א׳ אלול ה׳תשפ״ו | August 14, 2026
What Is the Point of Talmidim Hashluchim? An Open Letter From Your Shliach
“The primary role of the shluchim is to organize mivtza’s. Just kidding – The shluchim are not G.O. heads! Instead of asking, “Why wasn’t there a mivtza?” we can ask, “What are you learning recently?”
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.
COMMENTS
If you want change, then oholei Torah will need to start letting yeshivas know that it isn’t sending them free labor (or in some cases labor that needs to pay to be there), rather bochurim to sit and learn
but this was written mainly to the prospective of a bochur, you are reffering to a whole different issue.
a bochur coming in to shiur aleph mesivta does not know what it means that there are “shluchim” in his yeshiva, and is most likely to associate them with his counslers in camp.
this is an issue even if the hanhala has (or claims that they have) no other expectation from us except for learning with bachurim, the bochurim still have expectations.
it would be helpfull if they would understand the purpose of the shluchim from the onset.
a mesivta shliach.
Well said and as an addition the whole concept of Bochrim going to work for shluchim makes no sense with regards to Talmidei Hashluchim
Part of being a real dugma Chaya is living with what you are learning and embodying helping others including making mivtzas
Helping others is not necessarily through doing mivtza’s.
The problem begins when the bochurim think that if the shluchim do not do mivtza’s that means their not involved in / useful / caring for yeshiva.
What is the role of school Shluchim?
Since when are there shluchim to schools?
Just because they don’t have enough places to send to and the schools don’t mind having an extracurricular directer for free , they have the right to send 20 year old bochurim to a place without any yeshiva setting?
Who decided that this is shlichus?
How can they be called “talmidim hashluchim” if they aren’t in any Yeshiva?
You wrote “I’d usually tell him to look at the sichos himself, or say that we can discuss it on another occasion.” Instead of acting “stuck up,” why didn’t you educate the children so that they have the clarity and expectation in the present and future?
from my experience, usally when bochurim make these points to me it is not coming as an innocent, open-minded inquirie ; they often occur as defensive complaints when a shliach is unable to fulfill a bochur’s demand or when he is bored and wants to pass time speaking about irrelevant debates at the expense of your time.
Engaging in a debate during a moment of frustration yields further argument, as opposed to establishing firm boundaries regarding when and how conversations take place, which protects both learning time and mutual respect.
also it usally ends up with him telling ME what MY job is , without knowing any sources. there is no one to talk to.
challenging a bochur to look at the sources themselves or discuss the issue when calm filters out bad-faith venting.
all that being said. is everyone to be sent to be a dugma chaya in a yeshiva? perhaps its not for everyone..
just opening this option as well..
This option must be considered taking in account all of the bochurim that don’t end up going on any shlichus or those that would have done better would they have just stayed another year in Yeshiva.
The original shlichus was to establish or support a Yeshiva (that needed people to fill up their Zal’s). Today I doubt that is needed as much. Definitely not as a standard for a whole grade!
Yeshivath.com
My best year in all of my yeshiva years was as a Shliach in Buenos Aires with Reb Avrum Lapidus and Reb Asher Farkash. Two truly amazing people who had a profound impact on me. We as talmidim hashluchim did a lot of learning with the bochrim, farbrenging but most of all we sat and learned thru the sedorim both in Nigleh and in Chassidus. I would venture to say that the bochur that wrote this was not dedicated to learning beshkida u’behasmada. If he did he would be energized to do whatever he could to support the growth of the bochrim in all areas, including mivtzas.