Last week I finally received a visa from the country of the destination of this personal mission of mine. It's about one month since I came here. The specific place where I'm conducting this mission is increadibly calm, which contributes to my inner calmness though I remain quite preoccupied with news and analyses about what's been happening in Israel since October 7.
Having received this long awaited visa, I can now start the public part of this hopefully temporary departure from Jerusalem in a totally new environment, whether physically and socioculturally. I'm launching a new educational initiative I've been incubating since I accepted this call for leaving my comfort zone in Jerusalem and undertaking a public mission, too, which is - sorry for my chutzpah - transforming darkness into light in this new physical and sociocultural environment where inner darkness is far thicker than in Israel according to the teachings of Chabad Chassidus, which I had the privilege of learning for three years at a special school in Jerusalem.
The Sixth Rebbe of Chabad writes ("Hayom Yom", Cheshvan 1):
Ever since G‑d told our father Avraham, "Go from your land etc." and it is then written "Avram kept travelling southward," we have the beginning of the mystery of birurim. By decree of Divine Providence man goes about his travels to the place where the "sparks" that he must purify await their redemption.
Tzadikim, who have vision, see where their birurim await them and go there deliberately. As for ordinary folk, The Cause of all causes and the Prime Mover3 brings about various reasons and circumstances that bring these people to that place where lies their obligation to perform the avoda of birurim.
When I encountered this passage in my daily study of this Chabad classic about a half month ago, I was electrified as I felt it was exactly about and for me!
I've just announced the launch of this educational initiative of mine for the possible audience in this new place. It includes the following activities:
- Courses
- Jewish life questions
- Jewish life wisdom
- Introduction to Jewish classics
- Coaching
- Jewish life coaching
- Reaching circle
- Introduction to Chabad Chassidus
I see myself as an unofficial emissary of Chabad in this remote place where a number of pioneers are already working as official emissaries of Chabad. Unlike them I'm more or less fluent in the local language though I speak its Jewish "dialect". ;-)
I'm finally starting the practical part of my "hero's journey". This journey may not be so easy, and I can already anticipate and am ready for possible challenges. But I'm also equally convinced that these challenges will squeeze "olives" inside me and extract "olive oil" from them.