Disparagement of the Danish people The Danish word for "offend" also means "outrage." Language is a tricky thing. You have made a horrible accusation with no way of being sure of what the Danish minister intended. Was he offended or outraged at the way the Jews were treated? Not that it makes a difference in my mind. Either way, you have disparaged people who acted selflessly by risking their lives to save others. Has it occurred to you that the reason that the Danes could not bear to see the Jews treated worse than dogs was because they had empathy for them? They felt the pain of the Jews and that pain was unbearable. That in the goodness of their hearts, they could not condone evil and took action. You praise the Jews for being empathetic. What blocks your vision when looking at the Danes? Why do you call them selfish and sinful? Furthermore, it is impossible for anyone to know the heart or soul of the Danish minister or any one of the thousands of Danes who helped the Jews get to Sweden. Only G_d knows that.
Marvin FalzGermanyJune 2, 2013
Really makes me think The part about charity out of egotism really makes me think about my motivations more thoroughly than before. I've always thought that charity comes naturally when the ego recognizes that being helpful to others is better but always permeates the helping deed. I also think that selflessness has much to do with the ability to feel, to empathize. When you feel the pain of a person, it is hard to reject that person. The rejection makes your pain worse - although originally not yours - and your conscience gives you a hard time. Humans are also able to empathize with animals. I wonder if the humankind lost empathy after G-d had expelled Adam and Eve from Paradise and had no memory of their former abilities until G-d revealed it to them. I believe that a world filled with empathic humans would be a world without wars.
AnonymousBeograd, SerbiaDecember 5, 2010
Thank you! Estimated R. Krasnianski, thank you so, so much for these illuminating, profound and spiritually enriching lectures on Tanya. It is of a great benefit and spiritual nourishment for me, as I listen and watch you on the internet from Serbia, Belgrade. You are an extraordinary and wise Rabbi and I am so glad that I discovered your lectures because I am thrilled by your way of explaining very important issues in such a broad and interesting way! Especially in this lecture you lucidly explained so well the meaning of a “shell” with the elaboration of the scenes from Gan Eden, plus a wonderful explanation of a possible root of anti-Semitism viewed as a reaction to a person (or a Jew) that transcended his ego. Tried to find more videos of you but without much success till now. I wish you would continue to give us more lectures and share your wisdom with us. I also wish to thank the Chabad.org for putting these lectures on their site. All the best. V.M
The Nature of Conversion There is a side conversation that takes place in this video between 43 and 45 minutes into it concerning conversion. It is stated that a convert "acquires a Jewish soul." Please compare this to the view in the Welcome Home video - here on chabad.org - where reference is made to the Rebbe's thoughts on conversion. Referring to the convert and conversion, it is said there that: "...you should know that this was a soul that always was Jewish, nothing got converted, nothing got changed. For reasons best know to the Almighty, this soul was incarnated into this particular set of circumstances of a non-Jewish mother, and this is the mission and the test of this soul". Notice - "always was Jewish, nothing got converted, nothing got changed."
Rabbi KrasnianskiNew York, NYFebruary 21, 2011
Response to Gershon ben Avraham Dear Gershon,
The proper way to learn Torah is to realize that the Torah reveals one aspect here while another aspect of the equation elsewhere and it's only when you put all the pieces together that you get the whole picture. The Torah states clearly that conversion is not a formality but a total metamorphasis. The Halakha states clearly that a convert is like a newborn child to the extent that legally a brother and sister that convert, Biblically, are allowed to marry each other!
A conversion is a metamorphosis, a Divine event where you become organically fused with the Jewish people. It's an impossible and a miraculous event which explains why we are the only people in the world who despite our being so few in numbers actively discourage any would be convert.
Which begs the question, how could there be any conversion at all. Just like you can't convert an apple to an orange how could someone convert to the family of Abraham?
Chassidus answers that the Rabbis refer to a convert as a convert who converted and not as a gentile who converts to teach us that the convert certainly had a Jewish spark that was buried deep down and trapped in a non Jewish body. This explains why the convert who may come from left field, have no alterior motive and despite the obstacle course that's placed before him, keeps on insisting that he must jojn the Jewish people that the seven Noahide laws are simply not enough for him. Only because deep down there's a Jewish spark that's lurking there.
In conclusion both parts of the equation are true. The conversion is not a formality it's a divine miraculous process where the gentile is completely transformed into a new being almost as if there's been a DNA change. On the other hand on some hidden level there was a Divine spark buried deep down that sparked the journey.
Dear Gershon, may you continue to be an inspiration to all of us.
The Nature of Conversion There is a side conversation that takes place in this video between 43 and 45 minutes into it concerning conversion. It is stated that a convert "acquires a Jewish soul." Please compare this to the view in the Welcome Home video - here on chabad.org - where reference is made to the Rebbe's thoughts on conversion. Referring to the convert and conversion, it is said there that: "...you should know that this was a soul that always was Jewish, nothing got converted, nothing got changed. For reasons best know to the Almighty, this soul was incarnated into this particular set of circumstances of a non-Jewish mother, and this is the mission and the test of this soul". Notice - "always was Jewish, nothing got converted, nothing got changed."
Has it occurred to you that the reason that the Danes could not bear to see the Jews treated worse than dogs was because they had empathy for them? They felt the pain of the Jews and that pain was unbearable. That in the goodness of their hearts, they could not condone evil and took action. You praise the Jews for being empathetic. What blocks your vision when looking at the Danes? Why do you call them selfish and sinful? Furthermore, it is impossible for anyone to know the heart or soul of the Danish minister or any one of the thousands of Danes who helped the Jews get to Sweden. Only G_d knows that.
The proper way to learn Torah is to realize that the Torah reveals one aspect here while another aspect of the equation elsewhere and it's only when you put all the pieces together that you get the whole picture. The Torah states clearly that conversion is not a formality but a total metamorphasis. The Halakha states clearly that a convert is like a newborn child to the extent that legally a brother and sister that convert, Biblically, are allowed to marry each other!
A conversion is a metamorphosis, a Divine event where you become organically fused with the Jewish people. It's an impossible and a miraculous event which explains why we are the only people in the world who despite our being so few in numbers actively discourage any would be convert.
Which begs the question, how could there be any conversion at all. Just like you can't convert an apple to an orange how could someone convert to the family of Abraham?
Chassidus answers that the Rabbis refer to a convert as a convert who converted and not as a gentile who converts to teach us that the convert certainly had a Jewish spark that was buried deep down and trapped in a non Jewish body. This explains why the convert who may come from left field, have no alterior motive and despite the obstacle course that's placed before him, keeps on insisting that he must jojn the Jewish people that the seven Noahide laws are simply not enough for him. Only because deep down there's a Jewish spark that's lurking there.
In conclusion both parts of the equation are true. The conversion is not a formality it's a divine miraculous process where the gentile is completely transformed into a new being almost as if there's been a DNA change. On the other hand on some hidden level there was a Divine spark buried deep down that sparked the journey.
Dear Gershon, may you continue to be an inspiration to all of us.