As a young Lubavitch yeshiva student, Rabbi Yosef Wineberg was once challenged about outreach.

Another Orthodox Jew argued, “Although spreading Judaism is important, outside influence is harmful to the children whose families are involved in outreach. Instead of teaching estranged Jews, we should devote our energy to strengthening our own children.”

“Imagine a house burning down,” the man continued. “Only select furniture can be rescued. Some furniture is half- burnt or almost ruined, and some is untouched. Would you bother to salvage the furniture that had been seriously damaged? Just preserve the fresh furniture!

“Similarly,” he explained, “we should only devote ourselves to the education of our own children…”

Rabbi Wineberg thought for a moment and responded, “That applies to saving furniture in a burning house. But what if people are trapped? The healthy ones can liberate themselves with minimum assistance. But those who are burnt and suffering need someone to carry them out of the fire and heal them…”

—Heard from Rabbi Levi Wineberg

Comment:

Our responsibility to educate other Jews does not detract from our responsibility to educate our own children. On the contrary, both paths of education must merge and complement each other.

“Nowadays we must live with self-sacrifice,
not die with self-sacrifice.”
—Rabbi Adin Steinsalz, in “The Long Shorter Way”

“A flame can give of its fire again and again and not be diminished. Be a flame.”

“Every time you give up something you crave
for something worthwhile, you become stronger.”