Mitzvah Campaigns
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Mitzvah Campaigns, or Mitvtzo'im (Heb. מבצעים) is a term coined by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, leader of the Chabad movement, to refer to his various initiatives calling his followers, and all Jews, to reach out to less affiliated Jews and encourage them to undertake specific practices of Orthodox Judaism.
"Other Hasidic rabbis cared only about their own. They did not engage in the outreach work of Lubavitch for fear that their own followers would be corrupted. But the Lubavitch Rebbe was willing to take the risk."[1]
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[edit] "You shall spread out"
He encapsulated his outreach activity in the slogan of "Uforatzto" (Heb. ופרצת) "you shall spread out." The origin of this phrase is in G-d's words to Ya'akov, "You shall spread out to the west, to the east, to the north, and to the south."[2] Rabbi Schneerson would use it in a borrowed sense to refer to the global scale of the outreach activities that he was calling for.
Rabbi Schneerson's general outreach activity began already in the early years of leadership, but was accelerated with the call for encouraging these specific practices.
[edit] History of the Ten Campaigns
The first Mitzvah Campaign was the Tefillin campaign, for every Jewish male of 13 and older to don the Tefillin on all days other than Shabbos and Yom Tov. This was declared shortly before the Six Day War in 1967, as a merit to save and protect the Jews of the Land of Israel. The victory of that war was later attributed to the efforts in promoting this campaign.
In 1973-1974 other Mitzvah Campaigns were initiated:
- the Torah campaign, that all Jews: men, women, and children, engage in regular Torah study. Of this Rabbi Schneerson said:
| “ | One should strive as much as possible, and more, to influence every single Jew, regardless of his location or circumstances, to designate a set time for Torah study. When one encounters a Jew in the street, one should ask him if he has already set a time for Torah study. If he has, one should influence him to increase further—ideally, by influencing him to become a teacher himself.[3] | ” |
- the Mezuzah campaign, for every Jewish home to have a Mezuzah on all its doorposts;
- the Tzedaka campaign, that every Jewish home have a prominently-displayed charity box, in which all the family members give charity regularly;
- the campaign for all Jewish homes to be filled with Torah books, inspired by the lesson of the city of Yavneh;
- the campaign for Jewish women and girls to light Shabbos and Yom Tov candles with a blessing, starting from age three, and even earlier.
- the Kashrus campaign, for all Jewish homes to follow the laws of keeping Kosher;
- the Family Purity campaign, that married Jewish women should immerse in the mikveh and keep the laws of niddah.
- the Jewish education campaign, that every Jewish child should study in an Orthodox Jewish school;
- the Love your fellow Jew campaign, which he declared should be henceforth listed as the first and the foundation of all the other campaigns.
From then on Rabbi Schneerson would refer to these outreach activities as "the ten general Mitzvah Campaigns." He emphasised their importance, saying:
| “ | In practical terms, each Jew must proceed in Torah and Mitzvos, the channels for his growth being the Ten Mivtzoim, beginning with oneself, and then spreading forth Torah and Jewishness to the fullest extent of his influence ... As stated on the cover page of “Tanya” — “this service is not far removed from you, in the heavens or across the sea, but rather close to you and within your potential, with your mouth and heart, and able to be accomplished in deed”. And as our Sages emphasized, “deed is the most essential.”[4] | ” |
Furthermore, he stressed a joyful approach to outreach:
| “ | The Mivtzoim should be spread with joy. Just as we fulfill the Mitzvos with joy, so too, must we try to share that joy with others... However, we realize that “serve G-d with joy,” is a fundamental Torah principle. All our efforts in the Miztzoim must be carried out with joy. This joy, in turn will bring greater success to the Mivtzoim. Our inner joy will light up our faces, and light up our approach toward another Jew. And then, the joy will break down barriers, including the barriers of the person whom we are trying to influence. The happiness will bring us to a complete unity, without any separations.[5] | ” |
He also stressed warmth and friendliness:
| “ | When he starts to speak with another Jew he might think that the way to bring him to complete fulfillment of the Mitzvos is to show him a sour face, and to let him know that he is unhappy to have to deal with him. We must realize that such actions are contrary to the relations that must exist between one Jew and another. “Love your neighbor as yourself” is a fundamental principle of Torah, as the Talmud[6] declares: “the fulfillment of this Mitzvah is the entire Torah and the others are merely an explanation.”[5] | ” |
He taught that the Jewish education and love your fellow Jew campaigns are all-encompassing campaigns, of which all the other campaigns are a subset.[7]
[edit] Seasonal campaigns
Additionally, Rabbi Schneerson called for numerous other campaigns. Some were related to the holidays in that time of year:
- the Shofar campaign, that all Jews to hear the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah;
- the Four Species campaign, that all Jews to perform this Mitzvah on Sukkos;
- the Hanukkah campaign,[5] to bring the joy of Chanukah to all Jews, encouraging them to fulfil the Mitzvos of Chanukah;
- the Shmurah matza campaign,
- the Purim campaign, to bring the joy of Purim to all Jews, encouraging them to fulfil the Mitzvos of Purim;
- the Lag Ba'Omer campaign,[4] to bring the joy of Lag Ba'Omer to every Jew, especially by organising Lag Ba'Omer parades for Jewish children;
- the campaign that all Jewish children should hear the ten commandments on Shavuos;
- the campaign for all Jews to study Torah on topics related to the Beis HaMikdash during the Three Weeks of mourning.
[edit] Other campaigns
Others campaigns applied all year round:
- the campaign for all Jews to study Chasidic philosophy;
- the campaign[8] for all Jews to recite before morning prayer the phrase, "I hereby take upon myself to fulfill the positive [Mitzvah], 'Love your fellow as yourself,'"[9] and after prayer to recite the verse, "Indeed, the righteous will extol Your Name; the upright will dwell in Your presence."[10]
- the campaign against contraception and family planning;
- the campaign for vouchers in parochial schools;
- the campaign against any territorial concessions in the Land of Israel;
- the campaign against the Law of Return endorsing non-Orthodox conversions (see Who is a Jew);
- the campaign for a Moment of silence in public schools;
- the Letter in the Sefer Torah campaign;
- the campaign for all Jews to celebrate their Jewish birthdays with a festive gathering, and to undertake to increase in Torah, prayer, and good deeds in the coming year;
- most recently, the campaign for all Jews to study Torah on topics related to Moshiach and the Jewish redemption, and many more.
Notably, Rabbi Schneerson even called for intensive activities in the Noahide Campaign, calling on every single Jew to reach out to non-Jews to teach and encourage them to adopt the Noahide laws and study Chasidic philosophy with the goal of bringing the concept of divine unity as explained by Chasidic philosophy to become famous.[11]
[edit] References
- ^ A Rabbi's Complicated Relationship With Judaism, The Jerusalem Post, June 6, 1994
- ^ Genesis, 28:14
- ^ Hitva’aduyot 5745, Vol. 1, pp. 461-2
- ^ a b Public Address of Emor, 5738
- ^ a b c Public Address of Vayeishev, 5740
- ^ Shabbos 31a
- ^ Public address of 13 Tammuz, 5742
- ^ Prayers For Our Times
- ^ Arizal, beg. of Shaar HaKavanos; Pri Etz Chayim Shaar Olam Ha’asiyah, ch. 1.
- ^ Psalms, 140:13
- ^ Likutei Sichot, Vol. 25, p. 192
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