Assume for Yourself a Teacher
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בס"ד עַ ש הֵֹ לְָך רַ ב Assume for yourself a Teacher Forward ...................................................................................................... 3 Staying the Course ...................................................................................... 5 Breaking Through the Sound Bite Barrier ................................................. 7 Giving Our Very Best, Something that Rabbi Google Cannot Provide ...... 9 Lost in the Desert Without a Compass? .................................................... 12 The Mashpia of Today: Will We Only Settle with Rabbenu HaKodesh? .. 15 Creating a Conducive Environment in the Spiritual Desert ..................... 16 Forward As we approach Gimmel Tammuz, it is From this we can easily see the an appropriate time to reflect on our absolute necessity for every chosid to have a hiskashrus to the Rebbe and the mission rav, a teacher and a mashpiah that helps in with which he entusted us. For this reason facilitating not just with the information side we are reprinting a recent series of articles of education but with practical guidance on concerning the Rebbe's directive of "asei how to live as a chosid. lecha rav". We are living in an age where vast In the Rebbe's first maamar with which areas of knowledge are widely available to he began his nesius, he announced that we everyone. Today we can have it all at our are the seventh generation and that our fingertips, sichos, mamarim, Shas etc.. All of calling is to bring the revelation of Moshiach this is truly amazing. However, equally and to this world. Just as Moshe Rabbenu was vitally important is to actively engage with a the seventh generation to Avraham Avinu, living chosid on whom we can rely for and as the seventh he was the completion of guidance. the first, so too are we the seventh Parents need to be aware of the fact generation since the founding of Chabad that they are the rabbonim and mashpiim in Chassidus by the Alter Rebbe. their homes and not just a friend to their Our calling is to make this world a children. mishkan, a dwelling place for Hashem Teachers need to realize that they serve similar to the way that Bnei Yisroel did first not just as disseminators of information, but in the midbar and then in the Beis also as guides in the lives of their students. HaMikdash. In this way those who take this They need to be certain that each and every mission upon themselves serve as the Bnei one of their students know, without question Levi of our time. Our method is by spreading that they care for them as individuals. the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov, the Regardless of how crowded and busy their wellsprings of chassidus to the world around classroom is or stressful their day may be us, transforming it into a place that is their students always need to feel that their hospitable to kedusha. teacher is aware of them and have their best As in any profession, one does not interest in mind. A teacher serves as a living become qualified by virtue of his studies or example of ahavas Yisroel, making clear to knowledge alone. A person doesn't become a the student that he or she will always care dentist only because he attended his classes, for them, even after they complete their year or just by passing tests, but by practicing his study in their particular class. trade and integrating it into a life practice. A Mashpiim and Roshei Yeshiva surely thief didn't need to go to thief school to learn serve as guides throughout life. They are not how to steal, he just steals! Also, a lamdan, a there just to answer questions but to guide great scholar isn't someone who has the overall development and direction of potential to study but one who actually their talmidim both in yeshiva as well as in studies. So too a chosid is not just someone years that follow. who learns about chassidus but is a living chosid. This is just like the Bnei Levi who Once a person leaves the walls of his or studied and then put what they learned into her yeshiva or seminary, if they don't yet practice. have a mashpia they need to find someone who is most fitting and ask them. They 3 should not wait until someone approaches These articles deal in detail with this them to volunteer. This holds true both topic and discuss "aseh lecha rav" from the before and after marriage. perspective of parents, teachers, mashpiim This is the request and directive that and rabbonim. the Rebbe spoke about so often as he By fulfilling the directive of the Rebbe described how to accomplish "aseh lecha of "aseh lecha rav" we will be zoche to build rav" in all its aspects. Once the Rebbe together the mishkon for Hashem and pointed to someone at a fabrengen and witness the revelation of Moshiach now! asked; "Do you have a Rav?" Rabbi Shimon Raichik Los Angeles, California 1st of Tammuz 5772 4 Staying the Course Today, many parents and teachers feel mitzvos. When we do a mitzvah we say the that we are not able to convey the way of beracha ‘asher k’dishanu.’ When we use our Chassidus and Yiddishkeit in the same life to serve Hashem then we are sanctifying manner which we received from our parents ourselves in all the details. We are and mashpiim. This means while we are able sanctifying how we express ourselves, how to impart a lot of information we lack the we eat food (see perek zayin of Tanya) in our proper skill to instill it with the same vitality. tznius as well as all other things. When a child is in yeshiva he needs to How do I serve Hashem in everything? be excited about what his Torah and mitzvos By having an overall perspective of simcha. accomplish. He needs to feel an ahava A Yid is very happy that he has the toward serving Hashem. Chassidus explains opportunity to approach life in a way that is that through every mitzvah one different than a worldly outlook. Our goals accomplishes Hashem’s will. Hashem waits and expectations revolve around the fact and anticipates when each one of us will do that Hashem has chosen us to serve Him. the next mitzvah. Doing the mitzvah brings Therefore, every morning upon awaking we Hashem endless simcha. look upon the day as a special opportunity to serve Hashem in all aspects of life. We live however in a physical world and we are affected by our surroundings. To There is a story about Rebbi Levi protect ourselves from outside influences Yitzchak of Berdichev on Yom Kippur. He Chazal teaches; “kadesh atzmecha b’mutar turned to Hashem and said, “What do you lach.” Simply spoken this means to be want from your children? You place the restrained with things that are permissible, pleasure of the world before our eyes and even though that they are allowable. reward and punishment in the sefarim!” Yiddishkeit needs to be vibrant and part of Chassidus explains that the yetzer horah cannot interfere directly with someone’s life our life, something we cannot live without. to cause them to do something that is Why does this child, who went through outright prohibited. He operates with a the system feel that it is not speaking to more stealth two stage strategy. First, he him? The reason is because the ta’aivos of entices us to indulge in permissible things. this world are in front of his eyes. They cloud He convinces us that since it’s allowed we his neshama, and dull the vibrancy of the should enjoy it. Once a person is used to living Torah and mitzvos. This has continuously indulging in the permissible, intensified lately where accesses to worldly the yetzer pushes him beyond the threshold, things are unprecedented. Just a few years into things that are clearly forbidden. The ago it took a conscious effort to access such reason he is successful is because we are out things by going outside of the community. of control. Therefore, the Torah tells us, Today they are just a click away with the “kadesh atzmecha b’mutar lach! – sanctify internet and smart phones. Can we close off yourself with permissible.” This is how our homes to the internet? We need the Chassidus explains this mitzvah. internet for business. How do we get control? Not just by A teen in yeshiva can’t have facebook, controlling ourselves but also by having receive hundreds of texts, update his kedusha as the center focus. Our goal is to followers on twitter and still have the head bring kedusha into every aspect of our lives to learn. When does he have time? Is it any through the Torah and mitzvos, even into wonder that the teachers are finding it the times and places that we are not doing challenging to arouse children to learn? If 5 every child was born with an individualized what is mutar, we end up doing that which is handbook that described his exact nature assur. Chassidus explains at great length and how to best take care of him we would how that which we want, we do not need be perfect parents. Unfortunately there are (see Kuntres u’Maayon). not such handbooks and as parents we have Every parent has the greatest effect on to try to do the best we can. For example his when they are enthusiastic and take joy would we give our children harmful things in his or her Yiddishket. Our children need to play with? Would we start a child on a to see the excitement of mitzvos in the bike without training wheels? Would we give home.