Ein kleinikeit: "אל בני ובנות ישראל בכל מקום שהם"...
I was just browsing through some letters of the Rebbe for Rosh Hashanah. If you need some history, before every Rosh Hashanah and Pesach the Rebbe would issue what we called a "Michtav Klali", a public letter whose address began: To every Jewish man and woman, wherever they may be.
I have no interest in those who would argue to death, this person is the Nosi Hador, or the Godol Hador, just as I would have no interest in those who would debate whether we are the Chosen people, with what right do we proclaim this. Being Chosen is not a right, it puts us under terrific obligation. That the Rebbe assumed responsibility and care for every Jew, wherever they may be, whether their way of life was completely opposed to his, in practice or in thought, is undeniable. Thus a letter issued from the Rebbe 6 to 8 times a year - to every single Jew. And nuch with a specification, wherever they may be, no matter the physical place or the spiritual place they may be.
This brought home the tzok hoitim once more. Where is the one Jewish leader who will pick up pen to address every single Jew, not for personal gain of any sort, but with an uplifting message to move everyone at some level?
This particular letter addresses a year such as this, of 2 days Yom Tov followed by Shabbos, based on the idea that 3 days create a chazakah of higher kedushah - for Rosh Hashanah in the entire world, and for sukkos and simchas torah 3 times of such a chazakah in chutz laaretz.
Which got me thinking of the age old adage of the 3 day Jews, who come to shul only Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (and now only 2 days with the Reform movement having cancelled the second day RH R"L, but perhaps at least they come 3 times altogether). It is of course a laughable "commitment", to show up out of guilt or some cultural nod to their own Judaism, but then again, according to Torah, a chazakah is not something to trifle with! By the mere fact of their having shown up in shul 3 times in one year, they now have a Chazakah as shul-going Jews! Better people than me may know if such a Chazakah has any impact, similar to the tremendous impact of chazakah in other areas of Halachah. Yet it makes all the effort into getting these precious souls into shul for just Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur all the more worth it.
Maybe, just maybe, if we can get together enough such yidden into shul for this one time, we may hear the shofar godol leCheiruseinu.
May we all have a kesiva vachasima tova leshana tova umesuka!
10 comments:
Ein kleinikeit: "אל בני ובנות ישראל בכל מקום שהם"...
I was just browsing through some letters of the Rebbe for Rosh Hashanah. If you need some history, before every Rosh Hashanah and Pesach the Rebbe would issue what we called a "Michtav Klali", a public letter whose address began: To every Jewish man and woman, wherever they may be.
I have no interest in those who would argue to death, this person is the Nosi Hador, or the Godol Hador, just as I would have no interest in those who would debate whether we are the Chosen people, with what right do we proclaim this. Being Chosen is not a right, it puts us under terrific obligation. That the Rebbe assumed responsibility and care for every Jew, wherever they may be, whether their way of life was completely opposed to his, in practice or in thought, is undeniable. Thus a letter issued from the Rebbe 6 to 8 times a year - to every single Jew. And nuch with a specification, wherever they may be, no matter the physical place or the spiritual place they may be.
This brought home the tzok hoitim once more. Where is the one Jewish leader who will pick up pen to address every single Jew, not for personal gain of any sort, but with an uplifting message to move everyone at some level?
This particular letter addresses a year such as this, of 2 days Yom Tov followed by Shabbos, based on the idea that 3 days create a chazakah of higher kedushah - for Rosh Hashanah in the entire world, and for sukkos and simchas torah 3 times of such a chazakah in chutz laaretz.
Which got me thinking of the age old adage of the 3 day Jews, who come to shul only Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (and now only 2 days with the Reform movement having cancelled the second day RH R"L, but perhaps at least they come 3 times altogether). It is of course a laughable "commitment", to show up out of guilt or some cultural nod to their own Judaism, but then again, according to Torah, a chazakah is not something to trifle with! By the mere fact of their having shown up in shul 3 times in one year, they now have a Chazakah as shul-going Jews! Better people than me may know if such a Chazakah has any impact, similar to the tremendous impact of chazakah in other areas of Halachah. Yet it makes all the effort into getting these precious souls into shul for just Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur all the more worth it.
Maybe, just maybe, if we can get together enough such yidden into shul for this one time, we may hear the shofar godol leCheiruseinu.
May we all have a kesiva vachasima tova leshana tova umesuka!
Beautiful picture of R' Moishe Mordechai. Thank you!
I'm glad somebody liked it. Thanks for the compliment, although I didn't actually Take the picture.
1. DELETED
2. The picture of R' Moshe Mordechai is excellent
Such heilige yidden! I assume these pictures were all taken in Yerusholayim and thereabouts in the early 20th century, probably the late 20's or 30's.
Leib
some are from as far back as 1871.
Shkoyakh. Hauntingly beautiful pics.
Ah git gebentcht yuhr to you and yours HT.
Way off topic, but would anyone like to hear a fascinating maayseh I heard recently concerning Rav Shach and Rav Michel Feinstein?
I would
נו, זאג שוין
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