To all of Anash,
As we prepare ourselves for the elections for the third Rov of our Shchuna, I would like to share some thoughts.
The story is related, that the Tzemach Tzedek once called his gabbai Reb Chaim Ber and told him:
“Things are no longer the way they used to be. In previous times, when going to Yechidus, first the rabbonim would enter, being well respected for their Torah. Only then, after a long wait, did the baalei-batim come in to discuss their matters. Now, however, things are different. The baalei-batim come first, for they have important matters to discuss and they are the ones who support the rabbonim. Only afterwards, are the rabbonim brought in for Yechidus.”
When relating this story, the Mashpia in Lubavitch added that although the Tzemach Tzeddek could have told his gabai to reinstate the original order, he did not, based on the following story:
“There was once a simpleton who lived far from a Yiddishe town, and whenever he had a shaila, he would travel to the nearby town to ask the local Rov. Once, upon arrival at the Beis-Din Shtibbel, he found the Rov in middle of a serious meeting with the other community leaders. After the meeting the man presented his shailos and then asked the Rov if he could know what is the matter of such great concern.
“The Rov told him that since it hasn’t rained in a while, they had deliberated to impose a day of fasting and davening for the much needed rain to save them from possible hunger. The simpleton was surprised, “I have a far simpler solution. I see that whenever my cat runs into the house and crouches near the oven, rain begins to fall shortly after. All we must do, is grab the cat, place it near the oven, and the rain will surely follow.”
The Mashpia concluded, “Similarly, in past times the baalei-batim had an appreciation for the rabbonim and showed them deference by waiting for them. Arranging them in the correct order, is like placing the cat near the oven…” In other words, repairing the symptom does not solve the problem.
***
We live in a community which lacks leadership. This is no secret. Yet, what must be understood is: What is the problem?
Many will gladly point a finger at the leadership, the rabbonim, the mashpi’im, the roshei yeshivas etc. They are at fault! If only we had leaders, our children would follow them in the right direction.
But honestly, I ask you, are we ready to be led? Are we prepared to follow and perhaps change, or are we looking for someone to ‘suit our needs’? Do we have the full appreciation for a Rov, Mashpia or other leader?
When your son comes home from cheder and hears you lash out at his Rebbe for something you don’t agree with, what message does he pick up? And when he sits at the Kiddush on Shabbos, and hears grown men belittle our spiritual leadership (regardless of affiliation), does he see you storm out in objection of YOUR leaders being degraded?
Many of you are surely laughing at my naiveté: ‘Do you really believe our leaders to be so perfect?’ or more practically, ‘If the rov would be like this or he wouldn’t do what he does, then I would be able to respect him, but now?!’ These claims are as old as leaders, and history has shown that nothing can be further from the truth. Nothing worked for such people. Even after appointing the ‘right’ Rov, they found the excuses to justify themselves, escaping from dealing with the real issue.
As a renowned Mashpia once said, “In previous generations, they also had chesroinois. However, then the people focused on the mailos; today they focus on the chesroinois.”
Appointing rabbonim for a community with little – or no – appreciation of what they stand for, is only placing a cat by the oven…
***
Before the first elections were held for rabbonim, the Rebbe gave clear instructions – using strong terms – as to how the selection should be held: The candidates for rabbonim are to be chosen by rabbonim and other torah leaders alone. The Rebbe explained that only one who is completely engrossed in a spiritual world can decide who is qualified to be a Mara D’asra; even a very learned business man – even with semicha (!) – has no capacity to decide on these matters. Only after the qualified rabbonim have been designated, should the community choose which Rov is most appealing to them.
On numerous occasions the Rebbe reiterated the words of the Smeh in Shulchan Aruch that baalei-batim (even very learned) may have no opinion on torah related matters, and the Rebbe said we should take a lesson on this from the conservative and reform. The Rebbe clarified (12 Tammuz 5718) that although society has decided that ‘majority rules’, yet according to torah only the rabbonim decide, and he expressed great shock at the thought of baalei-batim mixing in community decisions. On one occasion (Shabbos Vo’eiro 5747) the Rebbe attacked the silly claim concerning the alleged ‘fifth Shulchan Aruch’: We know only of Shulchan Aruch, anything else is contradictory to it!
[For those who are curious, the general torah qualifications for a Rov which the Rebbe emphasized are: (a) Thorough knowledge of halacha with necessary ‘shimush’ (experience by a senior Rov) – to know how to pasken (without which one is considered an ‘am ha’aretz.’) (b) Yiras shomayim – so that he makes an honest psak and merit siyatah dishmaya. (A more comprehensive list can be found in Shulchan Aruch, Choshen Mishpat, siman 7)]
Let the true leaders choose the candidates, and then we will do our part in choosing the most suitable Rov for our kehilla.
I will conclude with the unequivocal words of the Rebbe (12 Tammuz 5718): “If the baalei-batim want to have a frum community … they must refrain from giving opinions and only follow the direction of the rabbonim.”
Shmuel D.
A concerned resident of Crown Heights
if what you are saying is such a good idea, why didn’t the Rebbe come up with this idea before the forst election? so we must say that you need a offical Body that have the autharity do administer shulchon oruch to all.
einstein whas respected despite his chesronos.
if greatnes in torah was importent to us our rabonim would be respectid despite thayr chesronos.
unfortonetly torah is not what counts in our comunity.
and thats the problem…………l
But there are no tea leaves.
That leaves us without any tea – except for anonymiTY.
BTW: Wasn’t this Eliyahu HaNavi’s brocha to the community who treated him poorly? “You should grow and have many leaders.”
Ka’an tzivah Hashem ess HaBroch(a).
B”H I think that the “challenge” in Crown Heights is not lack of leadership but quite the opposite – the Rebbe created a generation of ultra-capable leaders. The conflict becomes a result of everyone having an opinion and THE ABILITY to lead our community, and hence clashes with the next guy, all very well intended of course. So this is the challenge, in my opinion. The solution seems to be hinted in the last horaah we received so far from the Rebbe – Machatzis HaShekel. Each one of us needs to realize and live with the concept that we have… Read more »
Why do you need an official rav? Learn from Montreal.
The idea is the Rabbonim should approve the candidacy in other words to establish that the candidates are suitable to be Rabbonim then the people will choose from those candidates that were approved by Rabbonim.
Sadly to say, people are not looking at the rav’s qualifications but are interested in only issue. Is the third rav an Osdaba man or is a supporter of Harav Schvei. An Osdaba supporter will never vote for Harav Schvei’s supporter no matter what qualifications he has. As you can see Osdaba is pushing Segal to run, as his will always decide 100% in his favor, and does not consider both sides of the dispute, and come to his own conclusion.
sorry i’m a bala bos- no opinion coming from me 🙂
you are funny no. 7. You don’t read it cuz there is no name yet why should anyone read your comment. What’s your name?
U didn’t put ur name!! 🙂
“Kol haposel bemumo posel” 🙂
Thanks for pointing the obvious. The first prerequisite of a Rov is simply that he knows shulchan aruch and knows torah she baal peh to be able to understand the shulchan Aruch. A Rov is not an entertainer. Even a Mashpia is not enough to be qualified as a rov. He has to a posseik benigleh detorah. And for a chassidisheh rov he has to be also a possek in pnimiyos hatorah. Cheshbonoh shel oilom is notgoing to substituted by anything else that is not a represenative of Halacha and a person who embodies halacha!
It really opened my mind – Thank you Rabbi/Mr. D.
7, 8, 9- the point is there, who cares if wrote name or not? beneath ur dignity to read if no name? ur missing the point! any op-ed does not need a name- it has nothing to do with the individual writing it that he needs to publicize his name and b harassed by the simpletons- its a reflection of what ppl believe in and this whole nonsense of demanding to know the author is quite silly.
Based on what you have wrote that Balabatim should not get involved, why can they vote in the elections?
Are you suggesting that only Talmidai Chachomim should be able to vote?
Rightfully so, you write that the choice of the candidates not be left to some Yungatchik who touches his beard…
But like most op-eds, you are very good at letting us know what “needs to be done” with no suggestion as to how to go about it!
Who are these “True Leaders” you talk about that will choose the proper people to run?
Thank you to the author for this. it is appreciated.
p.s. to #7 et al: why does he have to put his actual name?? This isn’t personally critical, nasty or attacking any individual!! It’s quite contructive and decent.
Thank you Collive.
yashr cheylach
As children we learned very quickly that you don’t plant the vegetables in the shadow side of the house. Nothing grows well there.
Crown Heights lives in the shadow of the Rebbe. Did he want to hinder the growth?
Of course not. But the nay-sayers will always cast his shadow where they want to stifle growth.
Oy Rebbe.
A refreshing piece. The problem remains. How many qualified people are there in Crown Heights; who would agree to stand for an election and be subjected (by “factions”) to thorough searches in their garbage-cans, medical records and former teachers opinions… A vaad of Rabbonim cannot manufacture a Rov – the last time that was tried it ended up with a golem. IMHO, laaniyas dayti, the only way leadership can/will evolve in Lubavitch SheBeLubavitch -Crown Heights- is if serious chassidim choose themselves a Rov in earnest, a mashpiya to be cherished, without preconditions. A few may emerge, Even create some “factionalism… Read more »
To 7 8, 9 There is a name read it again! This is a great very well written article to the point. The one’s who are complaining are probably part of the problem.The Rebbe’s words are clear Don’t like it? move out of Ch & appoint yourself as the new leader of wherever you land!
exactly! so many seem to think they know better then everyone else.this yeshus and corresponding lack of kabalos ohl seems to me to be the root of our problems. what to do about it?
“Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened.”
“The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is.”
May we add: What difference does it make in which vehicle the truth is conveyed?
You have reinforced my feeling that any curriculum should be teaching critical thinking.
Then it matters not who says, what says. The logical steps of critical thinking will distill whatever is positive in whoever whatever said.
LeChayim. Go grow. Do not be afraid to listen – even to the wind and the waves. (Mikolos mayim rabim adirim… Adir bamarom Hashem…)
Why do we need to have elected Rabonim, why can’t everybody have their own ‘Asay Lecho Rav’ and whenever two people have an issue they can make a ‘Zabla’.
And the community can pay for Rabonim to answer Shaylos, don’t you think that would save us a lot of unnecessary fighting?
Me too
Crown heights number one problem hiding behind ur name!! If u want to be heared don’t hide!
I scrolled to the end of the article and did not see a name – I will not be reading it
Thank you for expressing sincere, thoughtful, and true words.
I personally will take them to heart and will share them with my friends.
I hope everyone who reads this piece will do likewise.
Dr. Levi A. Reiter
wonderful article! you gave us something to think about
I happened to like the photo more than the oped
U hit the hammer on the nail ! straight to the point!
Thanks for posting