By Rabbi Sruli Baron
Director of the MyLife: Chassidus Applied Essay Contest
The MyLife: Chassidus Applied Essay Contest is drawing to a close with the winners set to be announced this Sunday.
Out of the hundreds of essays submitted to the MyLife: Chassidus Applied Essay contest, one grabbed our attention with its sheer audacity.
In the very first paragraph the author states that this essay does not qualify to win. You see, the minimum age requirement for participation in the contest is 15 years old. This entrant states clearly that she is only 14.
Then why write an essay?
Menucha Rochel Dubinsky of Newton, Massachusetts, age 14, submitted her Chassidus Applied essay in order to send us all an unequivocal message. “When I saw it was for ages 15 and up, I was discouraged, but not for long. I wanted to show people that age does not stop people from learning and inspiring others to learn.”
Menucha Rochel’s essay was beautifully written. In a respectful voice, yet brimming with a good measure of Chassidishe Chutzpah, she declares: Chassidus is for everyone, regardless of age.
In a bold manner reminiscent of the Daughters of Tzelafchad, who made their case before Moshe Rabbeinu at the end of the 40 years in the desert demanding their family’s portion in Eretz Yisroel, this young teenager demands that the time has come for the “portion of Chassidus” of young children and teenagers in the world to be equally recognized.
Drawing on various Chassidic themes, she makes her powerful point directly from her heart.
“People often underestimate them, just as they underestimate simple people. They all are important in the eyes of G-d. Children, as do adults, have the power to change the world by changing their own self. Though children are many times put down because of their age, these seemingly unimportant figures can do so much. For this contest you chose to limit the writer’s age to 15 and above. I do not understand why, and I will not try to find the reason. I will just proclaim here: age is not a boundary! Just as the level of piety does not affect the importance of the individual’s actions, at least not in the direction most people think it does, so does the age not interfere with one’s achievements.”
She quotes the Hayom Yom of 5 Adar 1 to strengthen her case: “There is not the vaguest shadow of doubt that, wherever our feet tread, it is all in order to cleanse and purify the world with words of Torah and Tefilla (prayer). We, all of Israel, are emissaries of G‑d, each of us as Divine Providence has decreed for us. None of us is free from this sacred task placed on our shoulders.
“It is clear that G-d wants and expects each and every one of us, regardless of the many differences we have, to learn the sacred Torah and fulfill the commandments. ‘None of us is free from this sacred task placed on our shoulders.’ Not even me, a 14 year old who is not allowed to participate in an essay contest, an essay contest for topics in Chassidus like this one. Am I too low for Chassidus? Am I too young? Too unlearned? Maybe so, but it makes no difference to G-d. I am writing this to show the world that it does not matter what your background is, or what your age is. In Judaism, there are no boundaries!
“I do not expect to make it to the contest, because according to the contest guidelines, I am underage. But not for G-d. He enjoys every moment that I, a simple 14 year old, use for the holy purposes of learning Chassidus, or even reading a Posuk in the Chumash. He cherishes every instant that I use to help somebody, or to Daven. And though it may be hard at times, I know that that is why He enjoys my good deeds more than anything.”
Menucha Rochel learns the daily Tanya with her father as well as the Hayom Yom. She often learns Likkutei Sichos, and enjoys the popular Back To Basics Curriculum. When asked what message she would like to share with people her age, she responded “I want to tell all the Jewish girls, kids and teens, worldwide, to never think you are too young to change the world. Keep learning and inspiring others to learn about Chasidus, or Yiddishkeit in general.”
Everyone on our essay contest team felt that this essay should be given special attention, and felt that it was worthy of even breaking the rules and allowing it to be eligible. After all, if the B’nos Tzelafchad initiative elicited a divine exception, as did the cry of “lomoh nigorah?!” from the Jews who missed bringing the Korbon Pesach, how can we ignore the plea of this young brave soul?
Rabbi Simon Jacobson, dean of The Meaningful Life Center and conceiver of the contest said, “Menucha Rochel has definitely given us what to think about, as far as the age restrictions for future contests. Her point is well taken, and we encourage all young people to get involved in learning and applying Chassidus just as she has.
“This illustrates the impact of the essay contest, with young people demanding entry, and essayists as old as 85 submitting as well. Chassidus is for people of all ages, from the very young to the elderly. Chassidus can be a source for all to find inspiration and answers to life’s challenges”.
Our distinguished panel of judges have just about finished evaluating all the essays. The essays that receive the three highest marks will be awarded cash prizes. The first place winner will receive $10,000, with the second and third place winners receiving $3,600 and $1,000 respectively.
The winners of the MyLife: Chassidus Applied Essay Contest will be announced this Sunday night 9 Nissan (April 17), 8-9 PM during the weekly MyLife: Chassidus Applied Broadcast on COLlive.com.
Menucha is also a movie star! This is the most recent one: her Pesach insights and congratulations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VSCT8cRtKo
Homeschooled.
I hope that everyone, judges and readers alike, see the girl’s letter not as an attempt to break rules but as a message. Bending the contest’s rules to include this essay is not right: it will contaminate the girl’s message; it will also be unfair to many young people who have not participated in the content because they obeyed its rules.
Baruch HaShem we mamash pashut have these people they are the pillars of the world if we didn’t have them then the world mamash wouldn’t be so great. A lot of people think “rule breakers” are automatically connected to something bad but this little rule breaker broke that rule- she connected it to chassidus!! Way to go!!!!!
I have a son her age who is a lamdan. In a few years can they meet. I would love her as a daughter-in-law
Beautiful Essay, beautiful girl, and beautiful message.
Chanoch lenaar al pi darko gam ki yazkin lo yassur mimeno – learn Chassidus, teach Chassidus, speak Chassidus with your children, teenagers, grown up relatives, friends, students, acquaintances, business contacts… Make it relevant and real – that is why it’s been made available to us! – and guaranteed, you will see the results. ONLY positive can come out of this.
This is SO wonderful! Kudos to you Menucha Rochel Dubinsky!!! May you continue being proud of your love for Chassidus and always be gorem nachas ruach to the Rebbe. I wish the soon-to-be announced winners bracha & hatzlacha! Like Rabbi Jacobson has been saying during all the broadcasts I manage to listen to, “EVERYONE who submitted an essay, or who has even just thought about how to apply Chassidus more deeply and personally to their daily lives, is a winner!” Yes, perhaps the biggest winner of all will be that which will be born as a result of this contest:… Read more »
B”H
I will not make a comment on the contest rules. Maybe someone else will benefit more from 10 k. No matter what, this girl just won the lottery. Amazing writing and sensitivity, akin to Anne Frank’s. Moved everyone who read her essay. I am in tears. She is so right. Not only age does not matter, but also FFB/ Bal Teshuva status, money, ychus, etc etc. Torah and Chassidut are for everyone. Everyone. Thank you Menucha I will never forget your words.
Well done! However, a contest is a contest and the age should not be lowered!There is a time and place and age for everything. Perhaps there cAn be a teen to 15 group with rewards and a team to oversee. The shluchim convention make Parallel programs for young adults and children.
What school does she go to?
There is noone stopping a person of any age from learning,applying,writing&publishing chassidic articles.
this contest is mainly about the money,younger people can realize the true value of learning chassidus without getting money for it,but when someone gets older he needs a prize.
p.s. you can make a website and write up all the chassidus you want.
You are so inspiring, even to a 40 year old!
Menucha Rochel you are so amazing!!
bar/bas mitzvah age limit
goo menuchaaaa!!!! love your cousin:) or not in our case
Very nice – keep motivating all the Chassidishe Girls..!!
Back to basics sichos
Really well-written and a smart, intelligent girl!
14?! Very impressive.
I think she’s right – the age limit should start at 14/13.
Moshiach now! Putting an age restriction doesn’t contradict anything she said. 100%, chassidus is definitely for e/o, we all can make a difference and change the world.we all bring nachas to Hashem. But the goal of the contest is not to c who can make the biggest change. It’s to see how practical the chassidus one has learned can be applied, and how well this can be expressed. And for this there needs an age because indeed we all are important, but let’s be honest here- there comes a time when you gain lots more knowledge, and it is understood… Read more »
way to go, nuch-nuch 😉
-ELB
If you lower the age range,i can bet that you will see older sibs and other “helping”to write it.Everything or most things have a range aand at some point u’ll have 10 yr olds writing which is fine for that group but adults do not want to compete with children.That is rediculous.Or have what the chidon has.Another issue is that no matter how smart,they still do not have the life skills to expound upon a concept.Nice essay,nice girl but I totally disagree with lowering the age range.That’s life.Try next year IYH’.
Alot of Idishe and Chassidishe Nachas to her parents!
Not your average 14 year old.
15 years old is just fine for the essay contest.
Unless you want to divide it into 2 age groups, you shouldn’t lower the age.
great essay i just read it
Go nuchie!
Menucha rachel is my good friend!
-fruma belinsky
love,ur camp mate
she seems like a smart and thoughtful girl…she wrote that at 14?!
and pretty as well 😉