishes, I cannot give you a dollar.

With this in mind, I ask you, please help parents who are struggling financially to be able to give their children a exhilarating camp experience. Click www.thecampfund.com to donate. May Hashem bless you that you too have tremendous nachas from your own children in excellent health and prosperity.

A Taste of Chassidus
V’his’halachti B’soiche’chem 5733

In the beginning of this week’s parsha, the possuk states, “If you go in the ways of My decrees, I will give you the following rewards”; the possuk then begins to enumerate them and at the end it says, “I will dwell among you [in the Beis HaMikdash] and I will walk among you”.
We have to understand how walking amongst you is greater than I will dwell in the Beis HaMikdash? This is especially problematic as one of the qualities of the Beis HaMikdash is that it was a permanent structure whereas the Mishkan was transient, [and subsequently once the Mishkan moved to another place, the original place was no longer holy]. So why is being transient in this possuk considered a higher quality?

Being that the possuk notes that this is a reward for our actions, and we know that Hashem rewards measure for measure, so evidently it is a reward for us being transient and not stationary, (and as explained a few weeks ago that is the quality a Jew has over an angel). The question then becomes where do we see in the possuk that the Jews are transient and what is the greatness about it.

The parsha begins with the words, if you will walk in my ways, I will reward you. However, the possuk doesn’t say Teileich in the singular form (i.e. a single walk), but it says Teileichu in the plural. This shows that there are two pathways. As Chassidus explains our connection to Hashem can either be in a way that Hashem comes to us, or we go towards Him.

Furthermore, since the possuk notes that the Jews did two acts of walking, therefore, as a reward, Hashem also will do two acts of walking.

In general, it is explained that the two ways of connection with Hashem are compared to Torah and Mitzvos. Torah came from heaven to us on the earth, while mitzvos are the conduit through which the earth is elevated to heaven (its spiritual source).

However, in truth in Torah and Mitzvos themselves, both of these aspects are involved. While the Torah came down from the heaven and it cannot be changed, as the possuk commands us, “Do not add to it or take away from it” which demonstrates the connection of from above down to us; yet at the same time every Jew is supposed to reveal a new aspect in the Torah, which exemplifies from below to above.

The same thing is with Mitzvos. Yes, it is done on this earth in order to elevate it, but the Mitzvos originated from Hashem and were transmitted to us through the Torah which as noted is from Above to the earth.

So, in essence the Torah was given to us in order to elevate the world. However, not only is it
elevating the world as it was created, but its purpose is to also transform and elevate even the falsehoods that are lower than the world, which is not entirely good or evil.

The first thing that Hashem created was (time and) space. The Hebrew word for place is Mokom. The numerical value of the word Mokom is 186, which is equivalent to the name of Hashem, as Yud (10×10=100), Hei (5×5=25), Vov (6×6=36) and the final Hei (25) also equals 186. So, the name of Havaya created the world. The items that are below the world were created by Hashem’s essence.
We find this same aspect of the two duals levels (of a connection and being not connected) in regards to the Torah. In one place our sages state that the Torah preceded the world by 2000 years. So, although the Torah is much greater than the world, nevertheless it has some sort of relation with it (for if there was no relationship, there is no need to say that it is greater or higher by two thousand years etc). However, there is another statement where our sages state that the Torah is exclusively by Him, it is His enjoyment, alluding to the fact that it is detached or better said completely elevated from the world.

As discussed in the previous weeks, angels who are stationary are limited in their ascent; they cannot go into another realm, whereas humans have the ability to go to a higher level. Rashi explains that when the possuk says “If you will go in My ways”, it doesn’t merely mean that you will learn the Torah, but rather that you will be toiling in the Torah. Everyone understands that toiling is a much greater effort and concentration than merely learning regularly.

So, Hashem is promising each one of us, that if and when we go out of our comfort zone to learn His Torah and that is demonstrated by toiling in it, that just as we went above the norm of our limitations, so too He will bless us in a way of transient (or as expressed in previous weeks. walking) and He will give us something that is also above any limitations. It would be even higher than Him dwelling in the Beis HaMikdash.

But, as was asked, how is that possible that there is a level higher than the holiness emanating from the Beis Hamikdash? The answer is, we see this elsewhere as well as in Pirkei Avos, (Ethics of our Fathers, chap.5) where we learn that there were ten constant miracles that occurred daily in the Beis HaMikdash.

Hashem’s presence and glory was always in the Beis Hamikdash. Yet the purpose of making these miracles a daily occurrence was to reveal a greater level of His greatness. As noted above, there is a revelation of His holy name and a higher revelation of His essence.

This concept that Hashem’s essence reaches levels that are lower than the world which was created by His holy name, clarifies another question. Why is it that some of the rewards that are to occur when Moshiach comes are not spiritual in essence, but rather materialistic aspects, such as cakes will grow on trees? And in this parsha, one of the rewards we are promised is that Hashem will give us rain etc.?
But as explained, those materialistic items were created by Hashem’s essence and therefore, our reward would be to become connected to His essence, not merely His holy name.

Rabbi Avtzon is a veteran mechanech and the author of many books on the Rebbeim and their chassidim. He can be contacted at avtzonbooks@gmail.com