Rabbi Sacks Brought Me to Lubavitch

By Zalman Myer-Smith for COLlive.com

We all look for inspiration. Sometimes we need to search for it. Other times, it finds us. I was very fortunate in my path to becoming religious to spend many years in the presence of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks OBM, then the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom. Indeed, I attribute my introduction to becoming observant to the interactions I had with Lord Sacks and his family.

I became religious through Rabbi Sacks in the 1990s while serving as part of his security team and as his personal protection officer. Whether I saw him in the presence of distinguished rabbonim, world leaders, The Queen and Royalty or his constituents, he served his duties as an eloquent ambassador and a true British gentleman.

Whether flying with him on the Queen’s personal plane, or drives to visit far-flung Jewish communities, Rabbi Sacks was always grounded, worked furiously at ensuring his teachings and his dedication to community service was both effective and impactful. His daily schedule in serving and representing the Jewish community in Britain and the commonwealth was both tireless and endless.

Just being in his presence whether it was giving speeches, meeting people from all walks of life, or representing the Jewish community to the famous and not-so-famous was awe-inspiring. As an inquisitive Jew, he made me think about my identity, my spiritual growth and more critically my contribution to the Jewish community and the greater world.

So many times on trips he would get over-excited at an amazing question or a shared thought and would be illuminated like a light bulb, pondering a response. His thirst for knowledge, information and answers was astounding. Like his mother of blessed memory, I too hoped that he would write a book I would understand, but what was clear to me was his sheer genius, love of Yiddishkeit and dedication to the Jewish community and people, no matter what the outcome or responses.

His love for the Rebbe was both private and legendary. In later years, he was more public about the impact of the Rebbe on every aspect of his life. I recall once being with him during a BBC interview in the build-up to the year 2000 when they were compiling their lists of Best of the Millenium. He was asked by the BBC interviewer “Chief Rabbi, who would you say was the most impactful Jewish personality of the last millennium? He raised his hands in disbelief at such a question, looked at the reporter and said, “of course, the Lubavitcher Rebbe.” He then went on to extol the multitude of successes and efforts of the Rebbe and Lubavitch.

Rabbi Sacks attended Yeshiva in Kfar Chabad for a year before taking the mantle of leadership of the UK and Commonwealth Jewish community. He was a true tomim with a pure love for the Rebbe who was a constant source of inspiration and guidance to him. It is most fitting that he passed away on Chof Cheshvan, the birthday of the Rebbe Rashab who established the Chabad Lubavitch Yeshiva system.

A humble, yet towering intellectual giant who was a truly outstanding scholar and a mensch of the highest caliber, Rabbi Sacks taught me both the sweetness and harshness of serving the Jewish community. Many times a thankless, but critical task. To this day, he inspires me in my daily work.

On one typically cold and rainy Shabbos in London, near the end of my time with him, he introduced me to Rabbi Shlomo Levin of the Hampstead synagogue. Rabbi Levin was an elegant and erudite Rabbi who also happened to be a very successful merchant banker. I was taken aback at how he blended the world of business with spiritual leadership. Rabbi Levin set up a meeting with Rabbi Tzvi Telsner who organized for me to attend the Rabbinical College of America in Morristown. I jokingly ‘blamed’ Rabbi Sacks in later years that I am happily married with 5 kids and that I ‘blame’ him for my being a Lubavitcher and all the other brochos in my life.

There are countless stories of my time with Rabbi Sacks and the many interactions he had with countless people. Upon his retirement, I wrote a small booklet of some of our adventures, mishaps and experiences for his eyes only and this brought back many fond memories. In his presence, I was unknowingly enveloped in an environment of constant teaching and learning, both secular and Torah matters. I rue the fact that I did not fully absorb or appreciate his teachings while protecting him and his family.

In recent years, he encouraged me to go back full time into Jewish community security, supported our efforts and even made a promotional video for our organization.

Rabbi Sacks endured highs and lows and taught me that leadership is fraught with surprises and constant challenges. However, focus, hard work and keeping busy would overcome any over-analysis of a situation. He taught and lived that taking action is the most potent contribution to society. His faith in G-d was relentless, whatever the barriers were that he faced in his personal or professional life.

We have frequently corresponded since my yeshiva days and up until very recently. He even willingly acted as a shidduch reference for me years ago.

I did not have to make myself a Rav as his presence, his writings, his essence, his gentle fatherly advice and guidance made him my Rav. To be near him was inspiring, something I got accustomed to and did not fully appreciate at the time. To be present during his talks and conversations bathing in the brilliance was taken for granted.

My eldest daughter Yehudis and I met with him and Lady Sacks in Boca Raton a few years ago and it brought him and Elaine Sacks much nachas that I was a product of his guidance and teaching. I cherish all the moments with him.

He was highly regarded as the most eloquent and academically overqualified spiritual leader in Britain by the Queen, successive prime ministers and leaders of other faiths. A true prince of the Jewish people. His progression from being knighted by the Queen to becoming a sitting crossbench member of the House of Lords was a small token of the gratitude shown by the British people. A favorite on Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4, his soothing radio voice exuded spiritual inspiration to those of faith or no faith.

He paraphrased the term ”Less oy and more Joy” and really tried to live it. He endured dark days, as we all do, but pushed on. At the end of his Chief Rabbinate in 2013 at a lavish dinner, the Prince of Wales wished him a well-deserved semi-retirement. That semi-retirement evolved into a more than full-time effort to learn, teach, write and expand his reach further than the chains of office would let him previously.

This is not just a deep personal loss, but a key figure of Jewish communal leadership and erudite scholarship has left this world. During his Chief Rabbinate, he wrote a book each summer. These weren’t written for the sake of writing, but are books of critical acclaim brimming with poignantly deep and meaningful writings of spiritual and academic excellence.

Sometimes being so bright naturally distances you from others. His brilliance and insight were much sought after light in a very dark world. His teachings and inspiration will live on. Chief Rabbi, I mourn for you like a father, the father that you were to me. I am left bereft with a hole in heart, but I will cherish the honor and privilege of being in your presence and protecting you and your family.

In a personal voice note to me in February of this year, Rabbi Sacks ended by wishing my family a brocha “may Hashem bless all of you and bless all of Israel – go and spread the light”. That’s all he wanted, spread some light, teach some Torah, inspire others. This was his essence and life mission.

To paraphrase Hayom Yom from 8 Iyar, I can deeply and truthfully attest that Rabbi Sacks was bound to the Rebbe from the moment he first met the Rebbe who guided him to become the UK Chief Rabbi. Rabbi Sacks walked like a Chief Rabbi, he ate like a Chief Rabbi and he slept like a Chief Rabbi.

Rabbi Sacks, I’m sorry I could not protect you during this difficult time. You are now with the Ultimate Protector, Hashem and may He send Moshiach now. I love you. My family and I send our sincerest condolences to Lady Sacks, and his children Josh, Dina and Gila, may they be well.

Zalman Myer-Smith Director Of Security at Chabad of Florida and Director of the Community Security Organization focuses on liaising, training, and working with law enforcement agencies and serving thousands of Jewish community synagogues, schools, and centers.