A Word From The RabbiDear Friend, A distraught Jew visited the Lubavitcher Rebbe and complained that his children were assimilating. "What have I done wrong? Why have they strayed from the path I taught them?" He signed and repeated an old Yiddish saying, "S’iz shver tzu zein a Yid,” how difficult it is to be a Jew! “Do you often express yourself this way?” asked the Rebbe. “In stressful times—and there are many—yes, I do.” The Rebbe gently told him, “Then that is the message your children hear, and that is the impression of Judaism they have.” With a twinkle in his eye, the Rebbe continued, “There is another Yiddish saying: S’iz gut tzu zein a Yid, it’s great to be a Jew! Switch your refrain, and you will notice a difference in your children’s appreciation for their heritage.” In 1994, when the Lubavitcher Rebbe, leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, passed away, all pundits forecast the gradual demise of the movement. They claimed that Chabad-Lubavitch was synonymous with the Rebbe and that it would be impossible for the movement to continue without him. To their surprise, the very opposite happened, and Chabad-Lubavitch has grown in an unprecedented fashion. Thousands of new young men and women have signed up to serve on behalf of Chabad-Luabvitch in some of the most obscure Jewish communities around the world. Through them, the Rebbe's sphere of influence has spread even further, touching even more people. This refusal to give in to the pessimists and doomsayers of the world is a direct result of the extraordinary optimism that the Lubavitcher Rebbe communicated to his disciples, through his talks and writings, throughout his lifetime. This positive outlook and upbeat philosophy that has kept Chabad-Lubavitch thriving against all odds, is something we can all apply to our own lives, thereby making this world a better, happier place.
|
