By a Yeshiva Shliach

Hey there, this is one of your shluchim.

Throughout the year, I’ve had more than one bochur tell me, “Isn’t… the job of shluchim in yeshiva!?” and he would be surprised when I would answer in the negative.

That’s normal. A mesivta bochur isn’t expected to have gone through the sichos and yechidusin about talmidim hashluchim – he’s simply not holding at that stage yet.

To the follow-up question, “so what is the point of talmidim hashluchim?” – I’d usually tell him to look at the sichos himself, or say that we can discuss it on another occasion.

Now that the year has ended and a new group of shluchim is heading out, I wanted to take the time to lay out a few points clearly, with sources. (Obviously this is all only according to my own understanding)

Where did it all start?

Although the Rebbe sent shluchim for specific occasions before this – for example, the shluchim sent to Kfar Chabad after the attack on the vocational school there – the concept of talmidim hashluchim as we know it today began in 5727, when the Rebbe announced he would be sending shluchim to help establish the yeshiva in Australia (and Kiryat Gat).

The Rebbe said the purpose of their being sent was to inspire the bochurim there through being part of the yeshiva itself.

As he told the shluchim to Yeshivas Gedola in Melbourne:

“This must be done not in a manner where you openly come to awaken them, but rather in a way that you travel as students to participate there in building an institution named after my father-in-law.”
(24 Adar 5727)

That being said, I think it is crucial to emphasize that the shluchim are TALMIDIM hashluchim, not to be confused with regular shluchim, who dedicate their entire lives, including their own personal growth, to the furtherance of Yiddishkeit in their area.

Talmidim hashluchim are still, first and foremost, in yeshiva. Their own personal development remains at the forefront.

The primary role of the shluchim is to organize mivtzas.

– just kidding – THE SHLUCHIM ARE NOT G.O. HEADS!

Before they left for Australia, the Rebbe had a yechidus with the shluchim. There he told them:

“Your main Tafkid is to show a living example of how one can and must, and one must actually b’poel, learn with Hasmadah and Shkeidah Nigleh and Chassidus in a way that it results in action and fulfillment of the Mitzvos b’hiddur.“
(24 Adar 5727)

So it would seem that the main thing is to raise the standards of limmud hatorah in the makom hashlichos. This is done through being an example and also through learning with bochurim.

Obviously, it is almost impossible to have an effect on anyone without having a kesher with them; hence the need to reach out and speak with bochurim and take interest in other areas of their lives.

But all this does not change what the ikkar of shlichus is.

Shlichus is not a free labor contract, nor is it extra staff to run the yeshiva (hannhala’s take note). As the Rebbe said in a yechidus klalis:

“You must remember the intent of your mission. Since, regardless, even before your arrival, that city was already a ‘Makom Torah’, and yet you were sent there, it is so that you effect such an innovation in the conduct of the place, and such innovations in Torah study, that there will be no question as to why you were sent, and you will act upon this ‘Makom Torah’ to the point of achieving ‘u’matzasa’.”
(26 Tishrei 5748)

I would also like to reference the letter that the Rebbe wrote to the shluchim in Toras Emes on 10 Adar 5731:

“They were not sent to Toras Emes to run the Yeshiva, but rather to serve as a living example .. Furthermore, like any student in any Yeshiva, they may suggest improvements (since, as is well known, “the heart knows its own bitterness” – there are matters that they are aware of, which the hanhala is not)”
(Igros Kodesh Vol. 27, letter 119)

Of course, there are other things that come along with shlichus that the Rebbe referred to as a mesuvev. For example, a mivtza comes into the picture when the shluchim believe in a specific inyan and want to push it to a larger audience. Again, the goal is not to “do a mivtza” because they did it last year, but to highlight certain areas that can use a boost.

The notion that the shluchim are useless unless they do many mivtzas, drive on mivtzoim, and are always available to hang out with the bochurim does not take into account the reason that the Rebbe actually sent shluchim to yeshivos, and is very damaging to a shliach’s personal development.

Maybe for the coming year, instead of asking your shluchim, “Why wasn’t there a mivtza…?” or “Why didn’t you get a license to drive us on mivtzoim?” or, better yet, “Why don’t you have a smartphone so you can show us Rebbe videos?” (Actually happened to me!) We can shift our focus and ask instead, “Why didn’t I see you by seder yesterday?” or “What are you learning recently?”

I wish all of you much hatzlacha in the upcoming year, and may we all have a kesivah vachasimah tovah and Moshiach now.