You are the only one who can reach your neighbor
We are personally obligated to uplift everyone around us.
On Yud Shevat 5710 (1950), the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneerson, released a Chassidic Discourse boldly laying out the mission of our generation.
Just as Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses, Our Teacher) was the seventh generation to Avrohom Avinu (Abraham, Our Father), the first generation, and was therefore propelled to the forefront of bringing the Divine Presence into this physical world by taking the Children of Israel to Mount Sinai to receive G-d Al-mighty’s Loving Guidance for the Children of Israel and all humanity, our generation, too, is the seventh generation to the first.
The first generation, to our seventh, is the laser focused work of the first Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi (the Alter Rebbe) to set out clearly for us the Divine tools available to each of us to focus all of our life energy, thought, speech and action to the service of G-d Al-mighty and the fulfillment of G-d Al-mighty’s Vision for His Creations.
And, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, on Yud Shevat the following year crystallized the awareness that we are the seventh generation, propelled to the forefront to bring the awareness of G-d Al-mighty to every single human being.
The Torah makes it clear that G-d Al-mighty writes off no human being as unredeemable. Every human being is just one thought away from complete release from the habitual negative thoughts that propel negative feelings and behavior. And, in the wake of that release come positive thoughts that propel positive feelings and behavior.
In that discourse, the Rebbe highlights a story of the Alter Rebbe (the first generation) in which the Alter Rebbe paused his holy prayers on Yom Kippur to walk to the end of the town to personally cut wood, to light a fire to cook hot food for a woman who had just given birth. Although forbidden on the Shabbos and Yom Kippur for a Jew, this activity was permitted in this case because a woman after childbirth is considered to be in danger and needs heat and hot food.
The Rebbe tells this story as an example of the Alter Rebbe’s tremendous love for his fellow Jew, so that we might be encouraged and find the path easier to do the same ourselves.
And, so we thought, that was the point of the story.
34 years later, as you will soon see in the below video, the Rebbe revealed that the point of the story is actually to wake the Jew up to realize that he has a non-delegable obligation to personally reach out to his non-Jewish neighbors to uplift them to knowing that they are created by G-d Al-mighty in His Divine Image and that He has delivered a blueprint for fruitful and prosperous conduct through the Torah Divine Commandments that apply to every human being.
As the Rebbe points out, the matter is urgent. There is no source of this exquisitely clarified, freely available and uplifting guidance, other than from the Torah.
It is urgent for the non-Jew that this message reach him because his spiritual, mental, emotional and physical well-being, and that of his family and his nation depend on his awareness that G-d Al-mighty cares about him and he is important and there are Divine Loving Guidelines for a good and uplifting life.
And, it is urgent for the Jew, because, this opportunity is also a test for the Jew if he really loves G-d Al-mighty. A Jew’s love of G-d Al-mighty is evidenced by his willingness to go to any lengths, including overcoming his own internal resistance, to reach every human being.
And, each non-Jew having become of aware of G-d Al-mighty’s message and design, will be inspired to accelerate the spread of the Torah’s message to even more neighbors.
Then the entire humanity will fulfill G-d Al-mighty’s Purpose in creating human beings. G-d Al-mighty’s Divine Vision for the Era of Messianic Redemption is one in which every human being will be elevated to being revealed as an limitless wellspring of Divine Wisdom, and the sole occupation of every human being will be to know G-d Al-mighty.
May we take action now to make that real now!
And, may G-d Al-mighty bless you.
Here is the video of the Rebbe speaking to every human being on the 19th of Kislev, 5744, revealing the intention of the story that he first told on Yud Shevat 5711:
Shabbos is coming, a reminder for every human being that they are an intentional creation of G-d Al-mighty right now and a continuing beneficiary of His Love, His Joy and His Abundance! What an incredible moment to increase even more in joy!
Action: Use the link above to check Shabbos Candellighting times in your city around the world. Shabbos Candlelighting time in New York City this week (1/19/2024) is 4:39 pm and Holy Shabbos ends at 5:42 pm.
Here is some of the learning we did this week:
These videos are available in the content library at RabbiSmith.org (in parentheses) and also on YouTube by clicking the name of the learning. When you watch on YouTube please like, share and subscribe so the message of hope reaches more and more people. See below at the end of this article a list of upcoming classes both in person and on Zoom.
This Week’s Learning
👉 Mitzvos Hashem R Steif #86: Why head coverings for men is now mandatory all the time
👉 Leaders Only - Beis Medrash - Increasing and spreading the joy on Yud Shevat - Sign up to get access to the learning videos!
👉 Prayer book opening verses relevant to non-Jews (p 12)
👉 Prayer - Adon Olam - Master of the Universe, yet intimately personally with me
Upcoming Learning:
All learning uses the following Zoom link: https://bit.ly/BeisMedrash. Sponsor learning in honor or memory of a loved one.
👉Yeshiva Shem V'Ever
Shabbos Afternoon (Saturday) 3 pm Eastern
We will be learning Torah relevant to non-Jews with Jews and non-Jews.
Tanya: Sha'ar Hayichud v'HaEmunah - the Gate of Oneness and Faith
In person only.
👉Rabbi Steif Mitzvos Hashem
SUNDAY 7 am Eastern (1 pm Germany time)
Rabbi Steif wrote this holy book to avert the Holocaust by making sure that both Jews and non-Jews should know clearly G-d Al-mighty's rules for non-Jews.
👉Zecharia 8:23 - Prayer for non-Jews - No class this week
WEDNESDAY 8:00 pm Eastern
👉Leaders - Learning and action - No class this week
Thursdays at 8 pm Eastern
Actions:
Your actions make a difference, so take action! Speak to your neighbors!
This message of Hope can and must reach even more people, with you help. Please gift generously to propel this message to more people. Time is of the essence. The mission is monumental, but with G-d Al-mighty’s help it eminently possible. May G-d Al-mighty bless you for your generosity.
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👉Dedicate a future edition of the Week’s Roundup by clicking here.
