Every Jew has an obligation to help his fellow come closer to his heritage. Such an obligation must be fulfilled not out of a sense of duty or superiority, but with love and humility, for each Jew is n precious child of G-d, of infinite worth. The. dissemination of Torah and Judaism is a mission from G-d, and aid extended to a fellow Jew enriches the giver as much as the recipient.
Rabbi Akiva says: ‘You shall love your fellow as yourself’ is a basic principle of the Torah. (Vayikra 19:18, Midrash)
You are children of the L-rd your G-d. (Devarim 14:1)
All Israelites are called real brothers by virtue of the source of their souls in the One G-d. (Tanya, Ch. 32)
In part I of this series, we discussed the purpose of a Jew which is to serve G-d in all ways. An integral part of this service is the obligation to ensure that other Jews also are faithful adherents of our heritage. Hence, the dissemination of Torah and Judaism assumes a position of utmost importance in a Jew’s service to G-d.
The commitment to help another, to give of one’s time and energy, demands an enormous amount of self-sacrifice. It is not easy to tear oneself away from personal pursuits, to break out of the insulated cocoon of one’s own interests. The time devoted to others could be used in bettering one’s own position, financially, socially etc. And even in more refined pursuits, a person is involved with his own self. The study of Torah is never ending, and the obligation to raise one’s spiritual level, unlimited. The time given to help a fellow Jew could easily be devoted to one’s own spiritual growth. Moreover, true involvement with another demands much more than merely sharing time or knowledge. One invests not only time or effort, but a part of oneself. True devotion to a fellow Jew means his joy is your joy, his anguish your anguish, and the travails of his soul yours. And it is this devotion which is demanded of us when Torah commands "You shall love your fellow as yourself."
But man is by nature egocentric, preoccupied with his own existence. Each person is a separate entity unto himself, with his own drives, goals and nature. How then is it possible to deny one’s identity to the extent that a separate entity assumes equal importance -- to love him as yourself ?
R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad-Lubavitch, gives the answer in his magnum opus of Chassidic philosophy, the Tanya. Every Jew’s soul is a part of G-d Above, he writes, and "who can know their greatness and excellence in their root and source in the living G-d? Being, moreover, all of a kind and all having one Father -- therefore, all Israelites are called real brothers by virtue of the source of their souls in the One G-d; only the bodies are separated."
This is the path to true love of a fellow Jew. When we learn to penetrate the physical, to look past the outer concealments, the true existence of a Jew shines forth. Bodies are separate; souls are one. The physical divides; the spiritual unites. His soul is one with mine, for we all have one Father -- and how can I not love my father’s son? All differences fall away, and Jew is united with Jew, one in their source in the living G-d.
This is the basis of the help one Jew extends to another. When you give of your money, your time, your effort -- your very self -- it is not charity you are giving. A father supporting his children, a person helping his brother, is not extending charity. Each Jew is a brother to every other Jew, responsible for his welfare. To help and encourage him to come closer to his heritage, to fulfill his mission in life of "I was created solely to serve my Maker," is not an optional deed but an obligation -- and a very great privilege. There is no giver and taker, but souls working together in common destiny.
And if you are richer than he in your knowledge of Torah and mitzvos? To quote again from R. Shneur Zalman: "Who can know their greatness and excellence in their root and source in the living G-d?" Judge not by appearances, for his soul may be loftier than yours. Never regard yourself as the magnanimous giver and he the needy recipient -- for it is perhaps you who is the inferior in spirit. If G-d has blessed you with riches, physical or spiritual, share them with others -- thankfully, graciously, humbly.
We can go further. A Jew’s mission in this world is to make of it a dwelling place for G-d, to elevate and sanctify the physical. In short, to serve G-d in all ways. This is the purpose of a soul’s descent from the lofty spiritual realms to this corporeal world. Each soul has a specific task, its particular contribution towards making the world a fit abode for G-dliness. The Baal Shem Tov, the founder of the Chassidic movement, once said, "a soul comes into the world and lives for seventy, eighty years, for the purpose of doing a favor to a Jew in physical and particularly spiritual matters." Your aid to another may be the fulfillment of
your mission in life, the reason why
your soul was sent down to this earth.
Hence, when one approaches another Jew to encourage him to return to the ways of his forebears, the approach must be made with humility and awareness of the privilege thus granted. One Jew is not superior to another because he happened to have the good fortune of being born into a religious family. Each Jew is precious for, as the Baal Shem Tov said, G-d’s love to each Jew is as the love parents have for their only child born in their old age. Each Jew is the only child of the King of kings, and the King keeps a vigilant eye on how His child is treated. You are not doing him a favor; G-d is granting you the great privilege of helping His child! It is an awesome responsibility, and must be treated with utmost seriousness. G-d has many messengers with which to fulfill His wishes, or G-d Himself could heal his child of his spiritual ills. Yet you have been given the task. G-d has taken pity on your low spiritual level, and is giving you, through the merit of helping another Jew, the opportunity of elevating yourself to a more lofty position.
It is thus clear that not only may one not despise his fellow for being alien from his religion, but he must approach him with the respect and consideration befitting the only child of the King of kings. No vilification, G-d forbid. No derogatory statements. No superior airs. But love and peace, good will and graciousness.
Moreover, as the Baal Shem Tov said, love of a Jew is one and the same as love of G-d. Scripture states "You are sons to the L-rd your G-d;" and when one loves the father, one loves the children. True love of G-d, true service, is impossible without love of a fellow Jew. In the famous words of Hillel: "Be of the disciples of Aharon, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving your fellow creatures, and bringing them near to the Torah." Love of a fellow Jew means to help him in all ways possible; and the greatest benefit you can extend to a Jew is to bring him near to the Torah.
No Jew is exempt from this great mission. Every person can contribute something, each must share his knowledge with those less fortunate than he. G-d has granted him powers and strength which must not be allowed to go to waste. Everything created by G-d is for a purpose, and failing to utilize one’s G-d-given abilities is wasting G-d’s creation. The task demanded of him will ultimately be fulfilled in any case, if not by his agency, then another -- for the result is G-d’s will. The only question is: Will you fulfill your raison d’etre by being the one to perform your task?
And in fulfilling this mission, through giving of one’s time and efforts to help a fellow Jew, one is not denying oneself of spiritual growth. For when a Jew extends a hand to another, both grow. One’s personal service to G-d is incomparably more sublime and loftier when helping another Jew, than when one keeps aloof. For G-d promises success in one’s endeavors far beyond that which could have been expected merely through one’s own efforts.
It is an awesome mission to be sure, and one that requires the utmost dedication and self-sacrifice. But a Jew is not alone. He Who has sent him on this mission is with him, and His hand is continually guiding and protecting. Each Jew goes on the mission of G-d to make this world a dwelling place for Him with the assurance and promise of Avraham that "The L-rd before whom I walk will send His angel with you and make your mission successful."
Success is assured, for one is not doing battle against a foe, and the goal is not the conversion of bad to good. The quintessence of a Jew is his soul, and that is always connected with its source. No matter how distant a Jew is from his religion, it is only an illusory separation. Beneath the layers of indifference that have enveloped a Jew, the soul still shines, untouched and untouchable. One need but remove the layers, and the soul is revealed.
A simple parable: Words can be written with ink or engraved in stone. In both cases words can be removed. The ink can be erased from the paper, and the engraving filled to obliterate the shape of the letters. The difference is that the ink and the paper are two separate entities, and once the ink is removed, new writing is necessary to provide new words. But with engraving, the letters are part of the stone, and one need but remove the silt which has filled the grooves to reveal the original letters.
A Jewish soul is an engraving. A Jew’s connection to G-d is etched upon his soul, an inseparable part of his very being. Torah is not something separate from the Jew, but part of his essence. And if, G-d forbid, a Jew has become alienated from the Torah, if the letters of the Ten Commandments engraved upon his soul have become filled with the silt of worldly grossness, one need but remove the silt, and the letters stand revealed. A Jew by his nature wants to serve G-d. We are but the instrument with which to remove the concealments and lay bare the reality which was always present. In our work of spreading Torah and mitzvos we need but make the first move, reach out a hand, and he will come running to grasp it. The quintessential spark of Judaism within every Jew which until now lay dormant will ignite into a flaming torch of longing for G-d.
When we approach a Jew with love and enthusiasm, with the warmth of our convictions, we can be sure that "words which come from the heart enter the heart." We must not speak coolly, not mechanically, and above all, not out of a sense of forced duty. Rather, reach out because a Jew cannot do otherwise than help another, because when one sees a Jew in spiritual darkness one’s own soul is in agony. How can one see a Jew in distress and not help him? He is my brother, son of my Father, his soul and mine linked together in eternity.
"Even if your dispersed are at the ends of the heavens, from there the L-rd your G-d will gather you and from there He will fetch you." Even if a Jew is spiritually at the "ends of the heavens," far removed from G-dliness, he is still "your dispersed." He is a Jew. He will never be forgotten.
This ingathering will be through Mashiach, who, as Maimonides writes, "will gather the dispersed of Israel." Our service in these last days of exile, our deeds and works, are the preparation to the coming of Mashiach. In other words, the Messianic age is dependent upon our actions now in exile. Even those who are totally removed from Judaism, the "dispersed of Israel" -- they too are part of our people, G-d’s people. We must do our utmost to ensure that they are gathered and brought to their people, to their religion, to their heritage. We can do no less than emulate our Maker.
