Divide and inspire

Rebbe Menachem Mendel Shneerson zt"l was a prominent chasidic rebbe who led the Chabad movement. In order to spread his message of Jewish outreach, he sent out Chabad emissaries all over the world to inspire Jewish communities of all sizes. On July 5, the Rebbe’s Gimmel Tammuz yahrtzeit, when I walked through a line separating male and females all leading towards an extravagant grave, conflict arose in my head as to what to say as I approached the ohel.

I planned on a series of tehillim to recite in order to keep occupied and focused. Finally after walking down the narrow row I approached the Rebbe’s grave. There were women all with heads bent into siddurim, rocking back and forth. Suddenly I felt I could no longer breathe. Something was blocking the passageway from my lung to my mouth. I swallowed and tears rolled down my face. Maybe it was my contact lens bothering me, or the wind drying out my eye, but that was not it. Something about this scene had touched me.

The Rebbe’s soul had already been a strength in my life. He had sent out my Chabad rabbi to Stony Brook, a town on the north shore of Long Island, where I now daven, enjoy shabbos meals and celebrate holidays. It is because of this Rebbe that I say Modeh Ani when I arise and when I say Shema before I sleep.

Many believe that Rebbe Shneerson’s accomplishment was that he spread Yiddishkeit by dividing up the rabbis into different regions of the world, but his real accomplishment was that he brought unity to a divided nation. Not unity by bringing Jewish communities together, but rather internal unity amongst all Jews.

He taught that real unity and wholeness in oneself can be found through recognizing one’s relationship with the One above. In the book Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Album, a man asks his dying teacher, what are you most afraid of about dying? The teacher ponders this question then proceeds to answer that he is not afraid of passing, he is afraid of passing twice. The teacher goes on to say that it is one’s second death that marks his soul and his wisdom not being remembered that most scares him. Although thousands may visit the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s grave on Gimmel Tammuz and all year long, this soul has not passed on for his spirit and message still live clear and loud in this world.

This week Shira Nesenoff begins her journey in Israel with 40 JSU teenagers as an NCSY TJJ Ambassador.