 It was 1929 in Warsaw Poland.
Thousands of Jewish dignitaries from both Western and Eastern European countries gathered
for a special occasion; the Lubavitcher Rebbe would marry off his daughter to a young,
unassuming, previously unknown scholar.
There was no
way any of them to know that this young man, Menachem Mendel, would later become a vibrant
and dynamic Rebbe. There was no way for them to know that this Rebbe would one day
transform the Chabad movement from a fledgling Chassidic group into an internationally
recognized network of positive and religious influence. There was no way for them to know
that this young man would one day reshape the image of an entire generation, re-charter
the very course of Jewish history, as a matter of fact. There was no way for them to know
that this young man would leave such a lasting impression, such a deep impact that world
leaders would turn to him for advice, encouragement and inspiration.
To these
invited guests this was to be a remarkable and memorable occasion, but by no means an
historic one…just one more Rebbe to marry off one more daughter to one more scholar.
Indeed,
there was no way for them to know that this young man would one day become the only Rabbi
ever to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor, America's highest civil award. How did
such a simple and unpretentious personality take on a worldwide stature of recognition?
How did a hitherto undiscovered scholar become the world's leading Torah authority? How
did this man come to be regarded as a holy and pious individual with more then a million
followers worldwide?
Here is the
remarkable story of a man who did not seek greatness but was inherently a great man. This
is the story of an individual who did not seek recognition but became the world's most
recognized Jewish authority. This is the story of a person who had but a single pervasive
desire; to be of help to every Jewish (as well as non-Jewish) person in whatever way
possible, both material and spiritual.
In his
strong desire to see higher moral standards for our society, the Rebbe embarked on a
comprehensive educational crusade of sorts. This campaign was primarily geared towards
developing and strengthening a cognitive awareness of G-d, morality, and the Torah way of
life. Sending his emissaries to many cities and countries around the world, the Rebbe was
able to spread the message of Torah and good will to Jewish children and adults worldwide.
His efforts on behalf of world Jewry and humanity was met with admiration and applause by
many statesmen, presidents and prime ministers worldwide.
In 1972,
President Richard Nixon wrote to the Rebbe, "Your dedication to the teaching of
your faith has made the Lubavitcher movement an asset not only to the Jewish religion but
to all citizens".
Similarly,
in 1975, President Gerald R. Ford wrote the Rebbe, "Your efforts on behalf of
education…have perpetuated a legacy that is a source of comfort and courage to many
of our citizens."
The small
seedlings planted by the Rebbe's emissaries began to grow and take hold and the ripple
effects were clearly being felt throughout the world. As Rabbi Schneerson's reputation
grew many leaders and entrepreneurs of international stature and influence began to
confide, consult and even visit with the Rebbe on a regular basis.
"It
is due to his influence that Jewish awareness has reached unprecedented heights on almost
every continent…",
"It
is due to his influence that Jewish awareness has reached unprecedented heights on almost
every continent…", (Eli Weisel, Nobel Prize Winner)
"The
Rebbe stood for a set of ideals that brought people together. He did not just stand for
these ideals he lived them…", (Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich.)
"I
still remember the Rebbe's blue penetrating eyes that expressed wisdom and
awareness…", ("I
still remember the Rebbe's blue penetrating eyes that expressed wisdom and
awareness…", (Yitzchak Rabin, Prime Minister of the State of Israel.)
Many prime
ministers, politicians and policymakers from the state of Israel routinely deliberated
with the Rebbe concerning the forming of political, economic and military policies.
General Ariel Sharon once proclaimed following an audience with the Rebbe that "this
man sitting in Brooklyn, New York, is intimately familiar with the geographic, demographic
and political forces that shape the character of the State of Israel".
Amongst the
famous personalities who visited with the Rebbe to receive his blessings and advice were
Prime Ministers Yitzchak Rabin, Menachem Begin, Yitzchak Shamir, Shimon Peres and Benjamin
Netenyahu. Members of the Knesset, ministers and army generals including General Ariel
Sharon, President Zalman Shazar and Foreign Minister Abba Eban, also came to visit with
the Rebbe. Although they did not always agree with his outlook, they always respected his
ideas and invariably came back for more. They knew that the Rebbe's opinion was motivated
by his desire to assure the safety and well being of all mankind. They knew that the
Rebbe's convictions were based upon the values enunciated in the Torah. They knew that the
Rebbe's beliefs were driven by his love of Jews worldwide.
In the
course of his efforts to revitalize extensive focus on education, the Rebbe declared the
year 5738 (1977 - 1978) to be a year of education. He called upon Congress to establish an
"Education Day" on the American calendar. The Rebbe felt that this would lend
new meaning to long honored American traditions such as "Mother's Day" and
"Father's Day". The United States House of Representatives responded to the
Rebbe's call and declared the year 1977 as a National Year of Education. In April of the
following year, Congress recognized the Rebbe's efforts and passed a joint resolution to
proclaim the Rebbe's seventy-sixth birthday as "Education Day, U.S.A.".
President Jimmy Carter signed the proclamation into law and Education Day U.S.A. has since
become an annual tradition.
The Rebbe
encouraged educational systems that pay special attention to the building of personal
character with emphasis on positive values. To this end, the Rebbe initiated his famous
"Moment of Silence" campaign, calling upon private and public schools to
institute a moment of silence at the beginning of each day. This would facilitate free
expression of personal religious belief and would provide a necessary framework for
inculcating faith in the Creator of the world.
The Rebbe
called upon the United States government to exert its influence in this area with newly
developing countries. He would point out that the founding fathers saw fit to publish the
words "In G-d We Trust" onto the dollar bill, indicating their expectations of
this nation's moral and spiritual strength. Therefore, this nation must be at the
forefront of the effort to raise educational, moral and ethical standards worldwide.
In this
vein, the Rebbe wrote to President Ronald Reagan and encouraged him to keep up his "continuous
and often courageous leadership in areas of traditional and American values." The
Rebbe assured the President that his efforts were "receiving an increasingly
receptive response". This prompted the president to declare a "National Day
of Reflection". Once again, in recognition of the Rebbe's efforts and
accomplishments, the day of his eightieth birthday was designated for this day.
President
Reagan also orchestrated a historic National Scroll of Honor to be presented to the Rebbe
on this day. The scroll of honor was co-signed by President Ronald Reagan, Vice President
George Bush and every Senator and member of the House of Representatives.
In his quest
for worldwide acceptance of higher moral and ethical standards, the Rebbe did not limit
himself to the Jewish population alone. He encouraged his followers to publicize the code
of seven Noahide laws to all people globally. According to Jewish tradition, God
dictated the Noahide laws to Noah immediately following the flood. These are the
original laws that outlaw murder, theft and adultery. These laws call upon mankind to
establish a judicial system that would conduct the affairs of society in a fair and
judicious manner. These are the laws that call upon mankind to recognize the presence of a
divine authority and to be grateful for our blessings in life. The Rebbe placed great
emphasis on publicizing this code of law in an effort to bring peace, harmony and morality
upon the face of the universe. He especially called upon newly developing countries to
establish a code of conduct that would follow this path.
In response
to the Rebbe's campaign, President George Bush wrote to the Rebbe to thank him for his
efforts in this regard. The President quoted the book of Psalms… "Thy word is
a lamp to my feet and a light to my path". He went on to praise the Rebbe's work
and quoted the legendary words of Daniel Webster, "If we work upon immortal minds
and imbue them with principles, fear of G-d and love of fellow men, we engrave on those
tablets something that will brighten to all eternity".
The Rebbe
was a true believer in the innate goodness of man and in the positive potential of every
human being. In a recent lecture at Georgetown University, Professor Adin Steinzalts
described the Rebbe's philosophy in the following manner. "The Rebbe would often
say: ‘Look within yourself and you will find that you are far better then you have
ever imagined’".
"Whenever
I would see him he would touch the depth in me. When I would leave, I felt that for a
moment I had lived a little deeper, a little higher". (Eli Weisel, Nobel Prize
Winner)
In his
forty-four years of leadership the Rebbe never allowed himself the luxury of vacation,
relaxation or a day off. When Rabbi Avrohom Shayevitz, Chief Rabbi of Moscow, thanked the
Rebbe for all the emissaries that he had sent to the former Soviet Union, the Rebbe
replied "We did very little for the Soviet Jews… we owe them much much
more".
"We did very little for the Soviet Jews… we owe them much much
more".
"The
Rebbe was the most inspirational and perhaps irreplaceable leader of so many communities
well beyond his own". "The
Rebbe was the most inspirational and perhaps irreplaceable leader of so many communities
well beyond his own". (John Major, Prime Minister of Great Britain)
"He
was a philosopher, physicist, chemist, Talmudist and Chassidic master. Without doubt, the
most interesting, charming, fascinating, and comprehensive person that I have ever
met." "He
was a philosopher, physicist, chemist, Talmudist and Chassidic master. Without doubt, the
most interesting, charming, fascinating, and comprehensive person that I have ever
met." (Mr. Avner Shaki, Member of Knesset)
"Let us therefore
rededicate ourselves to the love of learning, the love of caring and the love of sharing
that was championed by Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe""Let us therefore
rededicate ourselves to the love of learning, the love of caring and the love of sharing
that was championed by Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe".
(President William Jefferson Clinton)
"Even though the
Rebbe did not have any children, he left thousands of orphans world wide…" ("Even though the
Rebbe did not have any children, he left thousands of orphans world wide…" (Rabbi
Yisrael M. Lau, Chief Rabbi, of the State of Israel.)
Indeed, it was the Rebbe's
vision, leadership and life's work that have been the driving force behind the work of
Chabad world wide. His teachings, his legacy and his memory have been the source of
success that Chabad has experienced over the years. |
