Hearing the Cry of a Child

A private audience during the 150th year from the passing of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the Alter Rebbe, founder of the Chabad Chasidic Movement

Once, in the middle of the night, one of the Mitteler Rebbe’s children fell out of bed. Entirely engrossed in his studies, he did not hear the child’s cries. However, his father, the Alter Rebbe, heard the cries, closed his Torah books, and went to comfort the child. The Alter Rebbe later said to his son: no matter how deeply immersed you are in holy pursuits, when a child cries you must hear it; you must stop what you’re doing and soothe their pain.

In recent years there’s been a great awakening; Jewish youth are crying out for authentic Jewish wisdom. No matter how busy you are – even with your own spiritual growth – Chabad philosophy demands that you make the time to set all else aside and answer their call.