Weekly Dvar Torah: Thank You Rebbe, Thank You Shluchim!
Next week, the streets of Crown Heights will buzz with energy, and the air will hum with song as thousands of Shluchim from every corner of the globe converge for the Kinnus Hashluchim. These are the men and women, the Rebbe’s soldiers, who dedicate their lives to bringing light to the darkest places. This gathering isn’t just an event; it’s a celebration of selfless devotion, unwavering faith, and a love so deep it transcends borders and barriers.
As we prepare to welcome the Shluchim with open arms, let’s take a moment to reflect on their incredible sacrifices and the miracles they create every day. These stories are more than inspiring; they are the heart and soul of what it means to live for others.
Imagine leaving the sunny, breezy streets of S Monica—the beaches, the comfort, the warmth of a vibrant Jewish community—to live in Sumy, Ukraine. A city known more for its harsh winters and its proximity to the Russian border than for anything else. Rabbi Levitansky and his wife knew what they were leaving behind, but they also knew the Rebbe’s message: Every Jew counts. Even in Sumy.
When Rabbi Levitansky applied for his visa, Ukrainian officials were baffled. “Why would anyone leave California to come here?” they asked, their skepticism quickly turning to suspicion. “He must be a spy,” they concluded. They interrogated him, demanding to know what hidden motives could possibly justify his move.
But their suspicions gave way to confusion—and eventually admiration—when they saw the truth: Rabbi Levitansky was motivated by nothing but love. Love for Jews he hadn’t even met yet. Love for a community that had been forgotten by most of the world.
Today, because of that love, Jewish life in Sumy is alive and growing. Children are learning to read Alef-Beis for the first time. Elderly Jews who hadn’t seen a Shabbos candle in decades now light them every week, tears streaming down their faces. Against all odds, in a city most people can’t find on a map, a spark of Yiddishkeit burns bright.
The name Chmielnicki is etched into Jewish history as a place of unspeakable tragedy. Here, in 1648, Bogdan Chmielnicki led the Cossack massacres that claimed hundreds of thousands of Jewish lives. For centuries, the city of Chmielnicki was a symbol of despair.
Rabbi Mendy Teitlebaum arrived in Chmielnicki with his wife and children, ready to rebuild what had been lost. It wasn’t easy. The locals were indifferent at best, and often hostile. But Rabbi Teitlebaum didn’t waver. He knew he wasn’t just building a community—he was healing a wound that had festered for centuries.
One Friday night, as his family sang Shalom Aleichem in their tiny Chabad House, there was a knock at the door. An elderly man stood there, trembling. “I heard singing,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “It’s been 80 years since I’ve heard Shabbos songs.”
That man became the first member of their fledgling community. Today, where Jewish blood once soaked the earth, Torah classes, Shabbos meals, and a mikvah stand as living proof of the Jewish spirit’s resilience.
Just weeks before the tragic Mumbai terror attacks in 2008, Rabbi Tzvi Rivkin and his wife met Rabbi Gabi and Rivki Holzberg. They saw the Holzbergs’ dedication firsthand—the way they poured their entire beings into caring for every Jew who walked through their doors.
After the attacks, Rabbi Rivkin couldn’t shake their memory. “They didn’t just give their lives for their mission—they lived their lives for it,” he said, his voice breaking. That encounter changed everything.
Leaving behind a comfortable life in Israel, Rabbi Rivkin moved with his family to Bangalore, India. It’s a place where clean water and reliable electricity are luxuries, where kosher food is almost impossible to find, and where the Jewish community is scattered and isolated.
Yet, thanks to the Rifkin’s, every Jew in Bangalore knows they are not forgotten. From hosting Shabbos meals for backpackers to organizing Jewish weddings for locals, they have transformed a remote outpost into a vibrant hub of Yiddishkeit.
What drives a person to trade comfort for hardship? To raise a family in the farthest corners of the earth, far from friends and family? It’s the Rebbe’s call: Every Jew is precious. No soul is too far. No place is too remote.
The Kinnus Hashluchim reminds us of this truth. It’s a time to honor the Shluchim—not just for their sacrifices, but for their boundless faith in the Jewish people.
As we prepare to welcome the Rebbe’s Shluchim to Crown Heights next week, let’s open our hearts to their stories. Let’s be moved by their devotion, their love, and their tireless work to bring light to every corner of the world.
May their work inspire us to carry the Rebbe’s message forward, to bring a spark of Yiddishkeit into our own lives and the lives of those around us. And may we merit the day when their efforts bear their ultimate fruit, and the entire world is filled with the knowledge of G-d as the waters cover the sea.
In the thundering voice of the legendary Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, O.B.M., the lifeforce of the Kinnus since its inception 41 years ago: “Welcome Shluchim to the Kinnus Hashluchim 5785!!!”
Have a Welcoming Shluchim Week,
Gut Shabbos
Rabbi Yosef Katzman
