Rabbi's Blog

All of us have goals that we want to achieve. We each have different ideas on how to achieve them. One common goal of growing an organization or business, the ability of exponential growth. To paraphrase Michael Gerber: to be free from owning a job instead of owning a business.

The Torah gives us some hints on how to do this. One of them is to influence others to be ambassadors of your brand. 

By way of example: If I am the only person encouraging Jews in Harford County to reconnect with their heritage, I can only reach as far as 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week and that is only if I do nothing else. However, thank G-d, I have been blessed with a body that I need to care for and a wonderful growing family that I need to provide for! 

So how do I fulfill my goal of touching every single Jew in Harford County? Is it possible? Can I do it alone? What does the Torah say? 

The answer is YOU! If I can inspire you to reach out to two Jewish friends or acquaintances who have not connected with their heritage in a while and to ignite their fire, their pintele yid, than  1 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 64 and it can grow exponentially from there.

The catch is that one must use influence and not power. Decisions need to be based on the mission and vision. We see this in this week's Parsha when Moshe goes to battle with Korach. Korach wanted to be a decision maker; he wanted to make the decisions of what is right and wrong based on his view as opposed to the view of Torah. In contrast, to allow others to influence even more people, Moshe was very happy when Eldad and Meidad were prophesizing in the camp.  Moshe told Joshua "Are you being zealous for my sake? Would that the entire people of G‑d could be prophets, if G‑d would but put His spirit upon them."

This has been tried and tested by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, whose 21st Yahrtzeit is commemorated this Shabbos! The Rebbe inspired over 4200 couples to move to all corners of the globe to spread the message of Torah and its relevance to every Jew and Gentile in the world, from Torah and Mitzvos to moral values. Take a moment and influence someone to do a good deed. You never know how far that influence will spread.

 Have a good Shabbos,

Rabbi Kushi Schusterman

Can I believe one thing and do another? In the words of my friend on Facebook: ‘What people say they believe and what they actually believe are many times not consistent.’ How do you know what someone's true belief system is on any given topic.

A man met his rabbi on the street one Yom Kippur and told him: "Rabbi, you should know that I ate on Yom Kippur and did not observe any of the traditions because I am angry at G-d". The Rabbi responds: "Wow, You have a real relationship with G-d".

There is belief and there is what you do. A person’s likes, interests and desires are known based on their actions and interactions. Belief, on the other hand, sometimes remains aloofly transcendent instead of becoming integrated within one's conscious thinking processes. This is illustrated in the observation of the Talmud that a burglar at the mouth of his tunnel (or the doorway of his targets home) calls out to G-d to make his endeavors prosper!

Chassidus philosophy explains that this simultaneous self-contradiction does not mean that he is without belief. The problem is only that his belief remains vague, distant and academic, instead of becoming integrated into his conscious thinking.

What do you believe? Is it integrated?

Rabbi Kushi Schusterman

P.S. Join me Sunday 10 - 11:30 am at Harford Community College Fallston Hall, Room 203 where I will attempt to prove that the Torah is true*. I believe I can convince you with rational arguments that some 3,300 years ago, G-d revealed Himself to our ancestors at Sinai. Since this class is so fundamental to who we are and what we do as Jews, I am opening this class at no cost to those who have not signed up for the entire course. To join this chance to cement your Jewish beliefs (or doubts) with reason please reply to this email [email protected]

*This class will focus on proving the revelation at Sinai, not other fundamental beliefs such as the existence of G-d which requires a class of its own.