Full Time or Part Time Shlichus?

Welcome to our Shabbos program. By Divine Providence, next week is the end of [this parsha] and the beginning of [the next one], which speaks about [unclear] — and then it says the other, and Yaakov went [unclear]. "Maaseh avos siman labanim" — the deeds of the fathers are a sign for the children.

This is a lesson that [the Rebbe] writes about in a letter from the early years — 1951, I think. In this letter the Rebbe says that he called [a shliach], and his name is [unclear], so he sends him to go and do [shlichus] with goodness and kindness. The Rebbe sends him not to a holy place, but to a place that needs it — there's [unclear] there — and he sends him, and the Rebbe gives him a bracha, and the Rebbe gives [unclear], and that's how, because of [the Rebbe's bracha, it worked out].

So, just like in general it is known — every single [soul] — Hashem sends down a soul here, in a guf, in a body, in a physical guf, to do what? To make a dwelling place for Him in this world, and the descent is in order to ascend. And this is the purpose of every single [person] — Hashem sends him down here. How do people accomplish this? When a Yid is here and he makes a dwelling place here, then we fulfill the purpose. But it has to be done in a certain way — it says that just like we have to [unclear], as I will explain maybe another time — [someone] once said what it means. So this is the purpose of every single Yid in this world.

Now I want to share with you a letter someone wrote to the Rebbe, and all these years I couldn't find the answer. I had the question, but I couldn't find the answer, so — and a couple of months ago I found the answer. But all these years, because I couldn't find the answer, I thought I would show the question to a [rabbi]. Let me see what he answers. So I went to Rabbi [name unclear, heard as "Shudhav"] [?] — I think he's a [rav] — and I showed him the question. I said, I can't find an answer, let me hear what you have to say about the question that he wrote.

What was the question? The question was: can a shliach also have another job — can they have another job? This was the question. So let me tell you first what [Rabbi (?)] answered me, then I went to the Rav, I told him the answer, the Rav liked the answer. But later I'm going to read part of a letter that I found, what the Rebbe answered.

Rabbi Korf [?] said like this: every Yid is a shliach, every Yid wants to do the will of Hashem, and when the Rebbe speaks about shlichus, he doesn't just speak to shluchim — he speaks to everybody. So why are some people called shluchim and some are not called shluchim? So he says: shliach means 24 hours a day — he is a shliach. But when a person has another job, that's fine, but he cannot be called a shliach, because shliach means 24 hours — he's given over to the Rebbe completely, 24 hours a day.

So, since he's busy 24 hours a day — then he says: when he goes on vacation, he's a shliach; when he sleeps, he sleeps like a shliach; when he eats, he eats like a shliach; when he walks, he walks like a shliach; when he talks to people, he talks like a shliach — everything about him is shlichus. That's called [a real shliach]. If a person has another job or is involved in other things, he cannot be called [a full-time shliach]. That's why a lot of people do the work, but it means that they are like [partial shluchim]. And he said over here that a Yid — everybody has priorities — a shliach is a person whose priority is [the Rebbe's shlichus]; everything about him is [shlichus]. This is what he mentioned.

Anyways, so this is what I wanted to mention. Now I found here a letter from the Rebbe — what the Rebbe says about a [shliach having another job]. Let me tell you what I found. Here's the letter that I found — a couple of months ago — it's a long letter, a two-page letter, and it was the same question this person asked. Let me just read one paragraph of what the Rebbe said:

"There is a general consideration: if one is to have the fullest impact and influence in matters of spreading [Yiddishkeit], one must be entirely free from any possible suspicion, however far-fetched, that one has some material gain in mind. Such suspicion would be difficult to avoid if shlichus activities were related also to some financial activities, even for the purpose of funding the spiritual activities, which are so vital. This point becomes more weighty in view of the fact that a shliach devotes so much time and effort to involve also Jews whose life in the past has been devoid of spiritual and religious activity. It would be hard to approach such a Jew and tell him that we are concerned only about his soul and spiritual life, while conducting business on the side."

This is only one paragraph — there's no time to read the whole letter — but basically, the Rebbe addresses here [the question], and the Rebbe says about a shliach — if a shliach has another job, or another business, or even fundraising that he's involved in for [personal gain], then it's a problem — then there's a sheilah here. So this is basically the answer, that the Rebbe [allows] this person to have another job.

Now here I want to mention one more thing. I have over here — this is from Rabbi Hodakov really — he wrote a few lines, and he gave it to Rabbi Mindel, I guess — that's how I have it here. From the beginning, there are [shluchim] who have a big [zechus] — they were picked by the Rebbe. Now, in fifty years of the Rebbe['s leadership], not too many were picked by the Rebbe himself. That means the Rebbe called him over, or the Rebbe told him that he wants this or that person to go to a certain city. This is a big [thing], and not too many — maybe 20 people, maybe 30 people, maybe more, maybe a little less, but that's it.

So the [specialness] of that is amazing — the Rebbe picked him. I'll give you [some examples]: there was [Rabbi Gurary [?]], who used to be picked to go to Europe; also [Rabbi Label Raskin] [?], [Rabbi Nissan Pinson] [?], [Rabbi Posner] [?], Rabbi Groner in Australia — the Rebbe picked him to go, he wanted him to go. This is a big [zechus], that the Rebbe himself [chose them], and they were called [by name] — the Rebbe mentioned them.

Just like in Mazkirus, you have a lot of secretaries — you have Rabbi Hodakov, you have Rabbi Groner, you have Rabbi Simpson, you have Rabbi [unclear] — there was Rabbi [Rin] [?], there's Rabbi [Kinski] [?], Rabbi [Coin] [?] — but Rabbi Hodakov and [Rabbi Groner (?)] were picked by the Rebbe — the Rebbe wanted them. The other ones became — they are part of Merkos — but they somehow became part of Merkos, and the Rebbe said, "Okay, it's fine," but they were not picked by the Rebbe.

And Rabbi Groner — I'm not sure — but Rabbi Hodakov, for sure. So in other words, this is one [category] of [shliach]. Now, [some other shluchim] wrote to the Rebbe — they went into, let's say, I don't know, Pennsylvania, Michigan, whatever — and they thought about it, they looked into it on their own, and they wrote to the Rebbe about what they had looked into — whether they should go or shouldn't go — and the Rebbe answered them yes. So they [initiated it] themselves — they were not picked by the Rebbe, but he gave them [his bracha] for sure. But they were not picked by the Rebbe — the Rebbe didn't call him over and say "go" — that's another thing.

And by the way, some people wrote to the Rebbe — I have here letters that people wrote to the Rebbe — and the Rebbe said not to go. And you know what the Rebbe answered? "What do you care — [stay and] live next to me?" Maybe this is their lot [in life]. I spoke one Shabbos a lot about this, about going [out on shlichus]. So there were a lot of letters where people wrote and the [Rebbe] said no, but these other people the Rebbe said yes. So they were not picked by the Rebbe — the Rebbe — they are [shluchim] because the Rebbe gave them a bracha. He writes that they didn't look into it [carefully] — they just wrote; I guess they opened up a map, they wrote down ten places or ten countries that they wanted to go, and they circled around, and [the Rebbe] says — so they're called [shluchim] because the Rebbe gave them a bracha. Anybody that [the Rebbe] gives a bracha to is called [a shliach] — this is how [the Rebbe] writes. But there's a difference whether the Rebbe called somebody himself or not.

Now, the [shluchim] who are [sent] after Gimmel Tammuz — [the Rebbe] didn't write anything [specifically about this]; I don't have anything [written]. But how are they [considered shluchim]? Because, as I said, [Merkos] can make someone a shliach, but that's a big responsibility. First of all, because the one who sends him has to be a real [shliach himself]. If he sends someone, it's like the Rebbe sending — after Gimmel Tammuz — and he cannot have side motives when he sends a shliach. He can't say, "Oh, I'm sending him because I like him for some reason" — he has to know that this has to be 100 percent [for the sake of the mission]. That's not an easy thing, and it's a big responsibility, because him sending [a shliach] means it's the same as if [the Rebbe] sent him.

So the ones who are sent after [Gimmel Tammuz] are called [shluchim], but it's a big responsibility, because [now] the Rebbe is not physically here to answer. And when the Rebbe was here, the Rebbe would even [sometimes] say no to some people, but [the one sending now] cannot just say no or yes — he has to figure it out himself. If he's a real [mashpia/shliach], he has to figure out what the Rebbe would say, with no other motives. Then they are called real [shluchim], and it has to be [assessed honestly].

Now, next week — next week I will share with you something else. So next week we continue our weekly program. Thank you.