Educating for Yiddishkeit by Raising Leaders

Educating for Yiddishkeit by Raising Leaders

Rabbi Y. Oliver

We live in an age and culture in which, for better or worse, the average young person has an independent streak that makes it harder for him or her to obediently follow the example of the older generation. They feel a strong need to forge their own path, to individuate from their parents and elders. How are we to handle this phenomenon, which seems to be at odds with the fundamental goal of chinuch—passing on the timeless beliefs and practices of Torah observance to our offspring?

The Rebbe answers: Use this independent streak to raise children from the earliest years with the goal of being leaders, and encourage them to assume this role wherever and whenever possible.

In the words of the Rebbe:

... There has been a lack of attention given to educating the young generation. And even those who have been involved, wanted to educate the young generation “from above to below”—in other words, to have the youth look up to the elders, who are experienced, and learn from them. The young generation finds this unacceptable, because they want to be independent.

How, indeed, can we influence the young generation? By educating them from early childhood, and also by striving that at a later point, they too will become educators themselves. This is the way to conquer the young generation, and also the middle-aged generation.

This is one of the main purposes of yeshivos. In yeshivos, the students aren’t only taught on the individual level. Rather, the main goal is to imbue in the student the awareness that he has to influence his entire sphere of influence—at first, only a limited circle, and later on, a larger circle—to draw them close to Judaism, to the extent that they not only do they fight a defensive war, but an offensive war; i.e., they too will fight for Judaism.

This is especially prominent in Lubavitcher yeshivos. Lubavitcher yeshivos don’t just teach their students to be frum in their relationship with Hashem and with their fellow Jew. Rather, they teach the students that even while still in yeshivah, they must make use of their talents and opportunities to influence others, and serve as leaders.

Thus, a gathering to support a Chabad yeshivah entails more than supporting a particular group or movement. Everyone who joins in by donating to the yeshivah takes part in supporting Judaism overall, because the students of the yeshivah will develop into warriors for Judaism and leaders of the Jewish people—in New York, in the entire United States, and even overseas.

The students of the yeshivah are the soldiers who will go out to the front of the war for Judaism. Thus, one who supports the yeshivah and enables it to accept additional students, takes part in the war for Judaism in New York, in the United States, and in the entire world.

Adapted from Toras Menachem, Vol. 10, p. 147. Cf. Igros Kodesh, Vol. 19, p. 373.

In my own words, with a bit of explanation:

Practically speaking, in our times, raising children to be G–d-fearing means raising them to lead. Of course, parents should send their children to a proper Jewish school, make sure to provide a home atmosphere permeated with Yiddishkeit, love and fear of Hashem and His Torah, learn with each child one-on-one, and the like. Yet in addition to all these efforts, parents should actively encourage children and teenagers to exert a positive influence on their less-observant peers in an appropriate manner, make sure they take part in outreach activities (mivtzo’im) as much as possible, and imbue in their hearts the aspiration to one day assume a leadership role of some kind themselves.

In addition to the benefit for others, this focus will in itself enable the child to be proud and independent in a positive, constructive way, while at the same time remain humble before Hashem and His Torah, and protected from detrimental outside influences.

In addition to the parents’ own efforts in this direction, it is of crucial importance that they send their children to a school that shares the awareness of the crucial role that making leaders plays in educating children and youth in our time. The most suitable school and yeshivah for this purpose is a Lubavitcher one.

Moreover, it deserves to be emphasized that this instruction applies not only to children and teenagers, but also to those who are in mid-life, and whose devotion to Torah observance unfortunately leaves something to be desired. Their Torah observance can be rejuvenated and filled with new meaning and purpose by their taking an active role in activities of Jewish outreach.

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Dedicated by Reb Yisrael Meir Rafael and family.



Dedicated in the merit of a speedy release for the captives Yonasan ben Malka (Jonathan Pollard), Sholom Mordechai Halevi ben Rivka (Sholom Rubashkin), and Zeva Rochel bas Chaya (Wendy Weiner Runge).

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Caution in influencing worldly people

Hashem urges Yirmiyahu[1] to “extract the precious from the base” by influencing the wicked to repent. Then Hashem warns: “Let them return to you, but you should not return to them.” The Radak explains this warning: “Take care not to revert to their way of thinking when you strive [to influence] them, for they may deceive you with their numerous arguments. Be careful of this—strive to bring them to return to you, and take care that you not revert to [becoming like] them.”

Moshiach told the Baal Shem Tov that the redemption will come “when your wellsprings [i.e., the teachings of Chassidus] are spread outward.”[2] Our Rebbeim have instructed us to devote ourselves to fulfilling this command, and the Rebbe has urged this more firmly and frequently than any of his predecessors, declaring that this is “the task of our generation.”

To be sure, spreading “outward” implies reaching out to those heavily under the influence of secular values and culture, and at least on the outside, very far from holiness. Nevertheless, since we have been instructed to do this, we are surely able to succeed at this task. We should certainly not desist from doing so out of fear that any contact with the secular world will corrupt us.

However, this does not mean that one may have an open, accepting attitude to the outside world itself, and in particular, to the lifestyle and worldview of the people whom one seeks to influence.

On the contrary, secular forces are the mortal enemy of the Jew. Although we should engage with the world, each in his or her own way, we should only do so out of necessity, in order to conquer the world and make it “a dwelling place for Hashem.”[3] However, if we do so in order to receive from it, we have become subordinate to it (see the end of this post). We are then not only failing to defeat it, we are surrendering to it.

The same applies to involving oneself in worldly matters in order reach out to the as-yet-unaffiliated, to bring them to see “that the light is good.” Although sometimes this may be necessary, albeit to a limited extent, one should do so with reserve and caution. As our sages warn us, “Don’t trust yourself until the day you die.”[4] One should be fully aware that one is entering dangerous, enemy territory, and tread carefully. For if one is not careful, one is prone to get sucked in to the temptation to engage with the secular world not for the sake of transforming it and elevating it to holiness, but of learning the secular ways and emulating them, G–d forbid.

So when one engages with the world and with those immersed in its culture, one should do so not out of a sense of affinity and identification with the world and its anti-Torah values, G–d forbid, but with a sense of repulsion and abhorrence for them (for more on the idea of overcoming the world, see here).

One cultivates this feeling through learning Chassidus and following its ways (see here). This permeates the Jew with the awareness that the true reality of the world is the divine energy that constantly creates it, and its true purpose is only as a means to an end, in order to reveal Hashem’s glory[5] and thereby be elevated to holiness.

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[1] 15:19.

[2] See the renowned letter of the Baal Shem Tov printed at the beginning of Kesser Shem Tov.
[3] Cf. Tanya ch. 36.
[4] Avos 2:5; Berachos 29a.

[5] Avos 6:11.

The Tzaddik's power to nullify decrees

The Rebbe explains:

The Talmud[1] predicts that the end of the exile will be a time of tremendous suffering for the Jewish people, may G–d save us. Likewise, it is an era of tremendous spiritual darkness.[2]

However, a Tzaddik has the power to nullify these wicked decrees. The Gemara[3] cites the verse, “The Tzaddik rules [with] the fear of G-d.”[4] The Gemara comments: “[Hashem says,] I rule over man, and who rules over Me? The Tzaddik—for I issue a decree, and he [the Tzaddik] nullifies it.”

The Tzaddik’s power to nullify these decrees does not come automatically; it comes through influencing Jews to do Teshuvah. We see this in Hashem’s words to Yirmiyahu: “If you extract the precious from the base, you will be like My mouth.”[5] Rashi interprets “extract the precious from the base” to mean “extract [i.e., transform] a proper person from a wicked person—that you bring him back to good.” Then, Rashi interprets that “you will be like My mouth” for “I will issue a decree, and you will rescind it.” The Targum interprets similarly. Radak says: “That which you decree and say will be fulfilled as if I [Hashem] had said it, as it is said of the prophet Shmuel, ‘Not one of his words fell to the earth.’ [I Shmuel 3:19] Likewise, Metzudas Dovid comments: “You will be like My mouth, for your decree will be fulfilled like My decree.”

So Rashi is saying that by influencing the wicked to repent, one becomes invested with the power to nullify decrees. The Gemara[6] offers a slightly different interpretation of this verse:

“Anyone who teaches Torah to the son of an ignoramus, even if Hashem has issued a [wicked] decree [on the teacher], He nullifies it on his [the student’s] account, as it is written: ‘If you extract the precious from the base, you will be like My mouth.’” Rashi explains “the precious from the base” to mean extracting, i.e., transforming, “a Torah scholar from an ignoramus.”

Although neither of the two sources (Rashi on Yirmiyahu, and Bava Metzia) refers explicitly to a Tzaddik nullifying decrees (discussed in Moed Katan), it is with this strength—bringing Jews to Teshuvah, and the ignorant to become Torah scholars—that the Tzaddik is able to nullify decrees.

[1] Sanhedrin 97b.
[2] Torah Ohr, Ki ata neri.
[3] Moed Katan 16b.
[4] II Shmuel 23:3.
[5] Yirmiyahu 15:19.
[6] Bava Metzia 85a.

Adapted from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 4, p. 1257.

1. Why indeed do these actions enable the Tzaddik to annul decrees? Apparently, the explanation is that it is “measure for measure” (Sotah 8b). The sinner or ignoramus has been, in a sense, sentenced to remain in his or her lowly state. When we pull him up and out of his depths, by bringing him to Torah and Mitzvos, then the Tzaddik can rightfully entreat Hashem to respond in kind, and annul the decrees of suffering on the Jewish people.

2. It is noteworthy that the Rebbe wrote this in a letter dated in the year 1942. The significance of this is self-evident.

3. As chassidim, this lesson is very relevant. It is customary for chassidim to write to the Rebbe and ask for blessings. These letters include requests that the Rebbe davven for us and intercede on our behalf to nullify wicked decrees, whether those of personal suffering, or suffering of the community.

It would appear from the above that it is not enough to simply ask the Rebbe to do this. We need to do our part by devoting ourselves to bringing Jews to Teshuvah, and teaching Torah to the ignorant. Through this we give the Rebbe the spiritual energy with which to nullify these decrees. This ability to grant the Rebbe strength to accomplish his task as Rebbe is apparently supported by the concept that the Rebbe is our Neshama kelalis, the Rebbe’s soul being the “head” and spiritual source of the soul of his chassidim, which are akin to his body.

Gradual Growth for Beginners

Gradual Growth for Beginners

Rabbi Y. Oliver

How does one go about teaching Jews coming from an assimilated background how to adopt Torah observance? It involves understanding where they are coming from.

For them (especially if they are older), even a small change from their regular schedule of observance usually requires a tremendous internal effort. Thus, demanding that they take on everything at once, or even many things at once, or even several things at once, may be so overwhelming that they will end up doing nothing, as the Gemara states, “One who grabs too much ends up with nothing”.[1] This could mean that they will not listen in the first place, or it could mean that they will listen and do as expected, but will over time come to feel resentful, and that the change in their lifestyle was forced.

Thus, often it is only appropriate to encourage beginners to take upon themselves one solitary Mitzvah. Once they have done that Mitzvah for a while, and feel comfortable doing it, then they can take on another, until they feel comfortable doing that one, and so on.

Thus, those who are in the position of teaching beginners to Torah observance should guide their students slowly, step by step, instructing the student to focus on bolstering their observance of the specific Mitzvah in which he or she has chosen to grow, and not to jump ahead.

On the other hand, the teacher must avoid any words or actions that could be construed as endorsement of non-observance.  Instead, the teacher must make it clear that the changes that the newcomer has adopted are not the end of the journey, but only the beginning.

This is comparable to teaching a child Alef beis. First one teaches an alef, then a beis, and so on. During this process one does not tell the child that an alef is the only letter there is to know, or the only one worth knowing. Rather, one tells him that today an alef will suffice as a beginning, since one can’t learn everything at once; however, with time he will learn more and more letters, until he will master them all. Then, he will learn to combine different letters into words, and he will learn different words, and ideas in Torah, until he will become, with the help of Hashem, an accomplished great Torah scholar.

When one starts with teaching a child an alef, in no way does this constitute compromise. On the contrary, this is the proper way to learn—to start from the beginning, and advance from step to step.

The same principle holds when teaching the Alef beis of Yiddishkeit. One should encourage the beginner to take upon himself one Mitzvah and continue observing it until he feels comfortable with it. Only then should he take upon himself another, additional Mitzvah, until he feels comfortable with that Mitzvah, and so on. Since “One Mitzvah brings another in its wake,”[2] he will ultimately come to full observance, with the help of Hashem and the support of his teacher and, when possible, of his family and community.

Although this approach seems logical and should be altogether simple and straightforward, it is not intuitively clear for someone who has been raised frum, for he has been trained from early childhood to fulfill all the Mitzvos without compromise. 

Certainly once he has reached Bar or Bas Mitzvah, he is told to keep the entire Shulchan Aruch, whether he feels comfortable doing so or not. The idea of consciously choosing to keep one Mitzvah and not others, even temporarily, runs against his grain (and this is the way he should feel). Thus, when teaching the beginner, the teacher raised frum must make a conscious effort to adjust to the vastly different circumstances of his pupil.

Adapted from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 33, pp. 145-148.

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[1] Rosh Hashanah 4a.

[2] Avos 4:2.

Everyone should spread Yiddishkeit and Chassidus

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Disseminating Torah-true Judaism, Chasidic philosophy, and the Noahide Code as widely as possible, without being adversely affected, is not a goal that the Rebbe reserved only for Chabad Chassidim. Rather, he “paved the way” for all Jews to do so. However, this ability is specifically attained through connecting to Chabad Shluchim and Chabad Chassidim in general, the “conduits” through which all Jews connect to the Rebbe:

My father-in-law, the [Previous Lubavitcher] Rebbe, paved the way for all his students and emissaries who follow in his ways, and via them, [these ways reach] to all the Jewish people. He enabled them to occupy themselves with disseminating Torah and Judaism, and spreading the wellsprings of Chasidic philosophy in every place and circumstance—even in “Egypt,” i.e., a place furthermost from G–dliness.

They can perform this in a way that not only does their presence in the “outside” (Egypt) not detract from their attachment to G–d, but on the contrary: They can influence the entire “land of Egypt,” fulfilling the imperative upon Jews “to compel all the world’s inhabitants to undertake the laws commanded to Noah’s descendants ... because the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded them in the Torah and informed us via Moses, our teacher [that these laws are binding on gentiles],” as Maimonides rules clearly.[1]

Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 30, p. 228.

Moreover, not only will one not be harmed by this experience, but he will be elevated to an incomparably higher level:

Even if it sometimes appears initially that this is a mission of Elokim[2]—in a manner of judgment and concealment, especially if concealments arise that cause pain and anguish—from Joseph[3] we receive the power to reveal G–dliness even in the place to which we were assigned, and even to reach (via this descent) a tremendous, lofty level, as symbolized in the verse [concerning the Biblical Joseph], “G–d will add for me another son,”[4] to the point that one reaches an incomparably more sublime level.

By increasing with even greater vigor the service of “Joseph”—disseminating Torah and Judaism and the wellsprings of Chasidic philosophy outward, until the level furthermost from G–dliness, we hasten the true and complete redemption by our righteous Messiah, who will rebuild the Holy Temple in its place, gather the Jewish exiles, and rectify the entire world to serve G–d together, speedily in our days.

ibid.

[1] Mishneh Torah, Laws of Kings, 8:10-11.

[2] This name of G-d represents the divine attribute of strictness.

[3] This is a reference to the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, whose first name was Yosef.

[4] Bereishis 30:24.

May we all merit to fulfill this task.