Weekly Story: Be A Mechanech (an Educator)      

by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon

Being that this coming week there will be a kinus of mechanchim, I thought it would be appropriate to post something that the Rebbe said about the importance of being a mechanech (an educator) and perhaps more importantly the way an educator should educate his/her students, our children. 

I heard the following from Rabbi Wilhelm a shliach in Neharia, Eretz Yisroel. As always your feedback and comments are greatly appreciated and most welcomed.  

He said, when I was 9 years old, I entered into the Rebbe’s room with my father when he went for a yechdus. The Rebbe turned to me and asked what are you learning, and I answered, I am learning the perek Eleh Metzious, which discusses if a person finds items, which ones are they allowed to keep and which ones do they have to call out, in order to return it to their owner. 

The Rebbe followed the order of the mishna and asked me, if you found a string of fish and similar items, what is the law, [are you allowed to keep it or do you have to call it out]?

I replied the Mishna says the finder is allowed to keep them. 

The Rebbe looked at me and asked, a Jew worked very hard to earn money, and with that money he bought these items that you found, why are you allowed to keep them, they were bought by someone and belonged to that person? 

I froze and did not know how to reply. My father whispered to me because the owner gave up hope of finding them and when he gives up hope it is as if he relinquished his ownership, so at the moment when I found those items, they had no owner and therefore I can keep them. 

I repeated the answer to the Rebbe and he then asked me another question. What would the law be, if you were to find my sertuk (Kapota)? 

Being that they have a sign, a way to identify that it belongs to the Rebbe, I would therefore have to return them, I replied. 

The Rebbe shook his head in agreement, acknowledging that I gave the correct answer and then he said to me, “When you return to Eretz Yisroel, you are to repeat what I discussed with you with your classmates. But beforehand, you should say it over to your Melamed (teacher). 

Following the Rebbe’s instructions, I went over to my teacher and told him that the Rebbe asked me a few questions in yechidus, and he said that I should repeat it to the class. But I should first tell it to you. So I told it to him and then he informed the class that the Rebbe had instructed me to repeat the questions he asked me in yechidus to the entire class. 

Twenty years later, I met that teacher and asked him what did you think when I told you the Rebbe instructed me to repeat it to you before I repeat it to the class? 

He became very serious and after a moment of thought he replied, the Rebbe told you to repeat it to me because that was an answer that the Rebbe was sending to answer or reply to the question that I wrote to him shortly before had your yechidus. 

I wrote to the Rebbe that I don’t feel a true sense of accomplishment by teaching in a classroom. I don’t see the students becoming absorbed in the learning, as well as not seeing that I helped form and shape them into who they are to grow up to be. 

I concluded the letter that I was thinking that perhaps I should stop being a melamed (teacher), and I should follow my friends’ footsteps and go on shilichus to a new community, where I could speak with adults and then I  would have engaging conversations and change people. 

So what the Rebbe asked you in the yechidus and instructed you to repeat it to me, was  the Rebbe’s  way of  giving me practical guidance on how I should teach my students and this way I would see how they become engaged in their learning and I am indeed shaping and forming them into who they will grow up to be. 

The Rebbe began by asking you a simple question, to see if you know the halacha, or perhaps to make you feel at ease and proud that you were able to answer his question. 

But then he asked you two questions that made you think and relate to it as if it is an actual life experience.  He asked you, but someone worked hard so that they can buy that item, so if it belongs to someone could you really keep it? Just think if you, when you were nine years old, bought something with your chanukah money and lost it, and a week later you see someone holding it, would you think you could demand it back, because you believe that is the exact one that you lost.

To make it more personal, the Rebbe then asked if you found his Sartuk, could you keep it. This time he didn’t use the same case as the mishna, to show you that it wasn’t just a random person who is missing their item, it could be it belonged or still belongs to the Rebbe.

The Rebbe did that to show me that I should teach in a manner that the students relate to it and then they will be much more interested and engaged in the learning on a thoughtful level.

From this and many other anecdotes and letters, we see high highly the Rebbe valued all those who devote their life to educate children, and like in this case, young children that you might not feel or see the fruit of your labor. But it can be you, who ignited the spark in that student, and put them on a slid trajectory for the rest of their life.

We also see the importance of drawing the child/syudent into the subject matter, by bringing it alive and personal to them.

[Just to repeat Rabbi Wilhelm’s complete  thought, he asked could someone explain why the Rebbe specifically mentioned his Sartuk, and not any other item.

This coming Thursday is  Chof Av, the 81st yahrzeit of the Rebbe’s father, Reb Levi Yitzchok.

Last year on the Shabbos before Chof Av I noted that Rabbi Dovid Dubov was about to publish another volume in the series of Yalkut Levi Yitzchok, teachings of Reb Levi Yitzchok. I noted that many might want to give tzedakah on Thursday, that is directly connected to Reb Levik, and one of the ways to accomplish that is by helping cover the expenses of publishing a sefer of his. This way you are making his teachings accessible to every Jew. 

Rabbi Dubov called me a few days later to thank me, as some readers indeed contributed. That volume on Megilas Esther was published.

He is now ready to print a new volume on the five parshios of Vayikra, Tzav, Shemini, Tazria and Mitzorah. So once again those who wish can have the opportunity to share in the tremendous zechus of helping disseminating his rich teachings and obviously receive the brochos that come with that.

Rabbi Dubov can be contacted or Zelled at Rabbi@princetonchabad.org 

A Taste of Chassidus           Nachamu Nachamu Ami 5728

On the possuk of nachamu nachamu, the midrash says that because the Jewish people sinned in two aspects, therefore, they received a double measure of punishment and when they doubled their teshuva (repentance), Hashem comforts them in double measure, and therefore we have this double expression of nachamu nachamu. 

The question on this is, if the Jewish people sinned twice, that is not a double sin, it is two separate sins. So when they receive two punishments for that, it is not a double punishment, rather they are being given one single punishment for each sin? 

So, we have to understand, why does the midrash call it a double sin? 

Being that a sin is not fulfilling or going against a mitzvah, and there are two aspects accomplished through the fulfillment of every mitzvah, so when a person neglects to fulfill a mitzvah, they cause a negative in both of those aspects. Therefore, it is considered a double sin as it is only one action, (and not two different sins).

To understand this clearer, we must first explain what are the two aspects that every mitzvah accomplishes. 

Chassidus explains that Hashem created the world in order that His dwelling place be in this physical world. To accomplish that, just like when one prepares a room for their guest, the person first cleans out what they consider negative, dirt, used linen and so on, and then they bring in new and fresh things to beautify it. So too in this world, our mission is to first clean out the negative forces in the world, and then we are to elevate it (our body and our surroundings) to a higher level. This is the reason why the mitzvos are divided into two, as the possuk states סורׁמחרעׁועשהׁטוב -turn away from bad [clear out all negativity] and do positive [bring in positive light].

But we are not just elevating the world, we are also bringing our neshoma closer to Hashem.

The same thing is when a person Chas v’sholom errs and sins its negative effect is also in two aspects, since it didn’t accomplish the two positive aspects. Not only didn’t fulfill its mission, but it sullied and degraded the Neshoma, as well as causing that the lower world becomes further distanced from G-dliness.

Subsequently, its punishment is also in these two aspects. It causes the shechinah to go into exile, and Hashem’s protection to us -His nation, (because of our special connection) is weakened. Additionally, not only don’t we see open miracles that are higher than nature (which emanate from the level of Sovev kol almin), even in nature (which emanate from Mimaleh kol almin), we feel that we don’t receive a fair shake.

This brings us to teshuva, which also is in double measure. A tzaddik serves Hashem with his regular powers, meaning with the three lower parts of his neshoma that is enclothed in the body (nefesh, ruach and neshoma). However, for one to do repentance, the person has to go above their new nature, meaning drawing strength from the higher two levels of the neshoma (chaya and yechida) which don’t enclothe themself in the body. Or as we simply say in the Shema, you then serve Hashem not only with all your heart and soul, but also with all your might מאדך  בכל, which is higher than nature.

Being that you are serving Hashem above your nature, subsequently the reward for this is also higher than nature. By Matan Torah, the first word of the Aseres Hadibros is Anoichi, which means I, which is a reference to Hashem’s essence, but when one repents the possuk says Anoichi twice, which demonstrates a much greater revelation of G-dliness. 

As we also see from the saying of our sages, that a tzaddik cannot stand in the same place as one who repented, and a repentee fulfills a mitzvah with much more vigor.

Furthermore, a tzaddik can only elevate positive aspects, however, a baal teshuva can transform an intentional transgression into a meritorious act, showing this extra ability and quality. 

We now can understand why the haftara begins with the double expression of Nachamu Nachamu. One is to comfort us on the destruction of the first Beis Hamikdash and the second one is to comfort us on the destruction of the second Beis hamikdash.

One can ask, being that five aspects of the first Beis Hamikdash were missing from the second one (the Aron, Urim v’tumim etc.), that shows that the first one was greater than the second one. Therefore, Hashem should comfort us on the first tremendous loss and that includes the lesser loss as well.

Conversely, if you wish to say that the second one was greater, because it was taller and remained standing for more years, so then Hashem should comfort us only on the second one, which would also comfort us on the first one.

We find this situation in the Torah itself, the first tablets were completely made by Hashem, so seemingly they are greater than the second set, which was engraved by Moshe. Yet, our sages teach us that the second luchus were greater, as we then received many aspects of the Oral Torah, such as midrashim. But not only were they greater than the first luchos, but when Hashem granted us the second pair, He elevated even the first Luchos to a higher level.

The same thing here, Hashem is elevating the first Beis Hamikdash to a higher level.

And just as Teshuva transforms even intentional misdeeds into meritorious acts, so too our Teshuva will transform the fast day of Tisha B’av in a tremendous Yon Tov. May we merit seeing it this Shabbos the 15^th of Av.

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