By Arik Levin
As a Yungerman currently looking for Shlichus, I found both opinion pieces by Rabbi Gershon Avtzon (Is It Time to Change How We Talk of Shlichus?) and Rabbi Shimon Posner (“No More Shlichus Opportunities Left”) respectively, very interesting.
While they raise some very good points, I would like to suggest three points from a different perspective.
Point one:
Shlichus is the new age Mesiras Nefesh. Our Generation replaced the Mesiras Nefesh necessary in Russia with an (often) equally challenging Avodah. The Avodah of leaving our comfort zones and familiar surroundings to venture out into a different landscape, a different world with challenges that aren’t the same as the (often equally as difficult) challenges of living within the community.
Lubavitch is not the easy chill version of Yiddishkeit, we are not a Neo-Chassidic modern community looking solely to “make the world a better place” while remaining relaxed, easy, and comfortable. We aren’t armchair ideologues, we are ideologues.
Looking back at the Rebbe’s early Shluchim, setting out alone to spiritually barren lands to pioneer this novel mission, they were far from their families, far from the Rebbe, and often with minimal to no Jewish infrastructure, some having to put up with a cold or even hostile local Jewish leadership.
Shlichus has progressed since then. The Jewish community’s climate has warmed significantly to the work of Chabad, and the infrastructure of the beautiful Lubavitch communities around the world have made many aspects of shlichus a lot easier, but in truth, there are still many Shluchim and many instances where the Mesirus Nefesh of these families are tested.
So back to the matter at hand, we young couples looking for shlichus or moving out now must remember that this dream that we have might need to come with a sprinkle of Mesiras Nefesh as well.
While It may not be as celebrated or gratifying when a couple moves on shlichus to work for another shliach or in an existing Lubavitcher community, and while it may garner less praises and compliments, and worse, it may make the young new Shluchim themselves feel “less-than,” comparing themselves to friends with more “glorified” Shlichus or to those who have done well for themselves in a Lubavitch community, but in reality, this is real shlichus – a taste of Mesiras Nefesh. This takes true dedication, commitment, and the willingness to put the Rebbe’s plan before their own.
This may also serve as a reminder to Shluchim that are reluctant to ring down new Shluchim because of the difficulties involved. Maybe it’s time to go the extra mile and take things to the next level.
Similar to Nachshon and the splitting of the sea, when we jump in, the Aibershter splits the sea. The brachos and unimaginable success that Lubavitvch sees in our work it exceptional, but it may take some Nachshonesque commitment to allow us to walk through the sea with ease.
Second point:
We must recall that shlichus is about the mission a lot more than it is about the people fulfilling the mission. The Rebbe set out a goal to reach out to our fellow Jews and bring Moshiach and that’s what it’s all about.
While it is definitely a zechus to be a shliach of the Rebbe, this is secondary to the fact that this person is on shlichus. When we put the mission before ourselves, we can realize what’s really important and act accordingly.
When a king leads his country to war, the emphasis isn’t on the levels or classes of his subject, everybody gets busy with the war effort, there may be different positions in the king’s effort, the warriors, the commanders, the trainers, the medical staff, and the basic civilians, but each has their part in this mission that the king has planned. They are meant to be busy with their responsibilities, each on their level, doing what they can to help the war effort. It’s not about how special you feel, it’s about what you are doing for the cause.
In the world of shlichus, it may be sensible for a young couple looking to set out on shlichus to consider where they are most helpful to the Rebbe’s mission rather than where they will feel best as Shluchim. In truth, the consideration of where they would be needed takes preference even in respect of where they would be more “Ibergegeben.” If you’re most helpful to the cause in chinuch or working for someone else, there is nothing wrong with that, fill the position where you can be most beneficial to the mission.
The same would go when the deliberation before hiring new Shluchim is between what’s good for my moisad versus what the Jewish people in the community needs, then the question must be asked: Will the Rebbe’s mission benefit from bringing new Shluchim? And if the answer is yes, then maybe it’s time to bring new Shluchim.
Third Point:
Returning back to address the points mentioned by the esteemed Rabbis in their Op-eds.
Let’s not pour the baby out with the bathwater. While it is important to emphasize that the Rebbe’s shlichus is something that every Lubavitcher can and should take part in and that the shlichus mindset is a defining factor in real shlichus, we must underscore that there is still plenty of room for every young couple that is looking to move out on the Rebbe’s shlichus in whatever area. It may take longer, it may be harder than we’d like it to be, and it may require some improvisations to our fantasies about shlichus, but if we are willing to go for it, there are shlichus opportunities available to be found.
Now, no matter if we are on shlichus or not, for whatever reason, this does not take away from the indisputable truth that we are all Lubavitcher Chassidim, the Rebbe’s “chevre” on the ground tasked with his mission of bringing Moshiach. Real loyalists serve their country from whichever position they are in, using their particular capabilities to achieve the goal. Chassidim are loyalists.
Young couples want to go on shlichus, veteran Shluchim want to bring down new Shluchim. A bit more hard work, a drop more altruism, and the Rebbe’s clear path to revolution can take us a long way.
we should all focus on the kavanna a bit more, and take ourselves seriosly a bit less.
If you want to know what Mesiras Nefesh is, get a job, pay bills and raise a Frum Jewish family in todays world. Waiting around for a Shlichus and preparing for a charity campaign that will sponsor your living expenses in an established Jewish community/going home to join the family business and live near the family – maybe a little less Mesiras Nefesh
A little respect for the Rebbes shluchim wouldn’t hurt you I promise.
Perhaps consider trading places with a shliach for a year and then tell me if the last year was easy for you bgashmius.
absolutely- Cancun or Thailand?
YOU obviously DIDN’T grow up on shlichus
Cant compare people’s mesirus nefesh. It all comes down to are you living for only for yourself, taking care of you own, thinking about your own, making sure they’re healthy happy frum etc, or are you sacrificing some of your own to do it for others? Anyone anywhere can do either shluchim or not. Shluchim tend to lean towards the latter so they deserve our respect.
ummm, not really. Clearly the market is saturated and if it was that much mesiras nefesh, there would be less demand and more supply. It seems the opposite is true in the current shlichus market.
If you want to see mesiras nefesh, look no further than your own child’s Rebbi.
You should really go take a look at the rebbes sichos, and see that respectively you’ve missed the point.
Secondly, speaking in such a manner and such pejorative way about the rebbes soldiers (refer you to the times the rebbe only gave out things to Shluchim etc.) is disgusting and gross.
If he’s joining the family business, why is he waiting for Shlichus?
Also, you clearly aren’t working and paying bills if you think a 50-100k charidy campaign is enough to cover a family’s living expenses.
And yet it all comes down to chutzpah. The elder shluchim take advantage and want to show “who’s boss” over the younger shluchim. And the younger shluchim before to go on shlichus were trained by their getze parents (who probably are shluchim themselves) who to “handle” the elder shluchim and thus bumping cars explode into a volcano. Yes even before gimmel tammuz there has been unpleasant circumstances between shluchim and even our Rebbe knew and was involved. Stop this ping pong fighting. Preaching moshiach and fighting with fellow shluchim is definitely not the recipe for our Rebbes hisgalus. Elder chassidim… Read more »
You can be a Shliach of Hashem to do good for your fellow Jew because you are one Mamash in your source. Fill your shabbos table with guests from around where you live, even if that’s New York. There are many Jews, even those from Chabad homes who need a helping hand from a Shliach.
Very true points!
We’ve looked into a number of viable offers and are hopefully settling on one soon.
“There is nothing left” is a cop out.
As a corporation grows, it hires more people and the same is with shlichus! There has been so much growth and there is so much room for more expansion – but not always is it glamorous.
While life isn’t easy anywhere, shlichus has its own unique set of challenges that you have to be ready to embrace
This is SO accurate. Being somewhere new and exciting alone used to be the ideal of mesiras nefesh, now it’s about learning to work with other shluchim for the benefit of the whole – knowing that you’re probably never gonna get the praise, recognition, or even the feeling that you’re doing something big and important
I’d be interested in seeing the contracts that Shluchim are signing or being asked to sign.
Very well written. Moshiach now!
Be the change you wanna see!!!!
Since this OP discusses shlichus in the context of the Rebbe’s war, I wonder what position he would prefer. In IDF culture, there’s a big emphasis on which unit one ends up in. Similarly, one thing we learn from Putin’s ymch’sh war is that he’s enlisting young men as cannon fodder and still losing because of a lack of good officers in the strategic and intelligence arena. The Rebbe’s army today suffers from Putin’s malady, we have thousands of foot soldiers in the field, to the point where there’s no room for more and what in war lingo is called… Read more »
At this point being in chinuch in a Lubavitch moisad (even in CH) means you are on the front lines fighting to maintain Yiddishkeit.
This is a sad commentary if true. I would hope that someone in chinuch is in the upper echelons – right beside the Rebbe, our Commander in Chief – of leading the next generation of Lubavitchers.
In general in Lubavitch we devalue people who are more introverted and scholarly and less gregarious. Not everyone is cut out to run a summer camp or a rousing college shabbos table. Let everyone shine with the gifts and personality traits Hashem gave them.
There’s more opportunities for Shlichus than there are current shluchim. There are more Jews who don’t have significant contact with Chabad than there are that do. The issue is funding and territory. I think we need to find a way to connect Chabad chassidim with the rest of world Jewry without requiring these chassidim to set up job and do full time fund raising. I don’t know the answer, but lot’s of chassidim are looking to move out of Crown Heights and NY generally. They don’t need to be official shluchim to do serious shlichus work. Shluchim on the ground… Read more »
Shlichus and mesiras nefesh the way it has been taught is a personal and supposedly intractable thing. Being an employee for a shliach who can fire you on a whim isn’t mesiras nefesh – it’s devastating.
Something that is missing in this piece is the last frontier – moving “in” to become Shluchim in Lubavitch communities. Our youth, our families, our parents are all falling apart at the seams. There are limitless programs and events that can be done to take care of our own. A loving and warm Shliach to guide….
This type of Shlichus is so unique. It is not celebrated by anyone, nor is there any respect or reward but if the Rebbe cared about souls, which is what he did, then the souls of our own desperately need this too!
I’m not here to say Shlichus is wrong. It’s definitely the rite thing to do. From what I’ve seen. (BH we live in frum community and raising family. About an hour away from Crown Heights) Unfortunately Ive seen Sheluchim coming in other community’s, even where other Shluchim have established. 30 or so years before, and coming in “they are the boss” I’m here “your not going to do nothing. Head Shlicach sent me here. Out! My first question is where did this attitude come and where’s the respect? Unfortunately I’ve seen Shluchim where they come in especially the new ones… Read more »
so your saying walking around with out a hat and jacket or having a certain type of car looks bad? I respectfully think as long asyou do whats right dress modestly behave appropriately other little stuff shouldn’t be looked down it though it may be the right way to things
I’m not saying you don’t have valid points. But I think the original op -Ed was focusing on totally a different perspective.
I was thinking the same.
https://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=16051&st=&pgnum=355
If you are a couple looking for Shlichus – in tri state area
Email
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With your info
Very nice
If I had a spot for you
I would definitely bring you down!
If you are a couple looking for Shlichus – in california area
Email
[email protected]
With your info
Many have said valid points. But a critical aspect is missing in that all have a “shlichus” in the world. No one could minimize a talented speaker or singer against a real outback shliach in a forlorn area. Also, if some feel inadequate that they did not end up on shlichus, let them search if there shlichus was elsewhere in the community they lived in..even back in the early days the Rebbe did not necessarily envision every chosid a shliach in a transatlantic world. So the idea that the up and in thing is for al l to go far… Read more »
Maybe an option for couples looking to go on shlichus would be to move to a small town that has a shaliach, and be machzik them by just being congregants…finding jobs in the town, and adding another frum family to the area? For instance, let’s say there’s a shaliach somewhere in Pennsylvania (3 hour or so drive from Crown Heights), why not move there? Find regular jobs or start a business, with your living expenses a fraction of what they are in Crown Heights. It won’t be an “official” shlichus, but you’ll be able to help strengthen the efforts of… Read more »
Good luck finding a shliach interested in having a full community of Frum jews attending his weekly services. He will lose all his congregants in a few months. The average not yet Frum jew would be scared off by all the Frum one, and feel out of place.
I’m not suggesting a “full community” by any means…I don’t think that would work at all. Max. 2-3 families per chabad house would work I think. I think they would have a good hashpa’ah on the community and the kids of shluchim would have frum friends
Shlichus isn’t a place. It’s a frame of mind.
If you don’t have close relatives in Shlichus My recommendation for most ppl would be to set a fixed period of time to find a Shlichus
During This time , do a lot of mivtzoym and I mean a lot , forcing yourself to be very outgoing and making many connections
this will develop your personality and mindset to start a business once the time of search expires , and become a successful entrepreneur, then you are going to see how your Shlichus appears to you automatically
Shlichus can mean many things. It can be to provide things for jews that they don’t have in their area. Like opening a kosher grocery or judaica store. Or even opening a factory to make it.
Most very successful shluchim establish a COMMUNITY.
A community really thrives when it has a school.
a school needs teachers.
A teacher in an out of town community is already a shliach.
That should be enough for many people.
If you really have the drive and talent you will move into full time shlichus.
It is there for you.
Take it.