Do You Matter?
It is not uncommon for people, often young people, to ask themselves: "What value does my life have”? Or, they think to themselves: “The world would be perfectly fine without me”.
Thankfully, once a year on our birthday we get a strong reminder about the Jewish perspective on the value of life!
Here it is from Esty…
Elie Wiesel and my Rebbe
Last Shabbat the world lost who President Obama called "the conscience of the world." A champion of the human spirit, a symbol of hope and an author of unmatched eloquence.
It is not by coincidence that his family concludes Shiva as the world readies to observe the 22nd Yahrtzeit of the one whose guidance and inspiration would deeply impact Elie Wiesel, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, my Rebbe.
Their first encounter, which Wiesel called “transformative," lasted until the early hours of the morning, during which they discussed some of Wiesel’s works, and what Wiesel referred to then as his “anger at G‑d."
From their first meeting in the early 1960s, Wiesel formed a deep relationship with the Rebbe, whom he considered to be his spiritual guide and with whom he engaged in deep correspondences regarding G‑d, life after the Holocaust, issues of personal faith and family matters.
Understandably, Weisel was hesitant to marry and have children, for how can he welcome a child into a world, home to the evil atrocities that he himself was witness to. It was the Rebbe who persuaded Wiesel to marry "if you will not marry and bring more Jewish children into the world, that will be a victory for Hitler." Enough said.
Weisel recalled years later: “The greatest bouquet of flowers I ever received was from the Rebbe for my wedding.”
What the Rebbe did for Weisel, breathing new life into a shattered soul, he did for world Jewry after the Holocaust. When Jews and Jewish leadership saw a bleak future for Judaism in a post Holocaust world, the Rebbe would turn darkness into light. He encouraged his students to find a community anywhere in the world in need of Jewish education and leadership, move there, make it your permanent home and transform it into a bastion of love, pride, wisdom and Jewish celebration.
Motivated by our personal encounters with the Rebbe in our youth and by delving into his vast legacy of life-enriching teachings ever since then, Esty and I are blessed with the privilege to have responded to the Rebbe's call, making Bellaire our family's permanent home, and sharing the wisdom and beauty of Judaism with our community.
Over the next 24 hours I encourage you to glean insight and inspiration from the Rebbe's teachings and by so doing, you too can be his ambassador by making yourself, your home or office a source of Jewish inspiration to others.
Click here to learn more about the Rebbe.
Shabbat Shalom and have a great week!
Rabbi Yossi and Esty Zaklikofsky
