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Wednesday, 26 Adar I, 5784
  |  March 6, 2024

The Cynics Are Right, But…

From the COLlive inbox: I find a sense of cynicism affecting—and infecting—the attitude of quite a few fellow Lubavitchers. Full Story

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i agree with לעניית דעתי
September 21, 2015 1:20 pm

Its just that golus is getting too hard.

The tamim are here!
September 21, 2015 12:29 pm

The problem is opening our eyes. Cynics see a tamim and scream farfrumpt. These people who only live their whole lives to serve the Rebbe are made fun of for upholding the Torah.

Great thanks
September 21, 2015 12:06 am

For articulating that! It was needed! (Sigh of relief)

to author
September 20, 2015 10:48 pm

i think people just had enough of galus. when the rebbe said it should be b’tov haneereh v’hanigleh, it means kepshuteh, only revealed good

to #4
September 20, 2015 10:41 pm

its true. its difficult. but we can do what we can, and what we can do is incredible. the fact that we are doing is incredible. just to be alive and open-hearted to experiencing both joy and pain. we cant do anything about not having these role models. we can try to glean what we can from whatever videos and articles and writings there are. more than that we cant do. but there is so much we can do, and using what we cant do as an excuse not to do what we can is only “fooling a fool” and… Read more »

Perfect timing
September 20, 2015 10:36 pm

I just sat down to make my evening’s cheshbon hanefesh, but decided to rest for a few minutes first, and I went onto col. This is the article that came up… The best article I have read in a while…very inspiring and an eye opener..maybe Hashem was sending me a message what my Teshuva should be about tonight. Thank you Rabbi Shusterman for being the Shliach.

agree 100%
September 20, 2015 9:31 pm

agreed with everything that was said in fact, generally something that bothers me as well. The way to alleviate it is by being a living example of someone who strives towards temimus. even arguing with this overall viewpoint although seemingly insufficient or even unhelpful, can have positive results. dvarim hayotzim min halev.. Think a line needs to be drawn between bitterness and cynicism. Both stem as a result of some”thing”. But there is a difference. Bitterness is not chutzpa. Cynicism is. (many times.) When deciding how to react, its important to know where the person is coming from. Another point… Read more »

לעניית דעתי
September 20, 2015 8:38 pm

This is definitely a thought-provoking, and expressive article, which endeavors to dig beneath the cynical person’s facade and reveal what is truly lying underneath. I would like to extend my thanks to Rabbi Schusterman for the time he put into writing it. However, I humbly believe that the direction which he turned to ‘diagnose’ the cynic who had made the comment in Shul, is an incorrect one. The comment made, in my humble opinion, did not sound like someone who is “giving up” on the battle of good vs evil, nor does it sound like he is “hardening his heart”… Read more »

Planting seeds of doubt
September 20, 2015 8:13 pm

Cynicsm or planting seeds of doubt is the amelek that is found in each and everyone of us. It is an attitude of coldness and cools us off to kedusha.

Awesome:
September 20, 2015 8:09 pm

It’s about time “harmless cynicism” is exposed for what it really is:

A seditious treason in support of the enemy of all that is good.

In the words of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov:

“Ein licho od dovor she’oker es ho’odom ligamri miMeno Yisbarech umikol hamidos tovos, kimo ha’midoh ho’ra hamiguneh shel leitzonus.”

“There is no other thing which uproots people entirely from Him, may He be Blessed, and from all good traits, as the terrible and repugnant trait of frivolity [the mother of cynicism].”

Fantastic
September 20, 2015 7:42 pm

The author has nailed this issue right on the head.

geat article
September 20, 2015 7:38 pm

pretty inspiring

The Alter Rebbe said:
September 20, 2015 6:50 pm

ואם לא ירא לבבו כלל מזה יכול לבוא לידי קלות ח”ו”

Words.....but only words.
September 20, 2015 6:03 pm

What the Rabbi Schusterman is saying is technically accurate. HOWEVER…. we need to “walk the walk”. Where is the tears of joy we used to see when an older Chosid would Daven? Where is the Chosid that wouldn’t forgo the most minute hidur and would never dream of even learning during Krias H’Torah, never-mind talking? Where is the Chosid that drips with Torah ,Chassidus & Rebbe? Perhaps a living example of a Tamim is the antidote to cynicism, not the “concept” of a Tamim.

Thank you
September 20, 2015 5:45 pm

That sounds like another hYom yom from the end of last week

so inspiring
September 20, 2015 4:31 pm

Thanks for refocusing us Rabbi Schusterman

Beautiful!
September 20, 2015 4:30 pm

Such are the articles that bring us closer to the Geulah!

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