By Rabbi Avrohom Brashevitzky – Chabad of Doral, FL
We are gathering this week in Crown Heights for the International Kinus Hashluchim. When some 5,200 shluchim, supporters, and family members will be all together in a single space it’ll surely be an image to remember.
But its not about the optics. The real story and the real headline of the kinus is ths story of the “lone Jew.”
Let me explain: The first Chanukah after my wife and I moved out to Doval, Florida, on Shlichus we made a Chanukah party in our shul (i.e. the living room of our home).
We hired David Lazerson, “Dr. Laz” to perform at the celebration. He was great, yet he noticed that I didn’t think the event was great. Truth is, I wasn’t overwhelmingly excited about the number of people that turned up. It was OK, but in my mind it wasn’t “great.”
We sat down after everyone left for a short Farbrengen and he shared the following story which I’m forever grateful for. This story has helped me get through many of those “difficult days” when it doesn’t seem like I’ve met or affected enough people.
He told us that a number of years earlier he was the guest speaker and performer for a Shabbaton event at the Shluchim in Binghamton. If you know Dr. Laz, you know that the students had a long wonderful night. After it was over, he went to sleep in a room adjacent to the shul.
As his eyes began to open in the morning, the good Doc realized that he’s in a serious dilemma. Through the door he could hear the Shliach giving a Shiur to many students. How could he make such a grand appearance and just walk through so many students during their Shabbos morning class – to go to the bathroom? What kind of impression would it leave on these students who got up so early after such a long night, and he, the visiting Rabbi, is just now rolling out of bed?!
After agonizing for quite a while he finally had no choice. He opened the door – he really needed to go. That’s when he saw that the big room was empty and the Shliach was giving a Shiur to ONE student, in the same manner one would lecture to a full crowd!
For me these were the exact words I needed to hear! It has helped me and guided me for all the years since. Every yid is a full crowd! Every Yid IS that special, much needed “tenth guy for the Minyan”. We are a collective Minyan bringing down the Shchina and every Jew is part of this great “Minyan” (we all count!)
The beauty of shlichus and our commitment isn’t only that we attract large crowds and throw large events. It’s that we are fully there also for the lone Jew.
How lucky we are, Ashreinu, that our dear Rebbe had this message fed to us through our baby food. Certainly any Yungeleit under 50 were positively affected and infected with the Rebbe’s love for every yid.
All the training we had throughout our teenage years going on Mivtzoyim and reaching out to others; All those groups who came to the Rebbe for Yom Tov; All those familiar faces of people who came for Tishrei only to return the next years looking totally different; There isn’t a vaccine in the world that can make one immune to such powerful messages as these.
I just had the privilege to attend the Bris of a fellow Shliach’s son. I must admit that I did not see Eliyahu Hanavie but I believe I felt the Rebbe. At the Bris were present 3 “generations” of Shlichus: The baby boy, his father who is a Shliach, and the Shliach was brought him to Yiddishkeit.
Is this not The Rebbe?
P.S. I’m inspired to compile inspiring stories about the “small town heroes”, those of us who are out there in relatively smaller places and see firsthand (through all the difficulty and challenges involved) the great accomplishment of the Rebbe’s vision of reaching out to each and every Yid. Perhaps with the permission of the editor of this website we could publish a story or two each week. Who knows, maybe we can eventually compile it into book format to help spread the legacy and inspiration further.
Please let me know what you think. I could be contacted at [email protected]
i am exactly in that situation. hugs my dear sister, you are not alone!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Enjoyed reading this. I’m on Shlichus in a big city with other Shluchim. Every Shlichus has its challenge but at the end of the day you always must remember the live the Rebbe had for one yid. To all rose small town Shluchim who are making a kiddush Hashem daily in you far from home/chaveirim/anash
I really felt that this article was very well written and hit home for alot of people. This article made me feel so good, because whenever I read articles about shlichus having ex: 50 guests for Shabbos, huge public Chanukah parties… I feel like what about us “small shluchim” who work just as hard, but don’t get the same big results. Many times I tell my parents after an event “we had so little people” and they tell me that it isn’t only the number that counts it’s the fact that we bh inspired ppl… This story made me feel… Read more »
All you people who put comments online, are probably woman. I say this because you are always saying how hard your husbands work, and they still don’t have much money. So I’m guessing they don’t have time to comment. So yes, I’m think it’s decent to predict you are woman.
Have you thought about the wives of the shluchim this shabbos? They have to be alone, by themselves in a strange place, having to runs. Chabad house alone.
Just a thought….
Spare is all your grief
Your article is very heartwarming. Often because of the dynamics of our community and the shortage of funds, small town shlichus demands that the Shluchim do everything from A-z. At the same time that they are preparing great shiyurim, planning and executing great programs, counseling , visiting the sick etc…they are the janatorial staff, their home is not their own and must always look presentable, they are the secretaries, the caterers, shoppers etc. They are also dealing withpaying for and sending away all their children and being long distance parents from the time that thier children might have been old… Read more »
From a fellow CHer it’s so disappointing and sad that people like you always find something to put shluchim down. Why? This article is about shluchim nothing to do with Anash!
Absolutely beautiful! We usually have 20-30 shabbos guests for dinner. When we only have 1 table full….my husband laments to me privately that “no one came!” Well now I have the perfect story to tell him and that “every yid is a crowd!”
If only all shluchim were like you. You are the “real thing”. You are the shliach I dream about being in my community. The shluchim in my community are only worried about carving out more territory for themselves and their children. My wish for you is that you never lose this feeling you have. This strong belief that we all matter. YOu and your family should be blessed.
Yishar Ko’ach!!! May you have much Brocha and hatzlacha in everything you do! Always remember the picture of you saluting to the rebbe when moshoach comes and the rebbe with his penetrating eyes will smile at you and tell you my son it was you!!!
Hatzlacha raba with everything you do!
Anash are also wonderful people. At the moment We are talking about the shluchim.
There is a story about the Rebbeh telling Chaim Gutnick when he was disapointed that only one woman attended a Shiur on Taharas hamispacha – “How many mothers did Moshe rabainu have”
Great idea!
“ Man was created alone in order to teach that destroying one life is tantamount to destroying an entire world, and sustaining one life is tantamount to sustaining an entire world.”
Lubavitch shluchim are only 5000k k’h, however….what about the tens of thousands of anash????