Weekly Story: Are We Cookie Cutters

by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon 

As we are about to begin a new school year, and teachers had attended the kinus mechanchim or mechanchos, plus many are taking additional courses to improve the skills, I decided to post for the next few weeks some pointers that I learned during the thirty some years I was teaching in the classroom. 

I will begin this series with an answer of the Rebbe that was given over to me.

As always your feedback and comments are welcomed and appreciated. 

In the summer of 5739 (1979), I was a counselor in Machane Mordechai, a camp that Rabbi JJ Hecht established for the boys who had recently arrived in New York, after the Shah of Iran was deposed.

Being that I began helping those boys from Pesach, I had a connection with many of them and they spoke openly with me, discussing their fears, thoughts and ambitions.

I also noticed that being that so many of them had suddenly arrived days before Pesach, the infrastructure that was available for them was not enough, (as the original understanding was that it would be less than 50 teenagers, and now there were close to a thousand refugees). Therefore, the education and other accommodations that was being offered to them was not to the standard that they desired, or should I say demanded.

Subsequently hundreds of them left Crown Heights and went to other Jewish institutions (such as Ner Yisroel in Baltimore) while others were picked up by their relatives and not always were they enrolled in a Jewish school.

In the camp many of the boys, who the majority of them were teenagers, mentioned their desire to obtain a first class education. 

I and many of the other counselors knew that while Rabbi Hecht was trying to give them whatever they need, there is a strong possibility that these refugees might still feel that it was inadequate, after all they are unhappy by the fact that they are separated from the comfort of their home. We therefore felt that in order that they remain religious Sephardim, the best option would be to send small groups of them to other Lubavitch school systems.

So when Rabbi Sholom Ber Hecht arrived one Thursday evening, in our discussion with him we asked, “What is the goal we should have for these campers.

When Rabbi Sholom Ber Hecht responded that the Rebbe wish is that they stay in Crown Heights, I replied, the Rebbe said that when they first came, but we see that many have already left, and numerous others are informing us that they also are planning to leave, we asked him please write to the Rebbe and ask this question in our name.

He agreed to do so and when he returned to New York after Shabbos, he sent in  this question. 

As his schedule was to return to camp every Thursday, he then related to us the Rebbe’s answer.

I, Sholom Avtzon does not recall the exact words, but this is the jist of that reply.

Being that you are asking a question about a large group of people, it is not appropriate to give a general directive, as each case may be different. 

The situation of each one should be evaluated on an individual basis, by those who know them best; in this situation it is their counselors and teachers.

Receiving this guideline from the Rebbe, at the beginning of the following school year, I together with Rabbi Shaya Berkowitz, made a special class for our most promising students that expressed an interest in advancing also in the knowledge of Judaism, and began teaching them gemorah. Ultimately, a few months later, that group of students were accepted into Ohe Elchonon Chabad, and all of them remain affiliated with Lubavitch, some are Shluchim.

So while I applaud all the teachers that spent part of their summer preparing to improve their classroom skills and the classroom environment, I want to point out that not every guideline that every master teacher says applies to every classroom and to every student in that classroom.

Each student is an individual with their unique qualities and challenges. Therefore, what works for one student or the vast majority of your students, might not work for a few of their best friends. This is especially if in previous years, you had one of your students older siblings, what worked perfectly for the older one, might be a recipe for failure for the next one.

Every experienced teacher knows of at least one student that made a drastic improvement at a certain point in the years in school. If you would ask that student, they would tell you it is because of one certain teacher and might even be able to relate to you the exact moment or interaction that caused this change. Simply put, they would say that teacher recognized me as an individual, with my own strengths and weaknesses, and dealt with me accordingly.

A Taste of Chassidus 

Va’eschanan El Hashem 5725

Va’eschanan means and I pleaded to Hashem. The question is, why does the Torah use this word instead of the regular word of Va’espallel, and I davened or something similar?

In the sifri, it is explained that the word va’eschanan brings out the concept that Moshe Rabeinu was asking Hashem to grant this request of his, as a present, not because he earned or deserved it.

A paycheck is what you deserved and earned; however, a present is something that is given to you out of the graciousness of the giver, and that was what Moshe was requesting. 

Even if (or though) I am not deserving of this request being granted, I am requesting and pleading that You grant it to me nevertheless.

The sifri continues and gives another explanation which is also mentioned in the midrash, that there are ten expressions of tefilla, and va’eschanan is one if them. 

That means that the midrash is saying that this tefillah is similar to every tefillah, however, Moshe was teaching us, that even if one has merits and therefore their request should be granted, nevertheless the person shouldn’t feel that because of those merits they can demand a reward, rather they should request it that Hashem gives it to them, out of His graciousness.

While according to the first explanation of the sifri, the person doesn’t even thing they have a merit, and therefore the request is only because of Hashems kindness.

These two explanations of Moshe’s tefillah, can be compared to the davening of Shabbos and of the weekdays. Shabbos itself is also called a present.

Being that Shabbos is elevated from a person’s actions, therefore the davening on shabbos is compared to level the sifri mentioned that Moshe requested that Hashem grant his request purely out of Hashem’s kindness. While the davening in the weekday is that although I toiled and fulfilled Hashem’s mitzvos etc, nevertheless, I am requesting that He grants it to me out of His kindness, in a manner that is much more than I “deserve.”

We can now understand what Moshe was requesting and why Hashem did not grant this request of his. 

Moshe wanted that once the Jews enter Eretz Yisroel, Hashem would grant them everything, even if they are not deserving. He wanted that Hashem should grant us the blessing of giving us a present. Subsequently, the Jews would never have been exiled, as everything is granted out of Hashem’s graciousness, even if we are not worthy or perhaps even unworthy to receive it.

But the drawback on that approach is twofold.

A. If the Jewish people wouldn’t have been exiled, how would they elevate all the sparks of holiness that are found in the exile. As our sages state that the reason we were sent into exile is to draw the world and certain individuals closer to Hashem.

B. Even if that could be managed somehow, nevertheless, Hashem desires and yearns for us to accomplish the elevation of the world, through our actions.

In other words, through our actions, we clean the world of all negative aspects that there is no impediment for Him to dwell in this physical world. But we are the ones that prepared the world, not that He did it on His own, without our involvement. 

In other words, Moshiach should come because we earned and merited it. And then the G-dly revelation will be even higher than the level that would be revealed if it comes from His kindness, as then Hashem reveals His essential connection to His nation.

Rabbi Avtzon is a veteran mechanech and the author of numerous books on the Rebbeiim and their chassidim. He is available to farbreng in your community and can be contacted at avtzonbooks@gmail.com