On Tuesday, the 3rd of Tammuz (July 1st), the Jewish world will remember the Rebbe. The 3rd of Tammuz is the anniversary of the Rebbe’s passing, and the world is gearing up to remember. There have been a number of new books (‘Rebbe,’ ‘My Rebbe’ and ‘Turning Judaism Outward’) recently published, each book is well written, by wonderful people. The media is covering it too, including the NY Post, Wall Street Journal, National Review and the Huffington Post (among many others).
The world is remembering the Rebbe; but I don’t want to remember the Rebbe.
I’m striving to live with the Rebbe.
You see, the Rebbe is much more than a charismatic and visionary leader; the Rebbe is much more than a man with greater insight; and the Rebbe is much more than a man with a flair for being able to create a special connection with each person that he encountered.
The Rebbe is the “Moses” of our generation.
Yes, that’s quite a statement. Moses was the one who redeemed the Jewish people from Egypt, he gave them the Torah and led them through the desert for 40 years until bringing them to the border of the Land of Israel.
More importantly, Moses introduced the Jewish people to G-d - he trained them to trust G-d and rely on Him. For many years Moses was a shepherd by trade. Even after he began to lead the Jewish people, he continued to shepherd, only this time he shepherded people. Moses shepherded the Jewish people and nurtured their innate faith in G-d, helping them to recognize and rely on G-d’s hand in their everyday life.
And that is exactly what the Rebbe did, and continues to do.
The Rebbe, too, guided, and his teachings and example continue to guide, the Jewish world. After the devastation of the Holocaust, the Jewish world needed to be redeemed; it needed to be guided out of the devastation and into a new life. The Jewish world looked for guidance and the Rebbe provided the needed direction. And on the individual level, the Rebbe guided every Jew to faith and trust in G-d; just like Moses.
I consistently strive to integrate the Rebbe’s ideas and ideals into my daily life and I hope that I can have a positive influence on the people around me too. 20 years after the Rebbe’s passing I’m not looking to remember the Rebbe; I’m looking to live with the Rebbe.