This is a week of leadership.
This week's Torah portion we learn about the "mistake" of the leader of the Jewish people - Moses, peace be upon him. A mistake that cost him and us a very severe punishment. In general, the use of the word "mistake" in the case of such a leader is not self-evident, and it is certainly not the kind of mistake we make every day...
How is it possible that a man like Moses, the father of the prophets, the one who brought the Israelites out of Egypt, the one to whom God spoke in the present tense, would even make any mistake?.
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The answer to this can be found in the qualities of a leader. Moses was willing to give his life and all for the sake of the people of Israel. "Please blot me out of your book," Moses said to God.
This step was not taken by mistake, it was intentional in order to teach the people of Israel the importance of obeying the words of God. It was intentional in order to teach them the importance of the commandment to sanctify God - "Because you did not believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel." Moses and Aaron paid the price so that we would not have to pay it.
And from the sanctification of God to the sanctification of God: This week, the mothers of the kidnapped appeared at the UN Human Rights Council, the last place that cares about Jewish human rights, and stood strong against the haters of Israel without stuttering. They spoke eloquently, powerfully, and forcefully.
In general, everyone who follows them is amazed by the quiet power they radiate, a power that comes from true faith in the Creator, the Blessed One. They are women who sanctify heaven with their very existence.
When the writing becomes a letter
This week's Torah is called a hokukat because it begins with a commandment that is defined as a law. "I have enacted a law and decreed a decree, and you have no right to ponder over it." God has given us three ways to connect with Him through the commandments: testimony, laws, and statutes. The testimony is a commandment that indicates something like Passover, Sukkot, Shabbat, tithing, and so on.
The laws are commandments that have logic that even the nations of the world understand, such as paying a worker on time, the prohibition of theft, the commandment to restore a lost thing, and more. The laws are commandments that we have no way of understanding and we must uphold them as they are without asking questions.
When you want to write something down, you can do it in two ways: you can write on paper and you can carve it in stone. When you write, the writing is not an integral part of the page. Each of them is an independent entity. But when you carve, the writing becomes part of the stone on it and you cannot separate them.
When we want to connect with God, to call upon Him, we must do so in the form of legislation. May the connection never be severed. Mitzvot that make no sense, and which we observe because God commanded us to do so, connect us on the level of legislation. We become, as it were, part of God.
A bond that will never be broken
And from call to call.
These days are the days of jubilation for two of the greatest righteous men we have been blessed with in the last generation. On the 25th of Sivan, we marked four years since the passing of the guru, the tzaddik, the Kabbalist, the Rishon LeZion Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, and on the 3rd of Tammuz, we will mark the passing of the Rabbi of Israel, the Rebbe of Lubavitch.
I don't have enough words to describe the strength of the bond between these two righteous people who lived on opposite ends of the world.
This week I heard a song on the radio that is entirely a personal prayer written by Rabbi Eliyahu. The text was written by Rabbi Shmuel, the rabbi of Safed, and performed by Yonatan Razel, who managed to convey the main message of the prayer, which is all about humility.
And I haven't said anything about my connection with the Rebbe who left our people twenty years ago. And I'm not talking about a family connection.
Make yourself a rabbi (and obey him)
And from the connection to the righteous to the faith of the sages. Today, in an era in which coaches have proliferated, it is clear to everyone that whoever wants their advice must obey them. Coaching was not invented in the East. Since then, Jews have always consulted with their rabbis and acted according to their instructions.
For those who do not have faith in the sages, there is nothing. The commandment "as much as you will guide" is intended for our success. But we must remember that we must obey even if the instruction of the rabbi or Rebbe is not understood.
If you have turned to a rabbi for consultation, you should know that you must follow his instructions.
And this method works. It has worked for thousands of years and continues to work today. Many ask how Chabad followers can manage for so many years without the Rebbe.
The answer to this question is very simple. They are with the Rebbe even when they do not see him. The Rebbe left behind thousands of talks, articles, instructions, letters - with one of the most significant instructions being that each and every Chabad follower should appoint a rabbi or a mentor (a mentor for men and a mentor for women), with whom they will consult on all matters and even report to him on their progress in matters of Torah and mitzvot.
This is an explicit instruction in Pirkei Avot – "Make a rabbi for yourself." Indeed, every Chabad follower who is connected to the Rebbe and follows his instructions has someone to ask and someone to learn from. Even today!
Between Lithuanians and Hasidim
And since we're already talking about the faith of the sages and the Rebbes, perhaps this is the place to bring up a very striking difference between Hasidim and Lithuanians. This difference was further sharpened by the new Channel 10 series that deals with the story of the dropouts (I intentionally don't use the phrase "returners" in the question, because they don't return to nowhere).
Most Hasidic dropouts eventually find themselves marrying someone from the Hasidic community. They return to wearing Hasidic clothing at least on Shabbat, even if they touch their beards or are even beardless.
The image of "the Rebbe" remains in their hearts even when they go off the path, and therefore they are less likely to become disconnected.
On the other hand, most Lithuanian dropouts cut off all traces of Haredi and most of them never return to build a Haredi home. It's hard to explain this, but perhaps we can say that Hasidism creates a kind of protective family, from which even when you choose to escape, you feel a sense of belonging somewhere deep in your heart.
Lithuanians do not have this family life, so whoever loses the Gemara loses the connection to the source of their soul and is completely disconnected.
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Dad! Please, make sure that this coming Shabbat, Gil-Ad, Naftali, and Eyal will be sitting around the Shabbat table at their parents' house. Please!
• Part of the column is adapted from the talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
The writer is the owner of "My Choice", an event host, lecturer and radio broadcaster: [email protected]
