From the Anash.org inbox: Shavuos in Lubavitch was known as the Rabbonim’s Yom Tov, being the only time they could travel to the Rebbe. Although that is unable to happen this year, one reader suggests we take the time to show our appreciation to our Rabbonim who helped us so much over the past months.
By a Gabbai in a Lubavitch Shul
In Chabad, Shavuos is also known as Chag Hamotzim, for out of the three main Yomim Tovim, Shavuos is the quiet one and Rabbonim could leave their kehilla & spend Yom Tov with the Rebbe.
Yet this year, there will be very little travelling and many questions. In fact, every day has brought new challenges & demands and even those elder Rabbonim who have led kehillas for decades, have found themselves with new questions they had never dealt with.
After hearing and reading complaints and even abuse at our Rabbonim, it felt proper to publicly thank and praise them. Our Rabbonim come in many ages and different stages in life. Some have been self isolating for months, others have houses full of children. Yet they all found the time to lead.
They had to take unpopular and difficult decisions, send out detailed instructions and guide from afar. At any moment the phone could ring or an email arrive with demanding questions needing immediate answers. Shiurim had to move online, not all have internet access or smart phones and tablets. Yet they found a way to communicate.
It has been 75 years since the Holocaust, a hundred years since the Jew in Europe did not know what tomorrow would bring. Hundreds of volumes of Sha’alos Ve’teshuvos haven been written from those dark periods in our history. No Rov in our times ever thought that they too would have to do the same. Yet they rose to the challenge and assisted us through.
Watching the letters, advice and encouragement from our Anash Rabbonim across the world, it can truly be said: they did all this because of their love to us – Anash. Our lives and the lives of our families means everything to them.
As lockdown is slowly ending, we see how cautious our Rabbonim continue to be, helping us return to the way life was, but with strict guidelines, all because they care.
This year Chag Hamotzim is truly a salute to our Rabbonim across the world. We say thank you. You answered our questions and took some heat for your descisions. But we know you care deeply for us and want all of Anash to live and succeed.