Sunday, March 22, 2009

17 Years-Yesomim hayinu, v'ain av

Tonight is the twenty seventh of Adar. There are many bochurim in lubavitch who weren't even born. At least I remember when it happened. The question of course is, what does this day mean to us? What does it do to us? And what do we do for it? The answers to these questions are not simple ones. In fact, I don't know if anyone even has the answers. But that doesn't mean we don't have to ask the questions. Because if you don't even have the question, how can you ever expect to work out the answer? Because that's what it's really all about. Every person has to look inside their heart and say, "Hey, what's up? What have I accomplished? What does 17 years without mean to me? Have I gotten over it, or am I still in mourning?have the chai, the living, yiten el libo, taken it to heart? Or was this generation's parah adumah completely wasted?" Those are the types of questions we all have to ask ourselves.

There's two types of 27 Adar farbrengens. There's the ones where the mashpia gathers his charges around and relates the story. I've been to several of these, and although they're informative they're also almost always depressing. The identity of the scapegoat changes depending on who is doing the farbrenging, but at the end of the day, after everyone's been blamed for everything, those 17 years still remain.

The other type of farbrengen, much more rare, is the one where the mashpia rallies the troops and inspires them all to do everything possible to hasten the coming of the messiah. Since it's 27 Adar this is not sufficient; it's also necessary to ask those questions I laid out above. You know why this type of farbrengen is so rare? Because it's so difficult. To sit there, as a mashpia, not knowing the answers to the questions you're asking-that's tough. It's always easier to simply retreat into the past, to pretend that it's 1993 or '95. But doing this is also giving up. Yes, it's important for bochurim to know where they're coming from, but even more importantly, they have to know where they're going.

And where is it that they're going? I wish I knew. Honestly, it's such a crazy world out there, who knows what's going to be? All we can do is, in the words of the immortal Lipa Schmeltzer, "Hut bitachon vet aleh zein gut." Yup.

24 comments:

Dovid said...

Yep its some crazy times indeed. But yesh lanu av.

Anonymous said...

Dovid -

You have a point there - But not totally. It's a see-saw paradox - wherein the hergeshim definitely have to eventually balance at the right situation and frame of mind.

The Rebbe said this concept countless times
(one which comes to mind, is re the FR saying "L'Alter L'Teshuvah, L'Alter L'geulah" and yet was working on mosdos which would take years to build!? Yet, our Rebbe answered, the idea is to have 1 foot in each direction simultaneously).

Which brings me to ponder:
Was the image of the Chofetz Chaim and other leaders, wearing their Shabbos finest or in briefcase - to be considered a state of denial, in light of the above thought?
I mean, we're meant to be here and there, not just en route to Geula. Building noch a Mikve, a Cheder "in our workclothes" (fig. and lit.) and at the same time believing for it any moment (we strive at least!) is apparently the kavanah.

L'chaim, zohl men shyn zoche zein!

Is my gist on the Rebbe's path?

Just like a guy said...

Dovid: I first saw that line on the front cover of the (infamous) post-gimmel tammuz kfar chabad, and I thought, hey, that's not true, of course we do! Then someone pointed out to me that in fact it's a passuk. So yes, of course we have a father, aval...

Anon: what's your gist exactly? That we're living in a paradox?

le7 said...

Uch, living in college-land you forget about this stuff...

Anonymous said...

I'm the previous Anonymous.
TRS: Yes, and we should also FEEL the paradox, as Shlomo Hamelech said, l'kol zman va'eis. Hence both points are valid with standing ground, is all I'm really saying.
So when X says something, Y can understand that it doesn't necessarily negate another point.(hey, we're not children!)

Also, Do you hear me on my 2nd idea there - I'm trying to feel around..

Dovid said...

TRS- so because its a passuk that means its true in this instance? What about the passuk "yesh lanu av zakeyn"? Even after histaklus there is still hiskashrus. Certainly after the Previous Rebbe's histalkus the Rebbe encouraged hiskashrus- still read the PR's kapital, read letters by the ohel, etc.

Anonymous said...

Tell me something, what do you mean by "blame different people"? we uninitiated don't know that part.

Just like a guy said...

le7: so what are you waiting for?

Anon: Ok, we have to feel the paradox. I get that. But what exactly was your second point?

Dovid: it certainly feels like it's true. Not saying that it is, but "I'm calling to you, father, please come home!"

Modeh: ever heard of leibel groner?

le7 said...

I'm getting moving. Mind your own beeswax.

Anonymous said...

TRS: I was referring to the Chofetz Chaim part, see above in my earlier comment (12:54). Is it a valid statement to say/hold by?

Just like a guy said...

Anon: denial? Not at all. They lived with the reality that moshiach is coming. Now. Meanwhile, until he gets here, we have work to do...

Anonymous said...

Can't say I have. I try very hard not to be aware of my own community's lashon hara. I'm not successful by any means but other kehillos I'll have to plead ignorance about.

Just like a guy said...

I wouldn't worry about it then.

e said...

Dovid, it's a passuk from Eicha said about us and the Lord almighty (I think). So if we're orphaned from God, we're certainly orphaned from the Rebbe.

Just like a guy said...

So obviously it's a nuanced thing we're dealing with here. Btw, I'm sure everyone saw this on crownheights.info...maybe someone wants to defend me there?

Dovid said...

We're not orphaned from G-d and we're not orphaned from Moshe Avdo. It may appear we are c'v, but we are not.

Just like a guy said...

Obviously. But how do you explain the passuk?

Dovid said...

The passuk is referring to times that it appears as if we are orphaned.

Its like balayla hahu nadeda shnas hamelech (malko shel olam). Does Hashem really not feel our problems? No, it only appears that way.

e said...

TRS, just saw this on ch.info.

Why didn't you plug the blog more? maybe spell out your full name and give a proper link to the blog?

Anonymous said...

well done for making it on to ch.info.
is this the first post of yors to go on the site?

Just like a guy said...

Dovid: I agree with you one hundred percent.

e: I didn't put it up, he did.

Anon: thanks. Yup.

Anonymous said...

He just put it up spontaneously? btw, i think the verse is yesomim hayenu vein av

Just like a guy said...

Well, he emailed me on the 27th, but I didn't get the email until the 28th, so I figured he wouldn't post it. If I had known he was going to I would have edited it.

Maybe. Someone should check it up.

Just like a guy said...

Yes e, I misquoted the passuk, which btw is eicha 5,3.