B”H
Being A Chabad Chosid Today
Sub title : Being A
Real Person: Not Following The Latest FAD
Dedicated to my friend R Zalman Yuda Ben Shalom Yeshaya ah Deitsch
a Chosid for every age
Intro:
This essay of “Being
a Chabad Chassid Today” is part of larger campaign, initiated by the
MLC - meaningful life
center, whose goal is to inspire
us, to apply Chassidic teachings, to
contemporary life issues.
The goal, vital as it is, also raises a larger issue; why
are so many emotional issues today that challenge our emotional health. It seems that in the past we where emotional
stronger. Though we faced more difficult physical challenges as in poverty,
persecution and even death G-d forbid, our resolve seemed stronger.
Today, however it seems, BH with relative wealth and peace
or maybe even because of it, we seem so weak and confused.
One idea for this article was there for there for on “how to overcome addiction” or
“our emotional health” . However I decided on “BEING A CHABAD CHASSID
TODAY”.
Why?
First understanding being a Chassid today will help for many
other contemporary issues. For we live as Chassidim iyh in today’s world. In addition our primary identity is that we
are, “Chabad Chassidim” and with all the “smoke and mirrors” and opinions, we
could use guidance in achieving that goal ,
G-d willing.
Chabad Today:
Chabad today is faced with what some would call an Identity
Crisis, which actually may be a good thing.
An ID crisis can be healthy at any
age. Though mostly for adolescence can occur in older age and be positive.
See “Are you having identity crises”
\ in psychology today:
It is a sort of “Chesbon- Hanefesh” – “Soul Searching”
and can be used for change and improvement for the better. I would
not even call it an ID crisis, but rather a call and need for clarity.
This might explain the attraction
of the “call of the shofar “program and others that promise emotional healing .
They teach with conviction and say clearly the steps towards the goals… ; “do
this and this … and you will achieve this and this”.
Chabad has a message that is all
embracing and life giving, not only for the “outside- world” but for us
internally as well. It needs only better
explanation and communication of what it is.
Chabad is not only a global movement
with a message to save the world and guide it to world peace. But a very personal guide to life with a
step by step program towards closeness to G-d and inner happiness no matter what you are going through in life.
This explains why a program like,
the MLC by Rabbi Jacobson is so popular and his weekly live cam watched by so
many; because people like the presentation and clarity.
Even though all the information is
there for all of us to look up in the Torah and the Rebbe’s work , it is hard
to always understand the application and find the source ( See intro to Tanya)
Perhaps we can say that this is
even what the Rebbe meant when he said on Heh-Tevet: “that we need to become
more active” (Sichos Heh Tevet) . Meaning that Chabad needs to make a Chesbon-
Hanefesh” ; a soul searching to see if we are reaching out fullest potential
and if we are explaining properly the
Chabad cause and direction, especially to our own Chabad next generation .
Chabad today needs address more than: “should
I say yechia or not” ?
“is the Rebbe Moschiach?”
“How can he be Moshiach after
Gimmul Tammuz “? etc.
Issues and challenges
Chabad
of this generation face:
For the Younger Chossid
How do we transmit the “Asherenu” to next
young Chabad generation ?
Who should I really respect today?
If I cannot see the
Rebbe physically, how do I continue to believe?
I am not succeeding in school what should I do?
Why do I need to learn chassidus why cannot just be like any
other religious yid?
For the Older Bachur
How do we deal with temptation and technology?
Why do we not speak more of : Improving our Character Traits
Being Honest
Getting along with People
Emotion and Psychical Health
For the Married
Chasid
Married life: The transition from bachur yungerman
I am doing all the right things but do not see the Rebbes
blessing or success
What if I did not go
on shlichus; am I still part of the program?
“If I go to a 9 to 5
job how do I fit into the Rebbe’s work”.
Why go on shlichus : Today it’s all a business
For the Shliach
What makes Chabad different then other programs for “Kiruv” ; who bring Jews closer to yiddishkiet.
How do we not become a money making machine or political
correct person who just wants to make everyone feel good?
Competition amongst shluchim of building multimillion dollar
facilities.
The shliach risking ,
becoming a social worker and institution and loosing the personal touch.
Chabad prides itself in having all the answers, and it does but the delivery and “hasbara”;
explanation needs to be effective.
We do not need to write a “eulogy “ on chabad Gd forbid but do more self evaluation and analysis of how to apply the message.
Indeed due to this awareness many new programs have been
actually introduced to help us make Chabad relevant to today’s age and venue.
I think perhaps the
forerunner of all of these was Tzivos Hashem started by the Rebbe himself,
Who explained that children today like competition, games, stories,
ranks and prizes etc ( See Sichos Kodesh) but it really is about chinuch of the
next generation torah and mitzvos and
moshiach.
What is a Chabad
Chosid today
In order to understand what is a chabad chassid, we need to
understand what was considered chabad chosid in the past. What was then is in
essence what is today.
In addition there is the need to understand how a chabad
chossid differs from other chasiddim and he differs from other “fruma yidden-
religious Jew “who have not studies chabad chassidus for the time being.
Though the first step of a chasid is having a Rebbe but what
makes a chabad rebbe different then other Rebbes and also of course one must
study the teachings of the Rebbe which is what cahsisuds is.
Of the earliest lessons I heard
regarding Chabad Chassidus and how it differs from all other Chassidic
teachings is that:
“Chabad Mont PneeMeous” - “Chabad demands inwardness”.
This means that the teachings of Chabad compared to other
Chassidic philosophies demanded that the student internalize the teachings of
the Chassidus.
It begins with “Chabad”:
Wisdom –Understanding-Knowledge.
And then to take the intellect and translate it into:
Thought –Speech-Action.
Comparing this to the other Chassidic movements, whose
teachings where meant for the chassid to become inspired by the tzadik and live
through him. Chabad demands that you
internalize that inspiration through understanding, not just action.
The way a Chabad Chassid learns the deepest concepts of
Chassidus he should also thinking of the application to self when learning it.
We all know the story regarding R Hillel Partciher and R
Isaac Homeler and the difference between and “maskil –intellectual “and an
“oved-worker of self improvement”. The
“maskil” learns chassidus with focuses on the intellect of the concept and then
searches for the application in one self.
While the “oved” is looking for the self improvement aspect
as the starting point if the concept, and only later hopes to see if they
understand the intellect behind it.
The Chossid of old respected the “oved” over the “maskil” because he was more sure to be true to the
intent of what chassidus demands; self improvement.
While the “maskil”
searching for the intellect of the idea might misunderstand the concept and
hence miss both the intellect in the concept and the lesson in self
improvement.
Understanding a concept without knowing how to apply it to
life and self is not the goal, the goal is application to self.
In order to apply Chassidic teachings to life, one must
begin by learning chassidus. Understanding its meaning and see how it applies
to our personal lives.
To understand this one’s must first realize that Chabad
Chassidus is something that can be applied to life. It is not only a
philosophy but a way of life
The Solution: study Chassidus and Mediation
The alter Rebbe
in Torah Ohr yisro discuses the too meaning of the call of the shofar.
Conclusion and
summary iyh
A search has to
be made for the inner person in all of us.
One that does not
equate self worth with outside opinion.
The ability to
find the “Silent Voice” within all of us.
I call it : “The I of Me”. Who is the “I of Me”.
Who am I ?
Before the “ I
want ……” there is the “I “ that wants,
what is that “ I if me.
I believe this is
the key to who we are.
Without we cannot
succeed in accomplish our mission in life on earth.
Also happiness in
life will evade us and spiritual growth will fail.
Subtitle: Being A
Real Person : Not Following The Latest FAD
Due to modern technology with all its advances and blessing
it has brought with it problems .
This issue not only for a chosid but for all people in all
areas of our lives and at every stage.
We have stopped being a real person.
One of the new
challenges based on technology is called
FAD: Face Book disorder (FAD) : A new Challenge
And this site that asks: Why is face book so addictive? 21
reasons for a face book addiction
The Challenge:
The quality and importance of being a thinking being and a
private individual has been lost on today’s society. We complain that there is no privacy in our
life’s and that decision are being made for us by the norms of society, yet we
continue to post our lives on socials media and follow the dictates of the
outside world on how to live.
What has happened to us that have caused us to stopped
thinking for ourselves?
Why is that we now equate being alive only if another person
knows what is happening in our lives?
Who is this person that we have become?
Do we know who we are?
Though we turn when called by our name do we know what we
bring once we have turned around?
We have become an external person to the extreme.
The effect of
this type of personality is a person, who is not sure of what they think,
and is obsessed
of being known to the outside world.
Besides the peace of mind that is lost, the dependency on
another person’s opinion before acting robs of the ability to act in our own
best interest. We have begun to think
too much of what another thinks of us.
It also creates the mistaken belief
that success, action and accomplishments are measured by noise and buzz not
substance. We believe that once we have spoken or posted he have changed the
world.
It’s like the husband who thinks he cleaned the whole house
because he took out the garbage.
Such modes operandi questions whether we really understand that change must begin
from within and if we wish to change the world it begins with you.
In addition to being self delusion to the ultimate degree it
also makes us wonder to the truth in our actions and the ability to live true
to our conviction.
For we have become a virtual person. i.e almost real.
True as a religious Jew we have learned to live outside the
realm of the norms of society in practice but what of the subtleties of our
beliefs. The inside of us.
And even if we are
strong to the outside world for as
religious Jew we have been hardened through the passages of exile to
overall not care what others think BH but at times that challenge is not from
the outside world but from within.
Another Lubavitcher or Frum Jew is scoffing at a religious
practice you do or resolution you have made to improve and the indifference to
“religious scoffer” is much more difficult than from an “ignorant scoffer”.
As a Chabad Chasid the difficulty is greater for we face
challenges both from the frum Jew we wish to bring to chassidus and the not yet
frum Jew who questions why to put ion tiffilin. And there is the chabad
challenge if to say yechai or not to say yechai and all other proclamations or
parties you do or do not belong too.
Summation
I once had an interesting discussion regarding
yechi….how do u deal with it I explain that reaky all of us are moring the
rebbe each in there own way. The way to deal with it is not to make an issue of
it. Its nothing. It becomes an issue when peerople forced it upon u to say or
not to say … but the beklief itself for the most p[art if the rebbe is moshiahc
and whether to shout it out is and should be a personal choice.
Rebbe zlamen
oncwe tiold to me in a dsicuusion :” you sound like your are the chief rabbi of
brokltn… he kept it real… once traveilinga nd saw it bhis suit case tifil…he
brought flowers….
Likes a good
cigar and crown royal the place to be after a later shabat faberengan for some
cholent niggun and a good place to sit on sofa and have a drink lchaim…..
Please see my blog etc….
No comments:
Post a Comment