Courtesy of Shturem.net
People wonder why so much is expected of Shluchim, and why running marathons may not be appropriate. Maybe the Rebbe's words will shed some light on the matter. then again you may think them irrelevant to the matter at hand.
The Rebbe writes:
כבכל אדמו"רי חב"ד היסוד הראשון ביטול היש (מתחיל בעצמו) באמיתית.
היותו אדמו"ר ה"ז שליחות נפשית ועיקרית לנהלם ולעודדם בתורה ומצוות בכלל (מתחיל במצוות ה' ושמירת השו"ע וכו') ולהראותם דוגמא חי' בזה
(עד כדי מס"נ בפועל)
ופשיטא לשלול כל פעולה שיוכלו לטעות לפרשה להפך.
לאחר זה באים חיו בתור פרטי, וגם בזה יסוד שלא לנגוע כלל בתפקידו הכללי והעיקרי
היותו אדמו"ר ה"ז שליחות נפשית ועיקרית לנהלם ולעודדם בתורה ומצוות בכלל (מתחיל במצוות ה' ושמירת השו"ע וכו') ולהראותם דוגמא חי' בזה
(עד כדי מס"נ בפועל)
ופשיטא לשלול כל פעולה שיוכלו לטעות לפרשה להפך.
לאחר זה באים חיו בתור פרטי, וגם בזה יסוד שלא לנגוע כלל בתפקידו הכללי והעיקרי
In other words the Rebbe wants Bittul from a Shliach, first and foremost. You do not exist anymore, rather you've become a Shliach. Therefore you must represent he who sent you. First by Shmiras HaTeyreh, until Mesiras Nefesh, and to be a living example of living a Teyreh life. Any action that may be mistaken as contrary to that Teyreh-life is to be negated. Only that are you a person with family obligations, and only if they do not interfere with the Shlichus!
I guess that's too much of a responsibility for some of us, myself included. So when Grubbe BaaleiBatim like myself "criticize", it's only because we care.
I don't see how running a marathon is so against the Rebbe's vision. It is not against halacha, and if it makes even a single Jew more ammenable to Torah and mitzvos, then why not?
ReplyDeleteAs people become more accustomed to Chabad, there is a need to come up with new and innovative things to get people's atttention. Rabbi Feller as a young man did not have the problem of people being used to Chabad Houses yet, so he got noticed for being different, he automatically stood out of the crowd by being a conventional black hatted chosid where none existed before. But nowadays regular conventional Chabad Houses are all old hat. Now a young shaliach has to think of other ways to get noticed.
As a tangential point: Is it not a mitzvah to guard one's health? Should we all be fat inert blobs?
chitas
ReplyDeletewe've been through this. Nobody is denying him the right to exercise. The question is should he run a marathon, and granted that he should, should he publicize his feat?
"Trying to be noticed" is a very slippery slope.
Mister Tzig, u are misreading this Tzetl. This was written by the Rebbe describing what a Chabad REBBE is, not a Shliach... The Kinnus committee is implying (or infering - i never know the difference)that this is also what the rebbe expect from his shliach... Now i think this is a good hergesh, but to say that that is a directive from the Rebbe, that is pushing it a little. GO PERETZ GO
ReplyDeleteIf I'm misreading it, then so be it, but show me where.
ReplyDeleteThe Kinus committee is implying. You are inferring from their words such and such. Farshteyst?
HaYetochen that a Shliach in today's day and age shouldn't know the difference? Why, how will he impress his BaaleiBatim?!
We Love You Peretz
Hirshel,
ReplyDeleteWhy are you so myopic? There is no slippery slope here at all. He is not doing anything remotely against halacha. He is not doing anything that is remotely close to Chillul Hashem at all. Being a chosid does not mean having to be a cookie cutter anymore.
Fellow Shliach:
ReplyDeleteI see you're right, I was too quick to read. But can we say that a Shliach, who "becomes" and represents the Meshaleach, has the same mission in life?
המשפט המלווה את הכינוס מיוסד על כתב יד
קודשו של הרבי. המענה הנדיר חושף, באורח חד פעמי, את מבטו המיוחד של הרבי לגבי עבודתם ופעולתם של אדמו"רי חב"ד
for sure we can say, but it's WE who say, not the REBBE, that was my only point.
ReplyDeleteYes. Point well taken.
ReplyDeleteופשיטא לשלול כל פעולה שיוכלו לטעות לפרשה להפך.
ReplyDeleteWhat can we learn from the powerful line? That the Rebbe said what he meant, and made sure that anybody could understand what he means.
the Rebbe is describing the avoda of the rebbe, I think it was written for Krinsky for the seforim case.
ReplyDelete