The time is 1:35 AM. And I sit here with a renewed sense of passion. It's not manic enthusiasm, but rather an more introspective, in depth, even auspicious sense of understanding. There is lust, and then there's love. Lust is fleeting. It comes as a flood of impulse and emotion, but soon withers into oblivion, or worse, mediocrity. No. What I am experiencing in this moment is more than just a fleeting passion. It's a feeling of intimidation and admiration mixed with immense pride and responsibility. A connection to something that surpasses any pain, overpowers any objection, which disables any doubt. It's a love for more than financial gain, physical pleasure, or spiritual bliss. It's a love... for life. True life.
So what is Shlichus? A mission? A way of life? A chance to conquer a city?
Op-Ed: Business or Shlichus: World or Worlds?
The time is 1:35 AM. And I sit here with a renewed sense of passion. It’s not manic enthusiasm, but rather an more introspective, in depth, even auspicious sense of understanding. There is lust, and then there’s love. Lust is fleeting. It comes as a flood of impulse and emotion, but soon withers into oblivion, or worse, mediocrity. No. What I am experiencing in this moment is more than just a fleeting passion. It’s a feeling of intimidation and admiration mixed with immense pride and responsibility. A connection to something that surpasses any pain, overpowers any objection, which disables any doubt. It’s a love for more than financial gain, physical pleasure, or spiritual bliss. It’s a love… for life. True life.
So what is Shlichus? A mission? A way of life? A chance to conquer a city?
I’d say Shlichus is anything but. People tend to describe themselves as being “on Shlichus”. I think… they’re just being humble.
I grew up in it. I lived it. I experienced every moment that can be experienced – distressing and euphoric. I grew up in a family where doing what’s right was all there was. I grew up with parents who woke up, ran around, and fell back asleep totally engaged in whatever was necessary to make someone else’s life a little easier, a little sweeter, a little brighter. I grew up in a community where most people aren’t Shomer Shabbos – as a matter of fact, some don’t know what Shabbos even means. I grew up in an environment where nothing is Jewish, nothing is Chasidish, nothing is true or truthful. Nevertheless I grew up with an understanding. An understanding that there is one occupation that stands far above the rest. So spectacular in it’s vocation and so grand in its cause that many misinterpret it’s uniqueness.
I’m a Shlichus boy. I grew up helping my parents in every which way I could, whether is was delivering Michloach Manos on Purim, handing out Matzah before Pesach, or engaging people in Shul or at the Shabbos Table. As I got older this meant involving myself with greater responsibilities like leading services, Davening, Layening, even doing errands that nobody enjoys, like flagging down a cab (car broke down) and running last-minute (father was out of town) to do a funeral for someone who otherwise would have no Jewish burial. Challenging? Yes. Fulfilling? Oh yes!
So why the reluctance? Why after all these years of Mivtzoim and Gemilas Chasodim would I hesitate to assume such a role, such a revered appointment? What happened to that 4-year-old energetic young boy who would beam a huge smile at every new person who walked into Shul, jump of from his seat and hand them a Siddur opened to exactly the right page?
I went through the Chabad-Lubavitch “system” and I think I could say I saw it all – the good, the bad and the ugly.
I worked with Shluchim on just about every possible program and activity. I aquatinted myself with Shluchim from just about every continent. I met Shluchim from Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, from Israel, South America and from just about any city within the US of A.
I heard the stories, I read the books, I saw the documentaries. I met the agnostics, the atheists and the believers. I slipped into the Kinus Banquets sitting amongst leaders of world Jewry the world over, a feeling of intense power and energy that’s indescribable. I heard the stories and I’ve seen the results. I saw the big checks and I saw the even bigger bills (accounts payable that is). I saw the mighty fall and the incapacitated rise. I saw the glorious triumphs and the dishonoring defeats. I was there when The Rebbe waved his mighty arm encouraging his troops to march forward, and I was there when we learned that we must continue to march forward and yearn for that arm once again.
Although I grew up out of town I was fortunate enough to see the Rebbe physically, to get Dollars, to sit by Farbrengens, even stand for a few brief moments and sing “Yechi” when the Rebbe would come out on the balcony. I was there Gimul Tamuz, hours before I was supposed to go to camp, bewildered just as the 90-year-old Chasidim next me were. We needed a consolation, a solace, a comfort, but it would have to come from within ourselves. I remember the naysayers taunting us that Chabad would never be the same. I remember seeing the hundreds of new faces at the Kinus each year, confident that we would not only survive but grow ever stronger. I remember when Ari Halberstam was killed in cold blood on the Brooklyn Bridge. I remember when the Holtzbergs were killed in cold blood in their Chabad House in Mumbai.
So I ponder. I ponder what we are all doing here.
Some say we are here to change the world. But which world?
To change the world for our physical needs we have wonderful doctors with years of training and experience who make it their business to ensure that we treat our bodies in the best possible manner and would trade nothing for the incredible job that they do.
To change the world for our material needs we have entrepreneurs dedicating sweat and equity to make our lives just a little better, just a little easier, just a little faster, just a little less frustrating.
To change the world for our intellectual needs we have academics, professors – and if all else fails Wikipedia – providing us with any questions or queries we may have about life. (And don’t forget Ask Moses).
We have Google, Skype, Facebook, Twitter, Geni… and the list goes on. We have apps for everything under the sun! We’re more connected to everything and everyone than ever before. But does it matter?
But what of changing the world of our emotions? Isn’t that what Chabad is all about? We are racing towards a destination at a speed so incredible it baffles the mind. The amount of information on the internet doubles every 6 months – doubles! Advancements in every field are being released at rapid speeds and breakthroughs in science are reaching hyper-velocity. We will soon have exponentially more capability than we could ever have dreamed of. People are living for decades longer thanks to biotechnology. Data memory is essentially unlimited. Semiconductors and hard drives have more space than we know what to do with. And we’re just getting started. According to an industry expert we are less than halfway to where we should be with regard to the internet and worldwide networking. Cloud Computing, Web 2.0, data semantic networks – it’s all coming together.
A day will come when we will have found the means to produce a virtually endless supply of goods and services and thus demand zero cost from its consumers. We will have 24 hours in a day completely to ourselves. But then what? Who would we call? What would we say? Would we then be filling a purpose on this earth or just rummaging through our To Do lists trying to get through our day?
And that’s when my mind wanders back to Shlichus.
Shlichus isn’t an occupation. It isn’t even a lifestyle. It’s a mindset. An attitude that everyone in this world is in need of something far more meaningful than physical indulgence, narcotics and alcohol. People need purpose. Only now is the financial community realizing that without passion there is business. Only now are the wealthiest of the wealthy pledging their fortunes to help the less fortunate. Only now are people beginning to recognize that we have so much time and so little to do.
Shluchim: I commend you. For you, nothing has changed. Not before the internet and not after. Not before Gimul Tamuz and not after. Nothing, no setback, financial crisis or personal loss can ever alter your strength, determination and conviction for a cause far greater than any.
A Shliach means an emissary – someone who makes it their business to spread Torah and Yiddishkeit to wherever it may be desired; a smile, a helping hand, a good word, an inspiring thought, anything that brings a sense of goodness and truth to a tainted universe. To bring Toihu into Tikun.
People think times have changed. I assure you nothing has changed. 20 years ago there was just as much a “Shiduch Crisis” as there is today, during the Rebbe’s Farbrengens there were still Bochurim shmoozing outside, and believe it or not people were also racking their heads against the walls trying to figure out how the Rebbe could send “that couple” on Shlichus. We have increased in years and in number, but we are not changed.
Chasidus teaches that we cannot change our thoughts or our conscious, we can only change our attitudes and emotions.
It’s stated “Olam Katan Zeh Ha’odom” – every man, woman and child is a world. A world of perceptions, a world of confusions, and world of inhibitions, a world in need of life, light and happiness.
What would it mean to provide that world with a renewed sense of passion, of spiritual growth, of G-dly enlightenment?
What would it mean to have that world, go out and change other worlds, and share with them those same inspirations?
What would it mean if every person, every individual world, united as one to give thanks to the creator of all the worlds in the universe?
Be the spark! Be the change! Be the inspiration that the Rebbe instilled within us and share it with someone else who has yet to find his or her passion in life and make a difference. Be the light that dispels all darkness!
Sure you can change the world. But why not change worlds!
###
PS:
To all the comments and claims that the Shlichus network thrives on nepotism and that all the places and job placements have been filled:
Again, I’ll let you in on a little secret (2 actually). It’s a wonderful thing that hundreds of couples still yearn to go on Shlichus, but one must also realize that Shluchim take great responsibility in their community welfare and need to ensure that the right person has the right job. Shlichus is hard work and requires immense energy. Many communities lack the funds to just bring down another couple. Shluchim are right to screen and be cautious of the Shluchim they employ or of whom they are employed (we all know stories). Furthermore, it should be obvious to anyone that there are more than enough places. (This was used as early back as the 1980s). Even if every Shliach was saving places for all his little kinderlach there would be more than enough room for new Shluchim in each township – physical room. Money? Now that’s another story.
chaya99
Wowww!!!!
That was so my speed!
shkoach!!
U CAN CHANGE THE WORLD!!!
what about shlichus in our own community
Not to put down what you said, after all, the passiom is mice an all.
But what about channeling that passion, that desire to go above and beyond to the Crown Heights Community. At least 25& of the boy and girl graduate go completely off the derech and at least 50% are significantlly more modern than what is hoped for.
Passsion you say? Why not ignite the fire in our own community, a community that seems to be confused and disturbed by the mismanagement and abuse that goes on in all levels, starting from the leaders to the individual household.
Why not fix things up here first?
The educational system needs a massive transformation, starting with figuring out how to get money that these Jewish millionares are donating to Shlichus. Let half of it go to the Crown Heights schools. Once we get the proper funds we can create an incentive for talented teachers to want to work at Crown Heights schools, not because it fits in with their lifestyle, but because they have a genuine desire to teach and help their students.
The curriculum needs a massive change. The hebrew subjects taught at the boys schools needs to be taught in a more systematic fashion. There is a reason why so many boys have trouble learning, they are not taught the basic skills to be able to open up a gemarah and learn. Secondly. the hours are insane and more sports and other subjects should be incorperated into the curriculum.
There needs to be mandatory yearly psychological screenings for all students. That way things hopefully wont get by us…etc In other words, we need massive reform, right here in this neighberhood.
Impressed
Wow! Beautifully written and very introspective.
point
and your point isssssssss…..
as it is
Waxes poetic on the easy stuff, skimps on the tough stuff.
It’s not just Chabad:
Certain sections of humanity always search for deeper meaning and purpose – existentialism. For some from within that section, religion can serve as their research or experience page. For others and some outside that section, just belonging to something that seems larger than themselves is good enough. So Chabad – or any movement that speaks to humans depths like emotion or intellect – will serve as an antidote to the explosion of data and computing powers.
The volatile “PS”:
Shame on the writer for trying to shoehorn this in. The main piece at least gave a semblance of intellectual effort. I won’t address the silly attempt to justify nepotism, because that’s not the real problem anyway. The are are NOT enough places to make a livihood as a shliach. Sure, if you want to do mivtza tefillin there are enough street corners for the budding armies of shluchim. But if you want to move somewhere with a wife and future family to feed, supported by your shlichus efforts, there’s nowhere. And yet the shlichus machine of Lubavitch still starts at kindergaten thru 770 churning out hundreds a year with nowhere to go and nothing to do, unless your dad is “head” shliach somewhere. So for the other 897 newlyweds, make sure YOU don’t educate YOUR kids thru a system that has only a rear view mirror and picture in place of a clear windshield.
shliach in florida
dear oped shlichus is all about ahavas yisroel and vahavta lereacha komocha when that is practiced and not just preached then there is room and money for everyone.when it becomes a vehicle for exclusion,division and continual machlokes over turf it then becomes an obstacle to the coming of moshiach the time of passion ,vision and unity that you seem to somuch pine for and miss.ASK yourself and the HIERARCHY how many Yidden are frum in the world and how much much much more work has to be done and why do they stop us from shlichus and instead divide and obstruct etc. you know what i mean dont be so disilusioned SHLICHUS is MESIRAS NEFESH ,YOUR NEFESH BPOEL…then all the other things will come !!!!!
yid
we need both. Choosing either, still requires one ingredient: erlichkeit.
ch resident
Brilliant essay,enjoyed it very much, is the writer single? for all those who complain about the ‘system’ take your complaints to the Rebbe who instituted this ‘system’ and I think he’s smarter than all of us put together. Just take a look at YU guys (who have ‘Torah Umada’ , with all due respect its looks more like a University than a Yeshiva and if its like this now, what will be the next generation?? I was just at one of their weddings: no mechitza for eating…The Rebbe must’ve had something in mind when he said no english in schools, only hebrew subjects all day for a long day..
a shlucha at heart
I am amazed at how wonderfully articulate you are coming out of the Lubavitch system. There is hope for my children!
You don’t need a certificate and a secret handshake to do shluchis. We are all shluchim whether we have a regular 9-5 job in the outside world or teach in a cheder or run a chabad house. If we keep that in mind, always, then we never have to feel bad if we or our children have “jobs” instead of going on shluchis.
Elki
Just when I thought it was safe to read the comments, I get to #8. Why need denigrate others to prove the positivity of
Chabad and its components?
How would you justify the Ahavas Yisrael of Chabad in light of that comment?
Boruch S Wolf
When I was in yeshiva one of the yeshiva’s shluchim told me a sharp line that resonated with me to this very day; “if you have nothing to die for, you probably have nothing to live for”.
not a new yorker
I write this a person who grew up in an “out of town” community“ wich has a long history of Jewish life since Pre-revolutionary days with a full spectrum of observance and backgrounds of our people. At one time we had a flourishing very observant community as well as a very old entrenched reform community and later a conservative presence. Within each there was diversity of origins and traditions. As in the rest of America economic pressures, the push to become ”American“ and leave the old ways behind, the disconnection from the continuum of uniquie famiy an communal life and the lack of opportunity for proprer formal learning at all levels left a void which has filled by many in ways which are not consistent with the way we should be living as Jews. There is not enough room in my heart to express my gratitude to HaShem for the opportunity to become involved with our local scluchim and the resulting opportunity to live as I always wanted and knew I should but lacked the knowledge and opportunity to do so in the environment into which I was destined to be raised.
Since the Friedicher Rebbe sent out the original Schluchim in America the needs of our people have not changed. We still need support for those who adhere to the eternal paths and direction and help for those who never knew, or forgot, or remember and want to return.
Schlichus is neither an individual’s choice nor a ”career path.“ It is a charge to the individual from his ”commander“. It is part to the history of Chabad and to all chassidus back to the time of the Bal Shem Tov and of our people since Avroham Avineu and to alll mankind since Adam HaRishon. Sometimes the schlichus is for life and sometimes only for a particular mission.
Perhaps what is missing today is the lack of realization that formal schlichus is neither a right nor an obligation but a privilege and an obligation to carry out an assigned task for which one is particularly suited.
Much emphasis seems to be put on establishing new outposts to the neglect of the need for families and individuals to maintian and support already established existing communities, Crown Heights included. The days of individuals and mosdos being able to operate on a shoestring, enthusiasm and a minimum budget for more than a short while are past. Education at all levels has become onerously expensive, suffers from a lack of properly trianed Rebbeim and teachers and administrators and the funds to pay them and to cover the costs of maintaining the physical buildings. Many communities exist out of easy commute places where access to the needs of living as a Lubavitcher are limited. In many places there is an erratic or non-existant supply of cholov yisroel, pas baked goods, CH meat and chickens. Forget about sheitels. Even if a woman can get a nice sheitel the ”wig shops“ in most places have no idea how to maintin or style a good one. Many people can neither afford the time nor the costs of getting to where they can get a hat, kapote, or sheitel or replace the ones they have. Of course the schluchim face many of these same challenges but please realize that not everyone is able to bake their own bread, have family or friends to shop for them and send or bring them what they need. These matters can be a deterrant to many becoming frum or wishing to adhere to the standards of Chabad and are a frustration to those of us who live in these places.
It is imperative that paths other than formal schlichus be given equal prestige within the Chabad system. Practically there is a need for the newcomer, growing children and established Anashim to have daily contact with committed Lubavitchers in daily life both in Crown Heights and in other communities. For those of us living in other places, we need the presence of Lubavither families to maintain our shuls, fill our schools and just to show people that becoming frum or Lubavitch doesn’t mean that you have to move out of town and leave family, friends, professional practice, or established business and does not mean that children will move away. Our children and grandchildren need to see that they are ”not the only ones.“ We need permanent Rebeim and teachers for our schools, not just girls and bocherim who come for a short while. We need caterers, grocers,sheitelmachers,etc. We need people to be the baalebatim to support our mosdos and to be additional lamplighters for our communities and to encourge others to do likewise. We need people who are not schlichim to interact with others as professionals, business people, artisans, salespeople, parents, friends, family, etc. We need people to give chizzuk and practical help to our schlichim.
”Everyone is a Shaliach”
proud to be a crown heighter
To the editor of this article
And to commenter’s #2 and #5
Wow what an article you write. The point of which I don’t get (unless you are trying to praise the virtues of shlichus) then there was no need for that we all know what they are
So until I figure that out I will just comment on some things you said.
The shiduch crisis is the same as it was 20 years ago? From the article by saying you were going to camp on gimmel tamuz I can say that you 20 years ago you were a child. And therefore you don’t know what it was like 20 years ago. I got married around that time and I have children to marry off today, and there is a crisis in epic proportions now compared to what was going on then.
Your next comment, that there are enough places for people willing to go out on shlichus. And that shluchim taking out others need to be careful who they take out etc etc . Is so out of line and so demeaning to all the young couples that want to go out on shlichus and strive for it and can’t get a shot at it because of nepotism and other factors. I think you owe them an apology. The facts are a lot of shluchim that have real estate (viable places that people can sustain themselves being there on their own) are saving them for their family, and the others are trying to take some people out. There just are NOT enough places that can sustain a shliach to accommodate all the people looking to go out. So please don’t besmirch the ones that are looking to out by saying that the problem is in their qualifications.
And to commenter #2
Yes crown heights we are the ones that need to pull ourselves together and realize that if we don’t no one else will care for us. Here are some explanations of what I mean. You mention the millionaires that give out the money. Lets start with small statistics I would say in the last 5 years an average of 100 couples went out on shlichus (maybe more but not less) each one has to fundraise money before they go out, the average collects about $25,000.00 from crown heights that is about 2.5 million a year (ok so they done collect that much not all is form crown heights so it is only 1.25 million a year) times 5 years. You figure out how much money went OUT and what that does for our OWN institutions here. Yes we all have close friends and family that are out there on shlichus and we all want to help them. But can we do that at the expense of our own neighborhood? And sad to say that then when these same people who we helped and supported to go out there on shlichus whether giving them 1 dollar or more (see the rebbes sichos about giving 1 penny to tzedokah, chayeh nafshoi) they come back to crown heights(and on their blogs) and call us all “farmers” and other nice names. And when you want to marry off your child they say we are looking for a “shlichus family” oh my money is good for you but not anything else.
moshe der g
part 2
Anyway I can go on and on but the focus has to be positive and what we can do for ourselves.
But the bottom line is the money, if we keep it in our neighborhood and support our own moisdois first (how people that don’t pay full tuition and then donate money to other places is beyond me) maybe then we can build and educate our children in the right ways and then we will be a shining example for all, but people face the facts without money it won’t work (oh and stop the crying that the schools need more fundraisers and they should collect. Yes they do have them yes it is hard to collect but in the end, we can do it on our own by supporting our own moisdos first. And yes we need open books at our moisdois and we need accountability but we can get that all by donating and getting involved and being proud of what we have here in the schunah)
Remember we are the rebbes schuna, all the world sends their children here when they finish yeshiva and shlichus. We need to capitalize on our strengths and show them what we can do.
Bh there are so many new shuls opening with the younger people showing signs of community and involvement and staying out of all the politics that is destroying our youth and adults and I see the future in them and I hope and pray that they will invest time and money to better our and their neighborhood and better our moisois here, and may crown height be a shining example of what the rebbes place can look like and we can say proudly to the rebbe “look what we have done” and may we be gorem a big nachas ruach to the rebbe .
As I overheard by a chasidishe farby the other day. The rebbe did Koch zich in negel vaser and in birchas al netilas yudayim. They are mitzvois to. The rebbe understood that those things are bepashtus being done, so all these great things that we do in the rebbes name of being mekarev yidden cannot be at the expense of our own children our own moisdois, they have to be in addition to them we need to have a stron foundation to build the future. And the foundation is in our own moisois here in crown heights.
And I will stop here
And I welcome all your comments
Name withheld for obvious reasons
Lubav Girl
Dear author,
Your writing is articulate and beautiful.
I’m proud to be part of this “mindset” with you.
From what I understand, you are passionate about Shlichus. It sounds like your father may be offering you a position on Shlichus. Are you reluctant to accept that position? It sounds like you are conflicted by the sense of purpose a life of Shlichus offers you, while at the same time you promulgate the issue of lack of funds required to support Shluchim.
Have I understood your letter correctly? Are you at a turning point in your life?
chresident
very well written and well said. There r so many people who go on shlichus nowadays and they do not deserve to be called shluchim. Just because it’s hot in say Florida doesn’t mean that we don’t need to put clothes on. We do not go down a level when we r on shlichus. I personally am disgusted when it comes to chof beis shvat and u see sssssoooooooooo many women that r on “shlichus” and there hair is NOT fully covered when they r walking down kingston avenue or they r wearing skirts that when they walk r not covering there knees.
..
Very well written and a positive message to all the Rebbe’s Chasidim.
The PS is completely innappropriate though. Go tell it to the youngerleit in kollel for more than one year. You can also tell it to the poverty stricken fathers who have no plan once Shlichus did not pan out for them (many have come to me for financial assistance or Tzadokoh). Every “system” has its downside and nepotism and every space on earth BH having at least a head shliach, is something that does need to be addressed serriously and just brushed under the rug.
Lubav Girl2
Dear #12 “Not a New Yorker,”
Thank you for drawing attention to the fact that communities need Lubavitch families other than the main shluchim to create the optimal Jewish environment.
somone
very articulate and passionate. is the writer single?