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Appreciating

Shlichut

Rabbi Reuven
Taragin
(PHOTO: YAAKOV REICH)

Life’s mission
M Yosef took this idea a step further. I tell him that the arrows are beyond
Though he arrived in Egypt through
him, go, because Hashem has sent you.”
ost shlichim mentioned in
Though David was forced to flee in
the sinful actions of his brothers,
the Torah are people sent
he viewed himself as Hashem’s
order to save his own life, Yehonatan
on a particular mission
on behalf of another.
centralization of resources in Egypt
on Hashem’s shlichut”.
Avraham sent Eliezer to find a wife shaliach. He saw the famine and the framed David’s leaving as “embarking
for Yitzchak, Ya’akov sent Yehudah as a unique opportunity to assist the Rabbi Bloch explained that even
ahead to Egypt to prepare for the Jewish people, and believed G-d had when we are escaping danger, we are
family’s arrival, Hashem sent Moshe placed him in a powerful position actually on a mission, for the danger is
to Pharaoh, and Moshe sent the spies in order to facilitate this goal. He merely G-d’s way of ensuring we arrive
to explore Eretz Yisrael. explained to his family: “You did in the place where we are meant to
not send me here; it was Hashem”
Nevertheless, the first time the Torah (Bereishit 45:8). Though the brothers fulfill our shlichut. This was how Rabbi
uses the word “shlichut” is in reference sold him as a slave, it was Hashem who Bloch viewed his own situation; his
to the totality of a person’s life. When put Yosef in his powerful position at escape from Europe was meant to
Hashem expelled Adam and Chavah that critical juncture. bring him to Cleveland to reestablish
from Gan Eden, the Torah uses the word the Telz Yeshivah in America.
ּוה ֵח ְּל ַׁש ְי ַו, implying that though Adam We all know the importance of turning
was expelled from Gan Eden because “lemons into lemonade”, of trying to Self-fulfillment
of his sin, Hashem still imbued his life transform a negative situation into Modern culture encourages us to focus
with a sense of purpose and mission a positive one. Yosef teaches us to on ourselves and our own personal
(Sefat Emet, 5661). seek more than just lemonade, to try pleasure, goals and self-fulfillment. At
to understand G-d’s intentions, even
The Zohar (1:129b) teaches that we when we are victims of “man-made” first glance, this makes the concept
Scan here to must aim to live as constant shlichim or even sinful circumstances. of shlichut harder to identify with.
join Rabbi of Hashem, comparing such people to Using a verse in Sefer Shmuel as But in truth, shlichut for Hashem
Taragin’s malachim, heavenly angels, whose very – our Creator – is the ultimate self-
daily Divrei name means “agents”. The Ba’al Shem inspiration, Rabbi Eliyahu Meir Bloch fulfillment! The entire world was
Torah Tov believed that we are all sent to this founded the Telz Yeshivah in Cleveland created to glorify Hashem; when we
WhatsApp world as Hashem’s agents with unique during the Holocaust. After escaping act as His emissaries, we realize what
group missions to accomplish, while Rav Europe and arriving in Cleveland we were created to accomplish.
Soloveitchik adds that this is why each in 1941, he and Rabbi Mottel Katz ן ִמ ּונ ָלי ִ ּ ד ְב ִה ְו ,ֹודֹוב ְכ ִל ּונ ָא ָר ְּב ׁש,ּוני ֵקל- ֱא אּוה ךּור ָּב
ְ
ֹ
ֶ
of us are born at a particular time and convened a meeting with community ע ַט ָנ ם ָלֹוע יֵּי ַח ְו ,ת ֶמ ֱא ת ַרֹו ּ ת ּונ ָל ן ַת ָנ ְו ,םי ִעֹו ּ ת ַה
place, for we all have unique missions leaders to discuss founding a yeshivah. .ּונ ֵכֹות ְּ ב
to accomplish on Hashem’s behalf. At the meeting, Rabbi Bloch discussed
the code Yehonatan used to let David May we achieve chayei olam (eternal
More than just lemonade know whether or not it was safe for life) by living our lives as shlichim on
him to return to Shaul’s court. behalf of the One sheb’ra’anu lichvodo,
Though Adam HaRishon was expelled
from Gan Eden as a punishment, his As his assistant collected the arrows “Who created us for His Honor”, and
punishment was also intended to be he shot, Yehonatan would tell the separated us from the aimless by
a form of mission. Chazal explain assistant that the arrows were either giving us the Torah to show us how
our people’s exile from the Land in closer or further than where he was to serve Him.
A member of a similar fashion; just as Adam was standing. If Yehonatan yelled that
the Mizrachi given a new shlichut to accomplish the arrows were further, it was a sign
Speakers Bureau outside of Gan Eden, the Jewish people that David was in danger and needed
mizrachi.org/ were meant to fulfill a new shlichut in to flee. Interestingly, Yehonatan Rabbi Reuven Taragin is Educational Director
speakers exile (Eicha Rabbah, Hakdama 4). formulated the message this way: “If of Mizrachi.

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