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of educators dedicated to the worship Some mistakenly claim that focusing can now expand his circle of concern
of and intimacy with G-d. This is on individual spirituality may lead to to wider communities and eventually
accomplished by fostering an open and a lack of sensitivity and care for the to all of Israel. The concern and respon-
honest conversation among the mem- needs of the larger public. This ignores sibility he recognizes and identifies
bers of the group, as it is written: “The the fact that Chassidut has always within himself is no longer an empty
G-d-fearing spoke with one another, stressed love of Israel and concern catchphrase, but rather chochmat halev,
and then He listened” (Malachi 3:10). for the broader community through the emotional certainty of the heart, in
But it is also possible to communicate charitable acts of chessed. These two which he clearly knows and appreci-
with G-d through song, dance, joy and tendencies, inward and outward, are ates his place in the scheme of things
tears, all of which enhance the devel- not contradictory but rather comple- and how he can help others.
opment of emotional intelligence. ment each other. A person who hon- Religious observance, even if motivated
Educators must use these approaches estly confronts his own identity will by the highest of ideals, is not enough.
to help their students open up to what certainly be able to reach out and open Religious observance without a con-
is hidden, learn to be astounded and himself up to friendship and caring stant focus on Hashem and an ongoing
enthralled, and wonder at the secrets for others. The connection Chassidim effort to connect with Him is doomed
of creation. have with each other, their concern to wither and die, like a tree uprooted
The “Cosmos filled with G-d’s glory” is and love for all of Israel, all flow from from its source of sustenance. And so
in essence a circle, where everyone is the intimate encounter with their own the annual Tzamah conference, which
equidistant from Hashem. It is a world soul and their Creator. expresses the tremendous thirst of
that values what is transpiring here The opposite approach, which empha- Religious Zionist youth for a true heart
and now on Earth and not only what sizes external ideas at a young age, can for Torah study, prayer, and gemillut
is happening in Heaven, a world which be spiritually dangerous. Young stu- chessed – should be celebrated! Rach-
relates not only to what is right and dents exposed to ideals too lofty for mana liba ba’i – the Torah demands our
whole, but also to a broken heart, and them to digest often abandon those heart!
a world which respects developmental ideals when they reach adolescence. Rebbe Natan once complained that he
processes and not only tangible results. Upon reaching adulthood, many stu- caught a cold due to immersing himself
These principles are expressed in the dents feel that these were only hollow, in a very cold mikvah. His Rebbe, Rebbe
way a Chassidic yeshivah operates: foreign catchphrases that are now Nachman, said that it would be better
unfulfilling and do not correspond to to blame his ailments on his aveirot, not
Torah study must certainly take center their internal emotional world. on his mitzvot. In that vein, I suggest we
stage, but as a subject within the wider blame the failures of our community
curriculum of Avodat Hashem; “Worship I often meet young men with an aching on our aveirot rather than our commu-
Him with all your heart!” The cur- feeling of being left out, of not being nity’s holy yearning to serve Hashem
riculum also includes other distinct part of the equation. They may study through the path of Chassidut.
disciplines such as prayer, middot, hit- Torah, Torat emet, but never felt the
va’adut gatherings which serve to open second part of the blessing of v’chayei
our hearts, study and worship in cha- olam natta b’tocheinu, the feeling that
burot, special attention to the mental eternal life has been planted within
and spiritual health of every student, them. This problem is best expressed
investment in improving feelings of by Rav Kook: “We have worthy and
fraternity and partnership, volunteer- learned educators who look only at
ing for the community and more. the externals and distract themselves
from the ‘Me’. They add weeds to the
Focusing on the “Cosmos filled with fire, quench thirst with vinegar, fatten
His glory” helps students develop a the minds and hearts with all possible
sense of partnership in G-d’s world, externals, while the ‘Me’ is forgotten
which He runs with our help here on and forsaken. If there is no ‘Me’ there Rabbi Dov Singer is the Rosh Yeshivah of
the Earth. Consequently, the yeshivah is no ‘He’ and there certainly can be no Yeshivat Makor Chaim, where he employs
should also be run as a partnership ‘You’” (Orot HaKodesh 3). his unique educational approach, trusting
that eschews management principles and empowering his students to develop
based on distance and awe for those The gradual construction of a person’s their inner spiritual consciousness in a way
that give space and respect to all the character as he learns who he is and that opens them up to the outside world. An
partners. By emphasizing “Know Him develops the interface between his expert in the teachings of Rebbe Nachman
in all your ways” we encourage stu- inner and outer worlds allows him to of Breslov, the success of this approach led
dents to use all of their unique char- yearn for and seek Hashem in a way to the establishment of the Beit Midrash
L’Hitchadshut, a nation-wide, outreach study
acter traits in their relationship with which expands his spiritual sensitivity and prayer program which appeals to Israelis
G-d. Encouraged in this way, students and his concern and responsibility for of all levels of personal observance, and
independently organize a variety of others. With the same sensitive, inter- Lifnei V’Lifnim, a creative educators’ training
different activities that express their nal language he learned to employ program that has been introduced in several
partnership and affiliation with the in the chaburah, in the same way he US high schools and has earned the support
institution. expressed himself at the hitva’adut, he of the Mayberg and Unit-ED foundations.

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