kiruv.com

In The News

For Your Inspiration

Rav Yisroel Reisman, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Mesivta Torah Vodaath and Rav of the Agudath Israel of Madison in Flatbush delivered on September 7th, the keynote address at the opening of a four-weeklong series of Sunday night kiruv seminars being held at the Young Israel of Midwood.

He told the more than 100 members of the frum community who signed up for the Project Inspire kiruv seminar program that their interest and commitment towards learning how to more effectively reach out to non-religious Jews is the clearest demonstration one can make to show one's true Ahavas Hashem by revealing their concern and Ahavas Yisroel for other Jews.

Rav Reisman started off by discussing the significance of Krias Shema that every frum Jew says twice daily, noting that it consists of three parshios. The first parshio symbolizes the Kabbolos Ol Malchos Shomayim, accepting the sovereignty of Hakadosh Baruch Hu. It contains the pasuk - "You shall teach them (the words of the Torah) to your children..."

This first reference to "your children," Rav Reisman explained denotes one's talmidim, whereas in the second parshio of Krias Shema, the pasuk - "You shall teach them to your children..." is referring to one's biological children. Why when referring to children, does the Torah discuss one's obligation first to one's talmidim as opposed to one's biological children?

Human nature, Rav Reisman pointed out is such that a human being has a strong sense of his independence and individuality. But such independence doesn't really work well in this world. You have to please your boss and even if you are a boss, you have to satisfy your clients or customers.

Rav Reisman explained that Hashem created a world with this contradiction of man wanting to be independent and individualistic, yet having to satisfy others. To resolve this dilemma, Hashem created in man a sense of ahava, love and warmth in relationships with other human beings.

In order to develop one's true Kabbolas Ol Malchos Shomayim, one must go beyond loving one's biological children which is an extension of oneself and achieve this with the tool of developing a sense of Ahavas Hashem and Ahava Toras.

When the Torah says that one should teach others, it is not giving you a command to teach, but rather telling you that when you refine your love of Hashem, it should result in such an overwhelming desire that you want to teach this Torah to others and as an extension of this effort it will develop a greater love within you for other Jews.

Rav Reisman recalled that his rebbe, Rav Avrohom Pam, zt"l, the rosh hayeshiva of Torah Vodaath in his last years spoke increasingly of the need for frum Jews to be mikarev others. This wasn't because Rav Pam thought the Torah required kiruv activity, but rather the result of his great love for Hashem that overflowed towards a love of Hashem's other children - the fellow Yidden of Rav Pam.

There is nothing in the world, Rav Reisman said that can make human beings influence others to change as much as demonstrating sincerely the aspect of true ahavas for another person. There are various strategies to mikarev assimilated Jews, but they will only work if we have the important engine of love and concern for the welfare of the Jew we are trying to reach out to. When all is said and done, how we succeed in our kiruv activities is based on our love for Hashem that is further reflected in our love for our fellow Jews who are also the children of Hashem.

Rav Reisman acknowledged that when a frum Jew first contemplates becoming involved in reaching out to non-religious Jews, one may be struck by certain inhibitions and fears. The first of these major fears is that of being rejected by the Yid one is trying to help. He recalled that often he gives advice to talmidim in the yeshiva before they go out on their first shidduch. They are often very nervous. He tells them to do the things you have to do and however it goes, it goes. If it doesn't work out, it is not a failure and it won't be broadcast as a major news item around the world.

This same advice, Rav Reisman said, is appropriate for those embarking on their first attempts to reach out to non-frum Jews. He pointed out that when one is trying to mikarev another Jew, one should not despair. Even if you think that you were unsuccessful, you probably planted an important kernel in the subconscious mind of the Jew you were trying to help.

The only failure is a person who never attempted to do kiruv by reaching out to another Jew. He is a failure in both the important categories of Ahavas Hashem and Ahavas Yisroel. Rav Reisman recalled that his rebbe, Rav Pam for the last 15 years of his life when attending the Agudath Israel national conventions, would always speak to about the importance of kiruv.

It has never been easier than today to be successful in kiruv efforts. Rav Reisman explained that in the past it was very difficult to mikarev Jews because most were caught in the webs of various isms (i.e. communism, socialism, atheism, Zionism, etc.) and such people were committed to the doctrines of these isms, all of which today are ideologically dead.

Rav Reisman noted that for the past 11 years, he has spend two weeks every summer after Tisha B'Av learning at Ohr Somayach, a yeshiva for baalei teshuvah. He has been amazed and awed by the mesiras nefesh and dedication of these young men who have impressed him with their davening, their serious studying of Torah and the major steps they are making in becoming Torah committed Jews. He added, "I only hope that I can become such a baal teshuvah."

Rav Reisman said that the important point to remember about each of the outstanding students one sees at Ohr Somayach is that every one of them was at some point contacted by a frum Jew who either began a friendly discussion with them or just simply invited them to their home for a Shabbos or a Yom Tov.

He concluded his keynote address by saying, "It is through our efforts to reach out to every Jew that we ourselves can be rewarded by bringing the Ohr Ha'Shechina to our own homes."

To date, more than 3,000 frum Jews in the Tri-State Metropolitan region have taken part in the Project Inspire kiruv seminars over the past two years that have been designed to help our community to more effectively reach out to the four and a half million non-religious Jews throughout North America. They have not actively rejected Yiddishkeit, but are for the most part almost totally ignorant of their precious Torah heritage and thus in great danger of rapidly assimilating.

To find out about future Project Inspire seminar programs in your area or how you can help in this vital cause of saving our Jewish brethren from a spiritual Holocaust, please call (646) 961-4961 or email: smarkowitz@projectinspire.com