By Vivian Ho, Allston / Brighton TAB
Although followers of Chabad consider themselves Orthodox Jews, followers of Chabad should break free of definitions, Rabbi Tzvi Freeman said to Shaloh House congregation Sunday night.
Freeman, an author and lecturer, spoke to about 100 people about bringing new meaning to the word “orthodox,” in line with the Chabad beliefs of spreading goodness and knowledge. He encouraged the congregation to bring change to the world rather than remain stagnant.
“We’ve been convinced that our whole purpose is to preserve,” he said. “We do what we do today because that’s what we did yesterday, and the day before and the day before.”
However, the Jewish faith began when Abraham changed what he knew and denounced idolatry. The Jewish faith began with radicalism, Freeman said.
“Everything goes one way, but a radical stops and says, ‘Wait, this is different,'” he said.
Freeman described the common perception of orthodox as having a “nice potted plant in your house” that remains the same year after year because the plant is actually not real, but plastic.
“That’s what we call orthodox,” Freeman said. “We are doing this today because our parents did it yesterday. Why did they do it? Because their parents did it before them.”
Freeman said Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the leader of the Chabad movement, asked the Jewish people not to remain the same, but to do what they can to change the world.
Freeman spoke as part of the 10th of Shevat festivities, a day celebrating the day the Rebbe took leadership from his predecessor. This year marked the 60th anniversary of Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson’s leadership.
“It’s a very joyous event,” Sara Rodkin, wife of Shaloh House Rabbi Dan Rodkin, said as her children ran around her. “It’s a celebration of the current Rebbe, as well as the Rebbe before him.”
Before Freeman’s talk, attendees watched a video of the Rebbe rising to his leadership position.
“When the Rebbe was accepting to be the Rebbe at the time, to lead the seventh generation, the Rebbe said, ‘Don’t think you’re in for a free ride,'” Freeman said. “The Rebbe looked as us and said, ‘I believe in you.’
“That is what I call radical,” he said. “The most radical thing is the Rebbe’s belief in us.”
Freeman said the Rebbe believes in the Jewish people to be the ones to usher in change through good deeds.
“What the Rebbe gave us is knowledge that we’re not supposed to be ashamed,” Freeman said. “We’re supposed to be out there changing the world, turning the entire world over to goodness.”
Rabbi Dan Rodkin said he thought Freeman gave “an amazing talk” delivering the message of the Rebbe. Rodkin said growing up in Communist Russia where religion was outlawed, he grew in his faith because of Rebbe Schneerson.
“He came at a very hard time for Jewish people, right after the Holocaust,” Rodkin said from the men’s side of the room. “He cared about every single person.”
Shmuel Posner, rabbi of the Chabad House in Kenmore Square, said he thinks Freeman’s talk “really encapsulates what the Rebbe is all about.”
“What the Rebbe taught us was to think out of the box, to approach the world as what needs to be done,” he said.
Thinking “out of the box” doesn’t have to be an ordeal, Brighton resident Chaya Edelson said.
“We all have an obligation to making a difference in someone’s life,” she said. “It can be opening the door for someone, smiling at someone, telling someone ‘good job.’ It doesn’t have to be a grandiose act. The smallest act can change someone’s day.”
Brighton resident Myriam Lebowitz said she appreciated the universal message of Freeman’s talk.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re Jewish or not Jewish,” she said. “Whatever we can do to better a person’s life — that is our responsibility.”
The Rabbi was addressing a crowd at a Chabad House, I am sure his thoughts were well measured for such a gathering.
The bottom line is:
If the audience were inspired to do more mitzvos and learn more Torah.
I feel confident that was the case.
Every Chabad house should invite Rabbi Freeman to speak and his books should be sold wherever possible they are brilliant.
God Bless you and your genius mind!
Thornhill, ON
Have you checked out his articles on Chabad.org?? This Rabbi is brilliant! We need more Rabbonim like this.
very fair and mindful response to say the least. respectfully said, and out of the box thinking, while still maintaining the halacha. we have to think, we have to adjust the best we can, to the world, which is radically changing, and we need the Rebbe’s brachas and WE need to use his advice properly
what i think the author is trying to say is:
Be a baal teshuva to yidishkeit ie: be as excited as if it were a new way of life to you.
This is what chassidus is all about!!!
There are lubavs who are not keeping the bare-basics largely because chassidic life in a ghetto-like community has become rigid and by rote. Being un-orthodox means fresh, alive, energetic. Enthusing your meaning into Torah. Making it truly yours. Not living it only because you were born to it. Sadly, you and many others seem to be suffering from less than self-confidence. Scared to do or think anything out of the mainstream dictates of lubavitch rote. If you look back into history, only the un-orthodox people have impacted the world. From Avraham Avinu who was totally un-orthodox in recognizing Hashem to… Read more »
shaina way to go
Does “thinking outside of the box” necessarily mean abondoning our Orthodox alliance of keeping the mesora and doing things because our anscestors have always done them too? There are too many Lubavitchers that are not keeping the bare-basic requirements to bear the title Orthodox! I think Freeman’s message – while certainly this is not his intent – is dangerous and needs much more clarification!
go shaloh!