Need To Dream It Up!

I occasionally have the privilege to give counsel to other Shluchim around the country who are frustrated with aspects of their Shlichus (loosely translated as their mission).  

This week a Shliach called me and expressed frustration with a number of aspects of his Shlichus.  I shared with him (an insight that I heard from Dennis Prager) that happiness is commensurate with one’s level of expectation and that perhaps his expectations were unrealistic. That didn’t seem to find a listening ear.

I then moved to asking him what his vision was for his Chabad House; where would you like your Chabad House to be in 5 years? What do you imagine it can look like? 

One thing the Rebbe taught us is to dream! The Rebbe never stopped dreaming and he drilled that into our Chabad psyche.  The world can be a better place, a more G-dly place, a more goodly place.  If you dream it, you can make it a reality.  

This Shliach was having difficulty articulating a substantive dream.  Something I have only encountered once before in all of my Shluchim counseling. 

A yiddish saying “ah kup ken min nisht arufshtelen”, simply translated, can’t put a head on someone.  You can give guidance, a road map, but you can’t dream for someone else.

(The jury is out as to what the end will be with this Shliach and his dreaming abilities.)

This Shabbos is called Shabbos Chazon – the Shabbos of vision.  It is so named for the opening words of the Haftorah, a vision of the Prophet Isaiah.  Rabbi, R’ Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev says that another reason this Shabbos is called the Shabbos of vision is because on it we are empowered from above to experience the vision of the world of Moshiach.

That is to dream it so we can make it a reality.

So what is your dream of a better world?  What does Moshiach look like for you?  Would love to hear your dreams.

If we dream it, we’ll work it and make it a reality!

Happy Dreaming!

Good Shabbos.

Ps. See link for Tisha B’av schedule in case the dream is not actualized by Sat. night.
Pps. Please join me for the first ever Spirituality and Wellness Summit in Stone Mountain – a project of our very own Jeff’s Place. 
Ppps. Please join us for the National Newish Retreat.  Check it out here.

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