CHABAD IN THE MODERN WORLD

In light of  "The Citi World Asifa'

by Rabbi Mordechai Z. Hecht

- with the help of an old historian.

The Chabad Challenge

Indeed it is difficult for many circles within Judaism to live in the presence of Chabad Lubavitchers.

It is irritating and most uncomfortable. Chabad Lubavitch embarrasses the world as they have done things which are beyond the imaginable. They have become moral strangers since the day their forefathers, the Baal Shem Tov and The Alter Rebbe, introduced the world to high ethical standards and to the fear of Heaven and Love of G-d, joy in Torah and Mitzvos and accepting individual-Divine providence as pivotal and central themes in Judaism.

Scholarship

They brought the world the Tanya, amongst hundreds of other Chassidic works. Which, let's be honest many yeshiva circles prefer to degrade and fail to study (even after historically they have been proven by great Torah scholars and Supreme Jewish courts, time and time again, to be a crucial part-and-parcel of Judaic scholarship and fundamental teachings).

Defeating All Odds

They violated the rules of history by staying alive spiritually and physically, totally at odds with (some)common sense and historical evidence - under communist Russia in the last century, pogroms, and incarcerations - and hick towns and far off villages in this century – all across the globe. They outlived and outnumber former adversaries and critics, including adversaries from within - vast yeshiva systems and individual critics, which shall go nameless. They, let's be honest, angered the world with their international outreach network offering Judaism to all Jews, regardless or background and level of religiosity.

Jews who have been deprived of this great heritage after years of ignorance - to no real fault of their own- and lack of practice, particularly after the murder of six million of their brothers and sisters, whom now have a place they too can call home. Eventually, showing the world that Israel is not only a place, but a people and an attitude; a way of life - in Israel, and the Diaspora. Loving every Jew like our own brothers and sisters ; emboldening global Jewish pride and practice - in practically every language.

Under the direct leadership, tutelage and guidance of the Rebbe they aggravated mankind by building, from an historical perspective, in the historical-virtual wink of an eye, a vast international network, in less than 50 years. One which others were not able to create in (even) hundreds of years. They built living monuments such as the duty to be holy and the privilege to serve one's fellow men with dignity, love and respect regardless of their level of religiosity.

Chabad Everywhere

Amazingly, the Chabad Chassidim and disciples of the Rebbe have their hands in every human progressive endeavor, whether in science, medicine, psychology or any other discipline, while totally out of proportion to their actual numbers, and amazingly all while maintaining their proud Jewish identity and practice of Judaism and even “beyond the call of duty” as well. They gave the world a renewed view and energy on Moshiach by bringing it to the front burner! Something the world has been praying for, for more than 2000 years but has sadly not addressed on this global scale.

Say No to Peer Pressure

Chabad Lubavitch taught the world not to accept the world as it is, but to transform it and elevate it by using it for G-dliness. They showed the world how to use technology for G-dliness. From the Television to the radio and now the Internet. For decades Chabad has utilized these natural resources for the dissemination of true Torah & Judaic values; a fore-runner in this realm and successfully so.

I remember when…

I can remember as child hearing my grandfather on the radio and other great Chassidic teachers, disseminating torah via modern technology. And so too with television, where people were able to see the farbrengens and other Jewish shows, if only there were more like these today.

Modernity

They taught us how not be afraid of Modernity but to embrace it. Self control is central in Judaism and actively central in Chabad Chassidism. Revealing to the world the soul - the G-dly soul which is so powerful in overcoming our short falls. They teach us how G-d is not out to get us, but rather to embolden and embetter and uplift us.

Moreover, Chabad introduced the world to the deeper and more profound inner meaning & esoteric understanding of one G-d. And yet, certain groups, wished to live primitively, sheltered lives, and failed to draw the vital importance of these teachings and the importance of opening your heart and mind to “every Jew”- the weakest link in the chain, and utilizing the resources given to us by human innovation through G-d’s blessings, for this very purpose.

He remembers when…

My father in law tells me how in Jerusalem when the Automobile first came to Israel, back in the day, the Jews thought it was black-magic - how something can go without a horse. Imagine that. While a congregant tells me, how he found G-d and Chabad through the internet after questioning Judaism and G-d's existence for decades, and how now he has now turned his life around.

Addressing Technology & Judaism

But I digress now. For slowly but surely, the larger Jewish world realized that they would have been lost without Chabad. When in need of Kosher food in India, and a Minyan in Hong Kong, and a Mikvah in Tokyo. Or be it Burial society in Spokane – Chabad is there. or from a run-a-way child in California or a missing hiker in Nepal. And while their subconscious tries to remind them of how much of the Chassidic teachings fundamentally framed in terms of concepts first articulated by the sages of the Talmud, and now once again with Chabad’s efforts and the awesome teachings of Chassidus - they do anything to suppress it. They chose not to see: that perhaps they missed something in their love of man and love of G-d, and with his first born children – all of them – everywhere – always. But slowly they too are joining Chabad homes and supporting Chabad houses the world over, and are in fact, albeit a slow pace, beginning to see the awesome and holy vision and understanding of the Rebbe.

The study of historical- Global Judaism during the past centuries teaches us one uniform lesson: That the people which received and in any way dealt fairly and mercifully, open- mindedly and open-housedly with their fellow Jew and the world - as a whole, have prospered; and that the people that have looked down upon and did not accept them and reach out to them and utilize modernity for G-d and G-dly matters- have written out their own destiny.

All Jews are One Family

Love Your fellow Jew as yourself – it is a fundamental principle of the Torah, and if you are in the dark about how to do this, or how to use modernity for G-d, if you need help with this, if you need help and guidance on how to handle, manage and direct modernity and modern technology properly, please please don't delay, contact your local competent Chabad Rabbi or Rebbetzin. Call the professionals in the field, embrace their knowledge and skill which they have culled & learned from the teachings of the Rebbe. They can surely help. You just have to be willing to listen and learn. Your life will change for the better, we guarantee it.