By COLlive reporter
When litvish meets chassidish…
Yehoshua Goldstein, who grew up in the known Jewish community of Lakewood, New Jersey, recently participated in his first farbrengen, an informal chassidic gathering characterized by singing and inspiring talk.
How Goldstein ended up at the farbrengen which was held at the Levi Yitzchok Library in Crown Heights is a shining example of the rule that one Mitzvah leads to another.
It began when Goldstein, currently a resident of Flatbush, read a post on Facebook from the Yad L’shliach organization about a Chabad Shliach who was in urgent need of funds after being blessed with a new baby. Goldstein immediately made a donation.
Moshe Karvitzky, who does social media for Yad L’shliach, called Goldstein to thank him. When Karvitzky heard about an upcoming farbrengen with the renowned Chassidus teacher Rabbi Manis Friedman, he thought of Goldstein.
“I have a way to give something back to you,” Karvitzky told Goldstein. “Come to a farbrengen with Rabbi Manis and you can invite some friends.”
Goldstein, who has never been to such an event, accepted the offer and arrived with a group of friends. He later said that he enjoyed the experience and what he heard from the Chabad lecturer but was left in some ways very uncomfortable.
After the farbrengen, Yoni Katz of the education website 11213.org approached Goldstein.
“I understand your discomfort and it’s true that Chassidus does offer a very radical approach to Judaism but let’s see if we can work through this and come to a conclusion on the subject matter,” Katz offered.
Together they came up with the idea of breaking down the farbrengen into individual video clips to which Yehoshua would document his daily thoughts for his own benefit, as well as for others to follow his journey.
The series is presented as a preparation for Gimmel Tammuz and will begin airing on Sunday, June 7, on 11213.org.
VIDEO: The first espisode
Is our Avodah for ourselves (retirement plan in shamiyim) or for HaShem? Does HaShem care or not is a huge question!
From Kabbalah (I think R’ Meir ibn Gabai) עבודה צורך גבוה. There is also a similar explanation on לא זז מחבבה עד שקראה אמי. R’ Manis speaks straight Chassidus, but is able to bring it across in its revolutionary-ness.
Daily . There are many but a couple of good references are accompanying each days video
When a parent feeds a child and says, “Take a spoonful for
Zadie,” then a spoonful for Totty,etc., who getting the nourish-
ment. Not Zadie, etc., but the child. Who is benefitting when
we do Mitzvos for Hashem? We are!
Rabbi Manis Friedman is not clear, and goes off tangent. I wish this man didn’t have to experience his first farbrengen with such words and come to conclude that not all farbrengens explain chassidus in that light.
This is a brilliant project / ‘documentary’!!!!! Its sad that some people r too boxed in to get it. Its amazinG. Cant wait to follow this
Sources are needed for novel concepts that require explanation. These are ideas on which the entire foundation of Chassidus is composed. We say things but we don’t thing about what they mean. We say every day “עבדו את ה’ בשמחה”. How can you serve Hashem if He doesn’t need it. And if He does need it (i.e. He chose to need it), then He must need it infinitely, more than we need air.
TO #4
In you בר מצוה מאמר.
If you say something without explaining it right away then you are being machshil. Don’t be cutsie by thinking you are being “super clever” . You are not speaking to impress others with your cleverness but to poiel on someone else. If so much clarification and explanation is needed to make your words acceptable then either explain right away or don’t say it.
Rabbi Friedmans classes are amazing.
But as comment #4 wrote. I wish he would share sources for what he is saying, so that the person listening can further read up on the topic and get a better understanding of it from the sources.
I’ts called Dira B’tachtonim. Hashem set it up so that without our mitzvos, there can be no Dira B’tachtonim. So yes, Hashem “needs” our mitzvos!
Also, Hashem desires a relationship with us – and there can be no relationship is it were one sided. So yes, Hashem “needs” our acceptance of Him, our “Crowning” of Him on Rosh Hashana etc, in order for that relationship to be true! By desiring this relationship, Hashem chose to “need” us.
That’s for starters.
This is a brilliant series!!! I can’t wait to watch each one!!! Seeing our life and chassidus through someone else’s! Brilliant!!
Rabbi Simon Jacobson posts sources to everything he says. Rabbi Friedman.. Sources please
if u dont emphasize that.. u get hagshomo like this fellow is talking… it dosnt seem he gets it.
Hashem is infinite im chotoso mataase lo. however hashem CHOSE to give infinite value to our actions
Nice reaction, this is what a Frabrengen is all about
Waking up our own power tools