We are all in this together

As I sit in NY for the annual conference of Chabad Rabbis. I think of my mission to Harford County.

My job is to represent, not some conglomerate of the Jewish establishment, but to create a grassroots organization where Jews and Non-Jews of all backgrounds and faiths, make this world a goodly place and a G-dly place.

Harford Chabad’s mission is not to make Chabad wonderful. Chabad’s goal is to make each individual fantastic!  Turn to a fellow Jew, who may not talk to someone who is “religious”, and encourage them to be more involved in their faith. Turn to a Non-Jew and connect them with Jewish values while respecting the values they bring.

The only way to do this is to not try to make yourself great but to make others better. Similar to Eliezer, the “servant of Avraham”. When asked who he is, he responded: “I am a servant of Abraham” (Genesis 24:34). And indeed, throughout his journey, he is consistently referred to as “the servant”.

This was not about Eliezer the person. This was about the mission Eliezer was on and at no time did he allow his own self-interest to get in the way of fulfilling that mission. He was a mere servant, an extension of Abraham’s hand.

My official title, is The Rabbi. But it’s not about me. It’s about all of us coming together and recognizing we all play a role in making the world a more goodly and G-dly place. Each and every one of us. Without letting our ego get in the way.

Have a humble Shabbos,

Rabbi Kushi Schusterman