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Dear Diary, Chabad Has Chutzpah!

Illustration Photo: Chanukah Mivtzoim.

The following is a clipping from today’s New York Times sent to us by one of our readers. In a section titled “Dear Diary,” a Jewish woman writes about her encounter with a Lubavitcher Bochur doing Chanukah Mivtzoim.

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30 Comments

  • Friedman-s pintele yid

    Only the yidden complain and call security. The pintele Yid gets aroused and the yeitzer harah kicks in to fight back. She wouldn’t have cared if someone would have asked her or the security guard if he they happened to be Buddhist. The sign that you’re doing something good is when you have opposition. Keep it up bochorim and shluchim and lets reach every Jew we can find this chanukah, ker a velt and bring Moshiach!

  • perplexed

    We are taught through Rebbeshe stories how we live in the world but are above the world due to our neshama which is actually Hashem himself. That is why the boy reacted in a way mistaken for “chutzpah” (as the world would view it.) On the divine plane he was just trying to see the Hashgacha Protis of the situation and wouldn’t accept what appeared to be the reality.
    That said, as a parent I don’t know how safe this is to have kids knocking on strange doors. I wonder what a mashpia would clarify about this.

  • sam

    Haha, that’s our boys!

    Every buisiness gets a few bad reviews here and there, no need for concern.

    Keep it up!

  • Rationalist

    Amazing how some people only see what they want to. They ignore the fact that he kid was trespassing (i.e. doing something illegal) and focus on his questioning the policeman and view it as something positive when in actually he was being Chutzpahdik.

  • Just for the record

    Since when is one not permitted to walk in the hallway of a building. Trespassing is walking in private property without permission. If someone is on the sidewalk in front of my house that is not yet trespassing only if they come into my gate. The hallway of a building in itself is not trespassing unless he becomes unruly or disturbing. Knocking on a door is not yet trespassing or else anyone who accidentally knocks on the wrong persons door is trespassing.

    Here she was self defensive and I bet she is Jewish.

  • Milhouse

    #9, Who cares whether it’s legal? Since when do we let the law get in the way of hafotzas hama’ayonos? And chutzpah is a wonderful midah when it’s used for kedusha: havei az kanomer, shelo yevosh mipnei hamal’igim. Didn’t you learn that?

    #12, So what if she doesn’t like it? It’s not up to her. There is no escaping Hashem.

  • Dovid

    first of all, it’s apparent from the way she’s writing that she liked the end. Also, if the Shluchim and Bochurim would decide that a second try to explain why they’re there is horrible “pestering”, i have a feeling that the success rate of those doing this holy shlichus of spreading Yiddishkeit and Chassidus would be a lot tower. i’m not saying to drive people totally crazy, but i don’t think this story crosses the line. and again, she herself seems to think the story was cute at the very least.

  • A Chosid

    “Small Voice” = Kol D’mama Daka קול דממה דקה

  • GTA

    i did the same the same thing when i was in a goverment building and the security guard got real p.o.ed but he let me around and i got a karkafta

    so it pays off

  • max

    That “Small” voice is Speeding up the arrival of Moshiach. A brave Small voice.
    Hatzlachah Rabba in your difficult task.

  • Mendy Hecht

    “That’s an appropriate question.”

    Translation: Don’t remind me I’m Jewish!

    At least she’s a good writer with a sense of humor.

  • chabad isn-t about being qeute

    people only see the first half of the story: chabadsters knocking on doors and asking poeple etc. as if they have nothing better to do with their lives.

    But they don’t see the rest of the story. How many of those elderly poeple in the brighton beach apartments are brought to tears when offered a menorah or a listening ear. Some of them are reminded of their childhood. If you would see the life it brings to them you would do anything even if it meant knoking on doors in apartment buildings. It’s like searching for a lost ring. That’s why they do it. To hell with security.

  • bucher

    Why is it always the goyim who are so inviting and fascinated to receive a knock on the door..?

    Freud was right about the defenses kicking in