I recently attended a non-Lubavitch Shul for Shabbos Davening, which was pretty much the same thing as a Lubavitch Shul for Davening, except that they started at the obscene time of 8:30. Ridiculous.
Anyway, the Kiddush was in honor of a family that is leaving the community after a decade to move to Israel. One of the locals made a speech, which went something like this:
There are many communities which have the minhag to make a "seudas preidah," a separation meal, when people leave. It's interesting to note that the word, "preidah," separation, is also the same word for mule. Why is this? Well, a mule is a strange animal. On the one hand, it's sterile, it can never have progeny. On the other hand, it's a very hard worker. So a mule is bittersweet. So too is a separation: we're taking leave of one another, and it's very sad. At the same time though, it's a new start, a new beginning, and we're happy that they'll be moving on to greater things. So a separation, just like a mule, is bittersweet. Sure, we hope we'll keep in touch, but at the end of the day, this is it.
During this speech I started thinking, "Hmm, I've never heard of this whole seudas preidah thing." And then it occurred to me- this is exactly why, in the immortal words of the brothers Marcus, "Chassidim don't say goodbye." We don't have a separation, we don't leave one another. Sure, there may be a temporary parting, but we know we'll see each other again.
As a Lubavitcher, we hear things like C. D.S.G all the time, and it sounds trite and common and obvious. Then you hear things from another perspective, and all of a sudden, you realize that we really are better than everyone else. Ok, maybe not. But we do have the right idea.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
C.D.S.G.
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38 comments:
G-d forbid to say that we are better than other Jews.
Our Rebbe is better.
And we have the right idea to be mekushar to him.
Other than the starting time, the davening is pretty much the same? Af dem hut men gehurevet in Tomchei Tmimim?
as i lubavitcher, i never really got the cdsg thing. always sounded more corny than true.
It's true, if you end up in Israel, New Jersey, LA, or NY you will constantly see the same people you went to camp with over a decade ago.
as long as we're not mules
My wife found the whole mule moshol amusing. Sounds like something e's uncle would say.
CA, Lubavitchers do not compare Rebbes, that is a polish chossidim thing to do.
Says who?
A story from RSP:
A Jew from a different Chassidic background became a Lubavitch chossid, but did not know yet that in Chabad they don’t do shirayim. So, when he was in the presence of the Frierdiker Rebbe, as soon as the Rebbe started eating, he came over and attempted to take some food from the Rebbe’s plate. The Rebbe smiled at him and gave him the shirayim and then said: “By others, getting shirayim is a privilege. By us, getting shirayim is also a responsibility.”
The punchline doesn't really work in English. The Jew said that he takes shirayim because "The rebbe's shirayim are mezakeh."
Said the Rebbe, "My shirayim are mechayev."
CA: Gosh, it was a joke.
e: Hey, I had no less kavanah than in 770. Actually, I was disappointed in the leining- the guy just read it with virtually no trop.
Zack: Well, just appreciate it.
Sara: yup.
Yossi: I would hope not.
TRP: isn't there a famous story with one of your ancestors about this?
CA: http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/81909/jewish/Supplement-B-Letter-by-the-Previous-Rebbe.htm
See 11and12
TRS:?
You know, the one about comparing Rebbe's miracles? Or perhaps I'm getting the people mixed up.
i dunno :[
I believe one of the Chassidim at that farbrengen threw a cup at the other one. Do you want me to throw a grenade at you?
"We chassidim of Chabad do not compare pedigrees". Pedigrees, not Rebbeim.
Anyway, the point is not to compare the Rebbeim, but the appropriateness of a derech.
TRP: I'm getting the people mixed up. But here's the story:
Basically, three chassidim, two poilishes and one Lubavitcher, were comparing their rebbeim via miracle story. One Poilishe related how his Rebbe saved his daughter from a horrible death, and the other how his Rebbe had blessed him to become rich and lo! so he did. Then the Lubavitcher (who I believe was a Gourarie) said that his Rebbe had told him to invest in a certain forest, and if he did so he'd make lots of money. So the Chossid invested, and he ended up losing his pants. The two other Chassidim asked, "What's the miracle?" The Lubavitcher replied, "I stayed a Chossid."
Sounds like a CA story
LOL just kidding, I actually do remember telling that one actually. Yeah, it's true, but in that story he is not saying how much holier his Rebbe it (bigger miracles, etc). Rather, it seems that he was empowered to nevertheless remain a firm chossid through his own avodah, which is also a result of Chassidut and not the greatness/miraculousness directly. Although one can draw the connection.
Anyway, FR writes that Lubavitchers don't dismiss what another Jew holds to be holy, and don't compare Rebbes.
I don't believe that story is true. There is no such thing as the Rebbe saying to invest in something and it not paying off.
We don't dismiss anything. We are just saying that clearly we are on the right derech.
Although that story is more likely to be true than the ridiculous challos story.
http://mysterywomantome.blogspot.com/2010/05/at-wayside-inn-dozen-chassidic.html
What is the ridiculous challis story?
http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2011/08/interlocking-fingers-halacha-versus.html
Sorry, I meant: http://chabadtalk.com/forum/showthread.php3?p=170264#post170264
(Although that thread is also fun to read.)
That's the kind of "Baalshemske ma'aseh" that if you believe it, you're a fool.
Source for story:
Rabbi Moshe Hagiz (1572-?), in his book, Mishnat Hachamim, writes that he heard this story from reliable people in Sefad who were there when it happened.
http://www.tannentorah.com/index.php?story=challah&option=com_cckjseblod&view=search&layout=search&task=search&Itemid=10&searchid=5&templateid=1
The reliable people lied to him. The reason that Arizal gave is that the rabbi should not have embarrassed another Jew (so much more in front of the gabbai). Since embarrassing another Jew is likened to murder, and the punishment for murder is kares, r"l, the rabbi was punished.
no no! "I heard that it is because you halted G-d's pleasure, the likes of which He hasn't enjoyed since the day the Holy Temple was destroyed. That is what He felt when this innocent Marrano would bring his two precious loaves to your shul each week, faithfully offering them to G-d from the depths of his heart with joy and awe, and believing that G-d had taken them, until you irrevocably destroyed his innocence. For this the degree was sealed against you, and there is no possibility to change it."
The pleasure to Hashem ceased! Doesn't say anything about embabaressing.
I don't think Hashem derives pleasure from foolishness.
there's places where its brought down how Hashem derives pleasure even when we misplace letters accidentally and read completely wrong things in prayer!
That's because we are still praying to him, albeit using wrong medium. And most of the davening is still correct; one can make sense of what was siad enev thuogh teh lettres have been misplaced.
So, maybe the fact that the Jew was placing challos was a form of davening. Even though, I am still doubtful.
What do you think the dollars accomplish? That people prepare and come there with the kavanah? So, it's a form of role-playing! The actual act is delusional. The preparation for it may be praiseworthy, even though it would be better directed at something else.
Imagine a bunch of libertarians and a bunch of anti-racists re-enact the Battle of Gettysburg. Their feelings and resolve have been strengthened. But that have not actually helped their sides by re-enacting a battle. Their kavanah would be better placed if applied to an actual fight against racism or an actual fight against federal government's oppression. B'poel.
Of course the story with the challos happened. I distinctly remember Morah Liba telling it to us in kindergarten.
It's all avodah, although it certainly could sound like foolishness. Dollars are yechidus, from the approach, to the blessing, to the action aftewards, and that is the action of all of this.
I don't think giving dvar Torah's and declaring that anybody is no longer with us has any point whatsoever, nor does it ammount much more than contributing to a delusional approach that this physical world is real "life" and reality based upon our perspective.
The gettyburg example has nothing to do with kedushah and is an irrelevant example.
It is widely known the depth and far-reaching effects of a what a yechidus "accomplishes".
One could say that that simple Jew would have better spent his time reciting tikkun chatsos, or reading tehillim, or anything else, but that's not what he did. The lesson is obvious for us, that whatever seemingly foolish thing he was sincerely doing, it's playing with fire to denounce him and cease it! On the contrary, one should be a sensitive chossid & mentch and try to understand and further help him in his growth! Even if you think it is the wrong medium!
"As an aside, that link dates R' Moshe Hagiz about a century earlier than he actually lived. He was born 99 years after the Ari's passing, so it seems unlikely he heard the story from anyone who was alive when it happened."
Also: http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=44977&st=&pgnum=105
Some minyanim start 7:00 AM on Shabbat morning.
I have prayed with them.
I can't claim to understand the motivation, but to each their own.
The motivation is to get it over with asap and get to singing zmiros — which is what all Shabbos is about, after all.
I thought it was all about attending a Day Yomi Shiur?
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