Shlichus

[[]] In halacha, shlichus is the ability given to a Jew to appoint another Jew as their shliach (emissary) to perform certain actions, both in fulfilling mitzvos and in monetary matters, such that the shliach's actions are credited to the meshaleiach (sender). This concept was expressed by Chazal in the principle "shlucho shel adam k'moso" (one's messenger is like oneself).

In pnimiyus haTorah - Chassidic teachings - the concept of shlichus is interpreted in a Jew's avodas Hashem: The creation of man and the descent of his neshama into a body is a shlichus given to him by Hashem, in order to work in this physical world to refine and elevate it. The power given to a Jew to fulfill this shlichus is, similar to physical shlichus, because "shlucho shel adam k'moso" - a Jew's neshama is "a literal part of Hashem above."

In the seventh generation, under the Rebbe's leadership, the concept of shlichus became a central demand of the Rebbe - from Chabad chassidim in particular, and from every Jew in general - to leave their place and dedicate themselves to spreading Yiddishkeit and Chassidus in distant places that need it. As part of this demand, the Rebbe established the shlichus enterprise by appointing his chassidim as shluchim in every location and establishing Chabad houses worldwide, providing physical and spiritual assistance to every Jew. Over the years, the shlichus enterprise expanded, and today it encompasses almost every city and settlement in the world where Jews are found, numbering over 6,000 shluchim, including 1,000 shluchim in Eretz Yisrael.

History

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By Our Rebbeim

The Chabad Rebbeim throughout the generations sent shluchim to strengthen and fortify Yiddishkeit and Chassidus - from the time of the Baal Shem Tov, founder of general Chassidus, then through his successor the Maggid of Mezritch, through the Alter Rebbe who established Chabad Chassidus, and our Rebbeim who followed. The shluchim of our Rebbeim were called Shadar (Shlucha D'Rabbanan). They traveled through towns and breathed life and faith into them.

During the period of the Rebbe Rashab, after the Communist revolution in 1917, a new era of shlichus began involving actual mesiras nefesh. The Rebbe sent shluchim to all Jewish towns in the Soviet Union: Russia, Georgia, and Bukhara, to establish mikvaos and chadarim. This work was strengthened by his son and successor, the Frierdiker Rebbe, who was even imprisoned because of it.

The Frierdiker Rebbe intensified the work of shlichus through his students - some of whom never returned - and laid the foundation for shlichus across all continents including America, Africa, and Australia.

Under the Rebbe

The first shliach sent by the Rebbe was Rav Michoel Lipsker. In a letter written by the Rebbe on 20 Shevat 1950, ten days after the Frierdiker Rebbe's histalkus on 10 Shevat, the Rebbe wrote to him that before the histalkus, the Frierdiker Rebbe had discussed with him the need to work to strengthen Yiddishkeit and Jewish education in Morocco, and requested to send Rav Lipsker there. Rav Lipsker arrived in Meknes, Morocco in Iyar 1950, and immediately began activities by opening a yeshiva there, with the assistance of Rav Refael Baruch Toledano.

A few months later, the Rebbe sent Rav Shlomo Matusof to Casablanca, Morocco. Rav Matusof was the first to be sent directly by the Rebbe himself. Subsequently, the Rebbe sent additional shluchim to Morocco.

In the following years, the Rebbe expanded shlichus to additional countries. Rav Tzvi Hirsch Chitrik was sent to Brazil and Rav Nissan Pinson to Tunisia, Rav DovBer Baumgarten was sent to Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1956; Rav Gershon Mendel Garelik was sent to Milan, Italy in 1959; and following them, additional shluchim began to go out. Although in the early years, going on shlichus was considered a rare breakthrough, as the years passed, the shlichus enterprise grew and expanded, and many chassidim requested to join it.

Over the years, the Rebbe sent thousands of shluchim to every corner of the world. Today, approximately 5,000 shluchim are spread throughout the world (a large portion of today's shluchim began their activities after 3 Tammuz 1994, on the Rebbe's shlichus through Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch). Almost everywhere in the world where there is a Jewish community or Jewish travelers, there is a Chabad House operating in that location.

The Rebbe gave special attention to the activities of the shluchos (women emissaries), and several times even attributed the success of the shluchim to the help of the women.

Types of Shluchim

Shadar - Shlucha D'Rabanan

The Shadarim were sent by our Rebbeim to collect funds to strengthen the yeshiva, and simultaneously they would teach Chassidus wherever they went, thus spreading the teachings of Chassidus. In the seventh generation, several shluchim served in a similar capacity - their role was to travel between different locations to raise funds for Chabad institutions, while also taking interest in the state of Yiddishkeit in each place and carrying out various shlichus assignments as instructed by the Rebbe. Among these shluchim were Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Glick, Rabbi Binyamin Eliyahu Gorodetzky, and Rabbi Shmuel Dovid Raichik.

Merkos Shlichus

Merkos Shlichus - Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch (known as Merkos Shlichus) - is a Chabad activity for spreading Yiddishkeit, primarily during the summer months. As part of this activity, Chabad yeshiva students, during their bein hazmanim (semester breaks), travel to remote cities and settlements - particularly those without permanent Chabad activity - to find Jews living in these places and work to strengthen Yiddishkeit.

This activity was founded by the Frierdiker Rebbe in 1943, when several bochurim were called by him and sent to specific locations. In 1948, the Frierdiker Rebbe made this shlichus available to everyone, and all yeshiva students were called to participate in the shlichus. This shlichus expanded over the years, especially under the Rebbe after accepting the nesius.

The Frierdiker Rebbe and the Rebbe spoke extensively about the merit of this activity and its great influence on the Jews they meet, even though the shluchim themselves don't always get to see this influence immediately.

Yeshiva Shlichus

Since the establishment of Tomchei Tmimim, bochurim from the central yeshiva would travel to strengthen other yeshivos. Sometimes the opening of a yeshiva was done by the shluchim, who were bochurim. In 1967, the Rebbe first sent a group of bochurim on shlichus to Australia, and over the years many groups were added to various locations worldwide, until it became standard practice. Today, talmidim shluchim go out each year, after completing their official learning cycle in Tomchei Tmimim yeshivos, to yeshivos and semicha institutes around the world.

Every Jew

In the Shabbos Chayei Sarah 5752 sicha, the Rebbe said that the role of shlichus falls upon every Jew in our generation:

There was a special addition in our generation - where there was an innovation in the concept of shlichus, that the Frierdiker Rebbe, the Nasi of our generation, appointed each and every person of the generation to be his shliach in spreading Torah and Yiddishkeit and spreading the wellsprings outward, until bringing the true and complete Geulah.

And since this is the avodah of this time, it's understood that this applies to every Jew, without exception.

However, the Rebbe emphasized that this primarily applies to those who merited and carry the official title of 'shliach':

And there is a special addition regarding this - concerning those who merited, that from within the Jewish people themselves they were chosen to be shluchim of the Nasi of our generation, that all their work throughout the entire day and night is dedicated to fulfilling their shlichus in spreading Torah and Yiddishkeit and spreading the wellsprings outward, and in bringing the Geulah.

The Rebbe's Instructions

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From the Rebbe's perspective, shlichus is a life mission, and generally the Rebbe advocated not leaving one's place of shlichus or exchanging it for another place, except in special cases.

A Shliach Makes a Shliach

In the Shabbos Bereishis 5745 sicha, the Rebbe came out with a suggestion - based on the Chazal that "a shliach makes a shliach", up to one hundred shluchim - that each of the shluchim should add and send additional shluchim from themselves in their place of shlichus (initially - one shliach; and after the first succeeds, add and bring additional shluchim). The Rebbe added and said that during the first year of the shlichus of these additional shluchim, Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch would fund two-thirds of their shlichus expenses.

In subsequent years, the Rebbe repeatedly returned to this instruction, and added that these next shluchim should also appoint more shluchim, ad infinitum.

This instruction led to an enormous expansion of the shlichus enterprise, and the number of shluchim increased rapidly.