By the Grace of G-d
Dear Friend,
The tragic abduction and murder of the late Rabbi Kogan in UAE by has called the world’s attention to the Rebbe’s Shluchim – emissaries posted the world over.
In a radical departure from the usually insular model of the devout and Chasidic way of life, the Rebbe charged his students with moving outside the bastions of established Jewish communities and enclaves.
The mission was and remains to bring the world closer and closer to its perfected state of messianic peace. By helping people in whatever way possible. In being sensitive to their material needs, and in inspiring them to be more in touch with their inner G-dly soul.
These goals are achieved by encouraging our fellows in doing more mitzvahs, studying more Torah, and thus embracing the true G-dly mission that every person has.
It’s a universal mission for all the inhabitants of our world. A Jew has the mission to be a Jew with all of our mitzvot and every human as a ‘child of Noach’ has the mission of living life directed and inspired by the universal laws of Divine morality.
One of our young pioneering Chabad rabbi’s was brutally murdered in the UAE as he did his job diligently, spreading the warmth and the light of Torah, Mitzvot, goodness and kindness.
This is a tragic story.
As I wrote earlier this week, we need to feel the pain of every life that is snuffed out. When one is killed just because they are a Jew, it touches us all very deeply. We are all part of one collective Am Yisrael.
This weekend, I am joining several thousand colleagues at our annual ‘Kinus Hashluchim’ – gathering of the Rebbe’s emissaries.
The story of Shluchim is a miraculous story.
Our Parsha tells us the story of the first Jewish born Jew. Yitschak.
‘And Yitschak planted, in that land, one hundred times. G-d blessed him’.
Rashi comments. Even though it was a challenging year for agriculture. Even though the land was not fertile. The yield was one hundred times more than expected.
True, he planted. He put forth effort. But it was G-d’s miraculous blessing that brought his unparalleled success.
My friends, when one walks around the conference of Shluchim, one sees this above verse coming to life around the world.
Miraculous growth. Incredulous stories of how, by Divine Providence the young couples who headed out in their early twenties, saw things come together in a miraculous way.
Yes, they work hard, but the results are incredulously larger than naturally anticipated which makes it obvious and clear that it is G-d’s hand at work.
Here is a story I heard from the Rebbe’s Shliach in a city in Europe last year. I was attending a wedding of a close friend, and the local Chabad rabbi gave me a tour of the Jewish institutions in the city. As he was showing me the impressive Chabad day school, I asked him how he had managed to purchase the buildings. He said that he had received a favorable mortgage from the regional bank. When I asked him if it was easy to get the mortgage, he told me that usually it is very difficult for a non-for-profit institution to get a such a large mortgage with very favorable terms but he had been blessed by a miracle from G-d.
Here is the story the way he told it to me:
The city council of our city invited me to accompany them on a visit to Auschwitz. They wanted a rabbi to join along with them. It was a good opportunity to meet new people so I went along.
After seeing the site of the death camp, the press who was accompanying us, asked me to share my feelings.
I said, as one whose grandparents lived through the Holocaust and who lost near and dear ones, I have one word. I feel like taking revenge. But let me clarify what I mean by revenge.
Revenge as taught to me by the Rebbe, means that instead of Judaism and Jews disappearing from the world as the Nazis wanted, I will recommit myself to double and triple my efforts in building Judaism and ensuring that more Jewish children are born into this world.
My words said with much passion, and with such a positive angle to the concept of revenge made a deep impression on the group.
On the next day it made headlines in the newspapers.
‘Rabbi’s REVENGE, adding in Jewish life and light’.
There was an elderly respectable gentleman who had been very quiet throughout the trip, who came over to me and gave me his card. He was visibly moved by my remarks and told me that if I ever needed help I should feel free to call him.
Upon reading his card, I saw that he was the senior regional manager of a large banking network. I duly filed away his card without much thought.
A few months later, the bank that we banked with was bought out by the larger regional bank. The local manager was being unhelpful. I decided to go to visit that elderly gentleman whose bank had just purchased our local bank.
On the way to the meeting, in which I was going to ask for help in something rather trivial, I got a phone call. The call came from the main school building which we were renting. We had expressed our desire to buy the building, but the owner didn’t want to sell. Out of the blue, the owner now called me, asking me if we wanted to buy the building.
I was already on the way to the regional bank for a meeting with the highest manager of the region who had pledged to help me.
The meeting now changed directions and emphasis. It now centered on the major acquisition of our school building which the regional bank manager facilitated. The other smaller matter was also resolved without issue.
My friend turned to me and said, this is a sampling of how we succeed in our work. Hashems miracles unfold and manifest in our meager-by-comparison efforts.
Dear friend, I love these stories. There are myriads of stories like this.
Where Hashems blessings show that even a small effort to do the right thing, can be a catalyst for the most incredibly unimaginable results.
Some of my stories have been recorded in my book ‘Chai from Thai’. Many others are etched into my memory and new miracles are happening on an ongoing basis.
The Rebbe taught us that to be a ‘Shliach’ which literally means ‘one who is sent’ is to think bigger than ourselves. To recognize that Hashem is sending you on His mission. To embrace the call to action by the Moshe of our generation – the Rebbe – who fueled by his unconditional love of every Jew is empowering us to care for our fellow Jewish wherever they are. Material and spiritually. By building social welfare programs, promoting Judaism and Jewish life and in the signature ‘Mitzvah Campaign’ launched by the Rebbe, by reaching out to every single Jew one mitzvah at a time.
Here is a message for you and I and anyone who is ready to surprise themselves with the latent potential they have inside of them.
Challenges exist. Boundaries present obstacles for growth. Finances are not easy to come by. Apathy abounds.
Yet, if you move forward fearlessly and full of faith, you will prevail over all challenges. On the contrary, what will be revealed is that the boundaries and handicaps are intended to make you reach deeper, jump higher and invite the blessings of G-d’s miraculous power into your life.
See here for a short story about the miracles YOU can make.
I am in New York this weekend. You are in my mind as my colleagues and I pray at the Rebbe’s Ohel for our loved ones, our communities and the entire world and as we rededicate ourselves to the singular mission statement of the Rebbe to bring this world to its intended state of being a dwelling place for Hashem.
Join me in this forward march mission of light, goodness and optimism for the glorious future of Mashiach.
DO A MITZVAH TODAY.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Yosef Kantor
Outside the fjord in Norway
