Kiruv: An Awesome Mission

A Jew’s mission in this world is to make it a dwelling place for G-d, to elevate and sanctify the physical. In short, to serve G-d in all ways. This is the purpose of a soul’s descent from the lofty spiritual realms to this corporeal world. Each soul has a specific task, its particular contribution towards making the world a fit abode for G-dliness. The Baal Shem Tov, the founder of the Chassidic movement, once said, “a soul comes into the world and lives for seventy, eighty years, for the purpose of doing a favor for a Jew in physical and particularly spiritual matters.” Your aid to another might be the fulfillment of your mission in life, the reason why your soul was sent down to this earth.

Hence, when one approaches another Jew to encourage him to return to the ways of his forebears, the approach must be made with humility and awareness of the privilege thus granted. One Jew is not superior to another because he happened to have the good fortune of being born into a religious family. Each Jew is precious for, as the Baal Shem Tov said, G-d’s love to each Jew is as the love parents have for their only child born in their old age. Each Jew is the only child of the King of kings, and the King keeps a vigilant eye on how His child is treated.

When you are active in kiruv, in Jewish outreach, you are not doing the non-observant Jew a favor; G-d is granting you the great privilege of helping His child! It is an awesome responsibility, and must be treated with utmost seriousness. G-d has many messengers with which to fulfill His wishes, or G-d Himself could heal his child of his spiritual ills. Yet you have been given the task. G-d has taken pity on your low spiritual level, and is giving you, through the merit of helping another Jew, the opportunity of elevating yourself to a more lofty position.

It is thus clear that not only may one not despise his fellow for being alien from his religion, but he must approach him with the respect and consideration befitting the only child of the King of kings. No vilification, G-d forbid. No derogatory statements. No superior airs. But love and peace, good will and graciousness.

Moreover, as the Baal Shem Tov said, love of a Jew is one and the same as love of G-d. Scripture states “You are sons to the L-rd your G-d;” and when one loves the father, one loves the children. True love of G-d, true service, is impossible without love of a fellow Jew. In the famous words of Hillel: “Be of the disciples of Aharon, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving your fellow creatures, and bringing them near to the Torah.” Love of a fellow Jew means to help him in all ways possible; and the greatest benefit you can extend to a Jew is to bring him near to the Torah.

No Jew is exempt from this great mission. Every person can contribute something, each must share his knowledge with those less fortunate than he. G-d has granted him powers and strength which must not be allowed to go to waste. Everything created by G-d is for a purpose, and failing to utilize one’s G-d-given abilities is wasting G-d’s creation. The task demanded of him will ultimately be fulfilled in any case, if not by his agency, then another — for the result is G-d’s will. The only question is: Will you fulfill your raison d’etre by being the one to perform your task?

And in fulfilling this mission, through giving of one’s time and efforts to help a fellow Jew, one is not denying oneself of spiritual growth. For when a Jew extends a hand to another, both grow. One’s personal service to G-d is incomparably more sublime and loftier when helping another Jew, than when one keeps aloof. For G-d promises success in one’s endeavors far beyond that which could have been expected merely through one’s own efforts.

It is an awesome mission to be sure, and one that requires the utmost dedication and self-sacrifice. But a Jew is not alone. He Who has sent him on this mission is with him, and His hand is continually guiding and protecting. Each Jew goes on the mission of G-d to make this world a dwelling place for Him with the assurance and promise of Avraham that “The L-rd before whom I walk will send His angel with you and make your mission successful.”

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Excerpts from “Sichos in English”, reprinted with the kind permission of www.sichosinenglish.org