A Rabbi's Thoughts

I spent last weekend in Brooklyn at the Kinus Hashluchim - the annual Conference for Chabad Rabbis from all around the world.

Shabbat with over 3,000 Rabbis definitely leaves one with lots of inspiration and food for thought.

The weekend was capped by a beautiful banquet on Sunday night. With over 4,000 Rabbis and lay leaders in attendance, the banquet has long since outgrown even the biggest hotels. It was held this year at Pier 94 in Manhattan, and the sight was truly awe-inspiring.

As at every Jewish event the evening consisted of lots of food, lots of speeches, and a little bit of "spontaneous" dancing and singing. One of the highlights every year is the roll call; it's no longer feasible to recognizeeach person - just recognizing each country and state represented takes almost an hour!

The speeches and presentations were really beautiful, ranging from an address by Lev Leviev - Israel's foremost diamond and real estate magnate, but more importantly probably Israel's foremost philanthropist-words of Torah and inspiration, video presentations, and more.

I'd just like to share an anecdote told by Rabbi Nechemia Vogel, long-time shliach on campus at SUNY Rochester, NY.

His father, Mr. Bobby Vogel, was a diamond dealer in London, England; he counted among his accomplishments and responsibilities the founding and support of the Lubavitch Grammar School in London. As the school-and the budget-grew, it became more and more difficult to continue. At the Rebbe's urging, the school operated under the philosophy that every Jewish child deserves a Jewish education; if the child's parents were unable to pay, the burden fell on the school's administrators and funders.

At one point, Mr. Vogel felt he had reached wits' end. He poured his heart out to the Lubavitcher Rebbe in a private audience, proclaiming that he could no longer shoulder the increased burden of additional needy students. The time had come, he felt, to turn some people away.

The Rebbe responded:

Mr. Vogel, you are a businessman, so I'll respond in business terms. Imagine you are carrying a heavy burden, a load of rocks. But not just any rocks.The bag is filled with blue-white diamonds, stones of the greatest clarity and value.

Yes, the load may be great, but the reward is even greater.

Now along comes an opportunity: Someone wishes to add yet another blue-white diamond to your load.

Do you approach the added load as a burden? Do you look at this as an additional problem, one you would gladly avoid if you could? Or do you excitedly shoulder the extra weight, rejoicing at your opportunity to add one more gem to your horde?

Every child, every person, every additional Jew you can help, is a diamond of exceptional, inestimable value. The person who turns to you for help is not an added weight; he or she is an additional treasured opportunity!

At root, on the soul level, it is exactly that message that stands as the inspiration for each of the Rabbis who were in that room that night. Many of them serve communities in far-flung corners of the world, facing incredible hardships. But if we can only maintain the right perspective, if we can look at the world and at people who need our help as opportunities rather than problems, our priorities shift dramatically, and we can indeed each help make our world a better place.

I am writing this entry from Brooklyn where I am attending the annual conference of Chabad Rabbis. (Imagine 2500 black hats packed into a ballroom). It is a weekend of sessions and workshops discussing issues that concern world Jewry.

One of the more moving sessions actually begins around 11 pm. After the kids are sleeping and the official program is over for the day, we sit down amongst friends usually with a bottle of LiChaim in the middle) and we share what is on our mind and heart. It lasts for a few hours until we have to catch some sleep so that we can attend another day of round table discussions.

Last night I sat around a table with a rabbi from West Boomfield, MI - Pudong, China - Phoenix, AZ - Table View, South Africa, only to mention a few.

The ages were from 23 to 41. The sizes of the Jewish community were from a few hundred people to the tens of thousands.

But the beauty of it all is that it didn't matter where we were from, how old we were, how big the community was or the size of our budget. We all had a common goal and vision which united us - and all Jews - around the world.

The Torah has what to say and can give advise to everyone, no matter the situation they find themselves in. Our job is only to have the patience and divine inspiration to be able to implement it in our lives.

It is the unifying element of all Jewish communities and people in all times and all places.

Towards the end of the night, after sharing words of inspiration and good wishes, we got up with a recommitment to our communities. That commitment is to find the common aspect - the common good - in all of us. The spirituality that pushes us all to be better people and better Jews. Regardless of who or where we are - the Torah has one to tell us in improving our lives.