Rabbi's Blog

Are you doing something only you can do?

What are you good at? What is the best use of your talents? If your occupation involves the use of your talents and you are passionate about it, you will be more satisfied and more successful.  If you do not say no, then your "yes" is not a yes. To be successful, you need to be able to say no/yes when it is appropriate as well as delegate as necessary.

To do this, one needs to know what their mission and goal are and focus on them with laser-like focus!

This was the advice Yisro gave to his son in law Moshe: There are things that only you as a leader can do! As a leader, you need to focus on the things that are uniquely yours to do. YOUR sole job is to be the leader and inspire others.

Last week, my uncle Shlomo Schwartz (originally from Baltimore) passed away at the age of 71.

The message in this email is inspired by the way my uncle lived his life. Schwartzie was always focused on things that only he was able to do, he focused on his mission and used his talents to the utmost to inspire all, in his unique way, to serve G-d and do practical Torah and mitzvot.

P.S. Here is a little about my uncle that I wrote up. You can google his name to see all the excellent work he has done in establishing the Chai Center in Los Angeles.

My uncle Shlomo Schwartz, best known as Schwartzie, was a Rabbi, the most unconventional Rabbi you can meet. He loved others like no one else yet was not one who minced words, he said what needed to be said in a clear voice. He would tell the young and young at heart Jews that they needed to marry Jewish, even though it is not politically correct! He would cross the aisle learning Tanya with Rabbis of prominent Reform synagogues. He would carry spiritual conversations on Venice Beach while sporting tie-dye t-shirts and looney toons ties. Simultaneously, Schwartzie was a Torah observant Jew, a true Chassid and Shliach and learned Chassidus (Chassidic Philosophy) on a regular basis

Schwartzie focused on loving his fellow and inspiring them to grow in their practical application of Judaism.

While he lived in Los Angeles, Safed, Israel (the city of mystics) was the place where he felt at home. He would spend his summers, on the porch at the Ascent Institute, studying and teaching as a scholar in residence. Although most of his life Schwartzie lived in LA, hanging out with the big stars on the Hollywood scene, he felt like he was in exile. Still, he continued to do what he needed to do; inspiring people to turn Hollywood into Holy wood.

Schwartzie was buried in Safed and leaves behind his wife Olivia and 12 beautiful children who carry on his legacy!

Those of you who know me know that I struggle with prayer. I want prayer to be a meaningful, deep, connecting moment with G-d; an experience which alters my day. Alas, it does not always work out. I might even say that most people find prayer to be little more than ‘saying words’ as opposed to a G-dly experience.

You would probably agree with me that Moses, the Jewish leader, who took the Jews out of the Egyptian bondage and spoke to G-d on a regular basis, would not fall into this category. Moses’s prayers were meaningful.

When the Jewish people left Egypt and Pharaoh got nervous and started to chase after them, Moses stood praying to G‑d to save the Jewish people.  Strangely, G-d’s response to Moses’s prayer is don’t pray, now is not the time for prayer, ‘tell my children to travel’.

This message to Moses resonates with me.  There are times to pray and times to act. When praying, it is ideal to make it an experience through which we build our connection with G-d. However, if you have a challenge and you can do something to overcome it, then put your faith in G-d and don’t pray. G‑d says the time for action is not the time for prayer. Have faith in Him, but G-d helps those that help themselves. G-d has faith in you that you will DO SOMETHING.

G-d was telling Moses, tell my people to travel, to move forward towards the receiving of the Torah! Prayer is important, yet leadership is not just about praying, it is about taking action.

See you on shabbos so we can pray together 

Rabbi Kushi Schusterman

 P.S. A bit of wit on this topic

A very religious man was once caught in rising floodwaters. He climbed onto the roof of his house and trusted G-d to rescue him. A neighbor came by in a canoe and said, “The waters will soon be above your house. Hop in and we’ll paddle to safety.”

“No thanks” replied the religious man. “I’ve prayed to G-d and I’m sure he will save me”

A short time later the police came by in a boat. “The waters will soon be above your house. Hop in and we’ll take you to safety.”

“No thanks” replied the religious man. “I’ve prayed to G-d and I’m sure he will save me”

A little time later a rescue services helicopter hovered overhead, let down a rope ladder and said. “The waters will soon be above your house. Climb the ladder and we’ll fly you to safety.”

“No thanks” replied the religious man. “I’ve prayed to G-d and I’m sure he will save me”

All this time the floodwaters continued to rise, until soon they reached above the roof and the religious man drowned. When he arrived at heaven he demanded an audience with G-d. Ushered into G-d’s throne room he said, “G-d, why am I here in heaven? I prayed for you to save me, I trusted you to save me from that flood.”

“Yes you did my child” replied the G-d. “And I sent you a canoe, a boat and a helicopter. But you didn’t do anything, you were too busy praying” (Source: unknown)