How do you turn a mekurav into a Chassid? We asked Rabbi Pinchas Pachter, one of the founders of the spiritual revolution in Paris, who inspired hundreds of young people to become baalei t’shuva, some of whom have become rabbanim and shluchim around the world. * In this interview with R’ Shneur Chaviv of “Beis Moshiach,” R’ Pachter shares kiruvim and answers he received from the Rebbe, speaks about competition between organizations, working within and outside the ranks of officialdom, and addresses whether a shliach needs to be a lamdan.
It was the 12th of Sivan 5740 and 770 was packed. The Rebbe was farbrenging and there was a large contingent of Frenchies who were using earpieces to hear the simultaneous translation of the Rebbe’s words. In the building nearby, R’ Pinchas Pachter (“ch” pronounced “sh”) sat with some other men, all foreign language speakers, watching the farbrengen on a big screen and translating the sicha for hundreds of thousands of listeners around the world and in the beis midrash.
The farbrengen ended and R’ Pachter, still wearing headphones, heard the Rebbe ask, “Pachter, where is he?”
R’ Pachter rushed to remove his headphones so he could run in to the farbrengen, but in his haste the wires of the headphones got tangled in his beard. He tried to disengage them but only got more entangled.
R’ Pachter was stuck in his chair when he heard the Rebbe was looking for him again, “Pachter, where is he?” The Rebbe said to the Frenchies with a smile, “Birkas Kohanim is not done at night.”
They tried to explain that he was translating the sichos, which is why their esteemed rabbi wasn’t present at the farbrengen.
“Here or in France?” asked the Rebbe in French. “Moshiach is ready to come; there isn’t time,” he said with a big smile.
In the meantime, R’ Pachter had managed to disengage himself from the wires and he raced to 770. The Rebbe was still waiting for him with a large cup of mashke. R’ Pachter said l’chaim and the group from France burst into a lively rendition of “HaAderes V’HaEmuna.” The Rebbe encouraged the singing with both hands and clapped vigorously.
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Rabbi Pinchas Pachter with mekuravim who serve as shluchim and rabbanim around the world
The premise of this interview was to find out how to facilitate the transformation of someone who until recently was not religiously observant, so that he becomes a Chassid, mekushar heart and soul to the Rebbe. R’ Pachter, one of the veteran shluchim in France is a warm person with a big smile. He was one of the founders of the French spiritual revolution, who brought hundreds and even thousands of Chassidim to the Rebbe including rabbanim and shluchim. These were people he had been mekarev to Judaism and Chassidus and in whom he had implanted the fire, faith and uncompromising hiskashrus to the Rebbe.
“When it comes to being mekarev people, there is no secret to success,” says R’ Pachter. “Like anything else in life, yogaata u’matzasa, taamin (If someone says, ‘I have worked hard, and I have been successful,’ believe him). Secrets to success and shortcuts can work but they are the ‘short-long way’ to achieving serious, long lasting results. There is no substitute for the ‘long way.’”
VERTLACH WON’T GET YOU FAR
“There are two ways to go about kiruv and it’s just like in avodas Hashem. One way is the long-short way and the other way is the short-long way. The short way is based on the idea of teaching others based on what you know, ‘if you know Alef, teach Alef, and if you know Alef and Beis, then teach Alef and Beis.’ Teach according to your abilities, teach what you know.
“The long way is to fill yourself up with knowledge and not to stop learning and teaching. To become full of Torah, Gemara, Chassidus, Halacha, with hiskashrus and doing mitzvos b’hiddur. Because in the end, your mekurav won’t get involved because of what you tell him or teach him, but because of whom you really are.
“Shlichus that is based on personal charisma, a way with words and short vertlach, will be very successful at first, but if any actual mekuravim result from this kind of shlichus, they will soon look for something deeper. When a person decides to jump into the water and only sort of knows how to swim, the first thing he’ll look for is something strong to hold on to, to provide him with security. Only someone replete with Torah and Yiras Shamayim can provide that security.”
Does R’ Pachter think that being a lamdan is a prerequisite for going on shlichus? He says no, although part of the avoda of a shliach is definitely to head in that direction.
“Look, ultimately, it’s the Rebbe who does all the work. The question is: what vessel are you giving the Rebbe to work with? I started reaching out not long after I myself got involved with Chassidus. I also made mistakes at first. Everyone makes mistakes. But little by little, when I realized what I had done, I made sure to correct them. When you learn from your mistakes and fix them, you turn the error into an advantage.
“In shlichus, just as in avodas Hashem, you have to work hard. Nobody was born a beinoni. In order to be a beinoni, you need to work hard. If regarding one’s personal avodas Hashem it says that a tzaddik falls seven times and rises, then the same is true for shlichus. You can’t be frightened by the work or by mistakes. You have to be in a constant process of learning, of self-improvement, and filling yourself up with Nigleh and Chassidus. That is the only way to present ourselves to the Rebbe as a ‘refined vessel’ so we can accomplish what the Rebbe needs to do through us.”
KNOW HOW TO RESPOND
R’ Pachter was born in Paris a year before the outbreak of World War II. His parents were R’ Shimon a”h, a G-d fearing Jew who belonged to the religious community, and Doba Bina a”h who was the granddaughter of the Av Beis Din of Grodno and from a very illustrious family. When the war began, Parisian Jews fled southward and those who remained hid. R’ Pachter’s parents, whether in their naïveté or trust in Hashem, remained in their home in the heart of Paris and continued leading a religious life.
After the war, R’ Pachter continued learning in yeshivas Yavneh of the gaon, Rabbi Eliyahu Munk (1900-1981) who translated and explained the Torah in French. He was given rabbinic ordination by the Beis Din HaGadol of Paris. He also studied and received degrees in philosophy, science and languages.
He puts his knowledge to good use in his shiurim and books as well as in articles he writes for various publications, and most importantly, in lectures for students and academics.
“There are Chassidim of stature who went on shlichus with all the breitkait (expansiveness) in the world. Their Chassidic warmth, simplicity, and mainly their utter bittul to the Rebbe, radiated from them and often succeeded in impacting those around them. True, they did not always know how to respond to questions from people with complicated queries about science and philosophy. But they were on high levels of bittul to the Rebbe and the Rebbe simply answered through them.
“Someone not on that level of bittul and hiskashrus needs to know how to respond. It is worthwhile being knowledgeable in the Rebbe’s responses and letters on the topic of science such as Darwin’s theory of Evolution, so we can handle these questions about science and faith. It also gives the other person a good feeling that you are familiar with his world and can understand him and speak with him about concepts with which he is familiar.
“My son Berel is a mashpia who was raised in Chabad yeshivos all his life and did not learn secular studies, but he studied the Rebbe’s letters on the subject and constantly studies on his own. This is because when he comes into contact with an intellectual crowd, he has to be able to respond intelligently.”
TEN YEARS IN THE PRESENCE OF THE ZIKNEI HA’CHASSIDIM
The change in R’ Pachter’s life began when a unique individual began to frequent the quiet neighborhood shul. The man served as the shliach tzibbur and as a sort of unofficial mashpia. It was R’ Tzvi Leib Levin a”h who had been a shliach in Morocco and had been forced to leave under pressure from the government. He was the sort of person to whom you could not remain indifferent. He was a Chassid through and through and this was readily apparent. He soon became the dominant figure in the community he led, as he encouraged and supported all the Jews in the area.
Young Pachter who, until he met with R’ Tzvi Leib, knew nothing about Chabad except that his mother would always say that Chabad are “fine people,” suddenly discovered a new and fascinating world. R’ Tzvi Leib saw that the young man was drawn to the logic and depth of Chassidus and took him on a visit to Aubervilliers. In Aubervilliers, there were a few families of the elder Chassidim who had emigrated from Russia and led a small Chassidic enclave.
R’ Pinchas became a regular guest at farbrengens and was welcomed by the Chassidim with warmth and love. He spent hours with the elder Chassidim who patiently listened to his questions and resolved them one by one. He was primarily influenced by R’ Aryeh Leib Eidelman a”h. R’ Eidelman, who had been a talmid in Yeshivas Tomchei T’mimim in Lubavitch, was a role model for him. The way R’ Leib davened captured his heart and he considered him his spiritual teacher.
R’ Pinchas spent close to ten years with these older Chassidim. During summer vacations, he would rent an apartment near the yeshiva in Brunoy. This enabled him to take in the atmosphere of Lubavitch, and to partake of the shiurim of the mashpia, R’ Nissan Nemanov. During these years, R’ Pachter learned what a Chassidishe davening is about and he experienced genuine Ahavas Yisroel, farbrengens and Chassidic joy.
THE REBBE TOLD ME: REMEMBER THE BESHT’S SAYING
“The most important thing in shlichus is Ahavas Yisroel. A shliach needs to be a person who loves people in general and Jews in particular. In order to be mekarev a Jew, you have to live with chapter 32 of Tanya. At a yechidus, the Rebbe told me, ‘You must always remember the famous saying of the Baal Shem Tov that Hashem loves every single Jew with an incomparably greater love than that which elderly parents have for their only child born to them in their old age.’
“When you face another Jew, you have to really love him; otherwise, it just doesn’t work. Someone who cannot truly love another person and is constantly fixated on himself – even if he’s very wise and knowledgeable and a great speaker – won’t be capable of truly affecting him.”
One of the things engraved deeply in his soul from his sojourn with the elder Chassidim was their spiritual concern for others. That is how R’ Pachter found himself beginning to organize a Chassidus class in the shul where he, his father, grandfather and great-grandfather davened.
A small nucleus of mekuravim formed around the shiurim in Chassidus. When he found out that a similar nucleus was forming in Paris around R’ Shmuel (Mulle) Azimov who was still a bachur, they immediately joined forces. That is how the first branch of Tzeirei Agudas Chabad in Paris was founded.
R’ Pinchas moved to Orly and once again, a nucleus of mekuravim formed around him. He worked to establish Talmudei Torah, where Jewish public school children learned about Judaism twice a week. He also gave shiurim and lectures all over the city. He was an excellent speaker and young people flocked to hear his classes. Many of them came to consider him their spiritual teacher. On his part, R’ Pachter looked out for them and guided them in their progress in Torah and mitzvos. He took them to the Rebbe on a regular basis and translated the farbrengens for them. That is how a community of young baalei t’shuva who were mekusharim to the Rebbe formed.
IT’S A GREAT PLEASURE TO BE MEKAREV PEOPLE TO THE REBBE
“When you go on shlichus you must love what you’re doing. When you are mekarev someone, it’s the greatest pleasure. First, because there is nothing more pleasurable than the thought that the Rebbe decided to be mekarev a certain neshama and that you are the means through which he will accomplish this. Second, when you are mekarev someone to the Rebbe and to Hashem, you are building a world. You are rectifying the world and are a partner to the Rebbe’s work: whether in his avoda as b’chezkas Moshiach of ‘compelling all Israel to go in [the ways of Torah] and strengthening its breaches’ or whether in his avoda as Moshiach vadai, ‘gathering all castaways of Israel.’”
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I asked R’ Pachter how one can change someone into a Chassid. Should he be pushed in that direction from the outset or is it better to show him Judaism “in general” and only then to start talking to him about the Rebbe and Lubavitch. He said:
“It all depends on who the mekurav is and who is being mekarev him. In 5735 the Rebbe wrote me: Obviously, the manner of agitating and work in every country and place depends on the conditions of that location and people who are not identical.
“Generally speaking, today we are in the final moments of galus and as the Rebbe once said when he was looking for me to say l’chaim, ‘Moshiach is ready to come and there is no time.’ There is no time today for games and for going round and round for years until the person finally gets it. The faster the mekurav attains hiskashrus to the Rebbe, the better.
“The Rebbe once said in yechidus that if you are mekarev someone to Judaism but are not mekarev him to the Nasi Ha’dor, you have not fulfilled the shlichus!
“However, as the Rebbe wrote me, it depends on the place. If you see that it is likely to cause more harm than good, then lay off. With the Rebbe we often saw that he did things behind the scenes, not in his name, because he was concerned that if his name was involved there could be opposition or even a weakening in someone.”
FIX YOURSELF
“Here is the big ‘but.’ When you are mekarev someone and see that he has a problem with things associated with the Rebbe, you have to make a significant personal reckoning. The Gemara says, ‘A man’s place is the man.’ In other words, a man’s personality is branded by the place he is in. The same is true for mekuravim. Every Chassid and shliach needs to know that a mekurav is a reflection of him. If my mekurav has difficulties accepting matters of faith, especially matters of faith in what the Nasi Ha’dor says, then I need to look into myself and see what I need to fix.
“This is because when a person is truly mekushar to the Rebbe, then even if he does not speak openly about the obligation of hiskashrus to the Rebbe, he broadcasts this and is mashpia on his mekurav.
“Many years ago, I worked in a non-Lubavitch school. Since I didn’t want to get into arguments, I made sure not to stand out as a Lubavitcher and not just in what I said. I even dressed differently and tried not to refer to Chabad, Lubavitch and the Rebbe. But in the end, everyone knew I was a Lubavitcher and whatever I said was immediately connected, by them, to Chabad and the Rebbe. It was just more pleasant for them to hear it without explicit references.
“Judging by the results, it works. Dozens of students from that school connected to the Rebbe at one stage or another.”
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I asked R’ Pachter what he thinks of the competition today with other organizations “doing kiruv.” He said:
“It’s definitely one of the signs of Yemos HaMoshiach. It also addresses your previous question. When everyone is ‘into kiruv,’ if we want to distinguish ourselves, we need to focus on providing what others cannot provide, namely Chassidus, Geula and the Rebbe. Everything else is the same, good lectures in Gemara and Jewish philosophy, even putting t’fillin on with people – I heard that in Eretz Yisroel there are t’fillin stands set up by other groups. But the ‘Moshe of the generation’ is something only we can provide and we need to do so in abundance.”
THE REBBE PROPHESIED: EVERYONE WILL DO MIVTZAIM LIKE US
“I had a yechidus in 5736. It was the yechidus when the Rebbe kept me for 55 minutes. The secretary knocked on the door every few minutes, but the Rebbe spoke and spoke and did not let me leave. I was given many instructions and much advice regarding my personal life and regarding shlichus.
“The Rebbe told me some prophetic things. He said: You need to know that regarding competition, not only isn’t Lubavitch afraid of competition, Lubavitch seeks out competition and Lubavitch creates competition. You will see that in Paris and France everyone will do mivtzaim like us.
“Then the Rebbe listed the names of the rabbis in France of those days and said: You will see that Guggenheim will do mivtzaim and Rottenberg will do mivtzaim and Shushnah will do mivtzaim and the Consistoire [a government agency comparable to the chief rabbinate, responsible for overseeing Jewish matters in France] will do mivtzaim. You will see all these rabbis do mivtzaim and not only won’t we be jealous; we will seek it out.
BOX:
OFFICIAL BUT SEPARATE
When I first started working in kiruv in Paris, I operated independently with no connection to any mosad. I did this because that is how I was taught by the elder Chassidim, who did this naturally as something self-understood.
However, when the work began accelerating, there were certain people who made sure to tell me that I was stepping on their toes. I wrote to the Rebbe and in his response he wrote, “With blessings for success in spreading Judaism and particularly the wellsprings (surely you will continue; your question is surprising) and especially the new shiurim that you mentioned.”
The answer was clear to me, but those who wanted to complain about my work remained dissatisfied. I finally decided to go to the Rebbe and hear it directly from him.
Before I went, R’ Binyamin Eliyahu Gorodetzky, the Rebbe’s representative in France, updated me on what was happening. When I had yechidus, the Rebbe said, “There are enough Jewish neshamos in Paris for you and for others. You need to open your own mosad and inform me of your work. If the shul is small, move to larger quarters.”
I was surprised by the Rebbe’s answer and told him that they wouldn’t believe me in Paris. The Rebbe firmly said, “You will get it in writing.”
Indeed, before I returned to Paris I received a long letter from the Rebbe in which he explained that my activities needed to be independent. I understood that the Rebbe wanted my activities to be done within an official framework, while still retaining autonomy and answerable only to the Rebbe. When I returned to Paris, I opened the mosad “Hadar Ha’Torah,” and wrote the Rebbe a detailed report about the students who registered and about their progress in Torah and mitzvos.
A copy of this letter was sent to R’ Gorodetzky and from then on, I consulted with him every time the question was raised about my autonomy.