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About Me

Rabbi Chaim Coffman
Rabbi Coffman has helped people from all across the spectrum to prepare themselves properly for Orthodox Conversion to Judaism. His students admire his vast knowledge and appreciate his warm, personal attention and endearing sense of humor.
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Followers

Welcome to Rabbi Chaim Coffman's Blog!

I would like to thank you for visiting my blog, Beyond Orthodox Conversion to Judaism.

The conversion process can be a lengthy and daunting one to say the least and I want you to know that I am here to help you through it.

I have been teaching newcomers to Judaism for over a decade and over the last few years I have seen that conversion candidates really lack the support and knowledge they need to navigate the conversion process and successfully integrate into the Orthodox Jewish community.

I created my mentorship program in order to help make this whole experience as smooth and as painless as possible! (Can't do much about the growing pains, though ;)

Feel free to get to know me a little through the posts on my blog and visit the mentorship and syllabus page if you are interested in possible joining us.

I sincerely wish you all the best in your search for truth and spiritual growth.

Looking forward to meeting you,
Chaim Coffman

My Rebbe, Rav Moshe Sternbuch

In case you were wondering why I have all of these articles written by Rav Moshe Sternbuch, he is my Rebbe, and one of the gedolei hador (greatest Rabbis of our generation).

Rav Sternbuch fully endorses me and supports my mentorship program.

He is the address for all of my halachic or hashkafic (practical and philosophical) questions that I or my students may have.

The articles are based on his weekly talks on the Torah portion that the Rav gives in Jerusalem in his kollel. As a member of the kollel I get first dibbs on the photocopies and I type them up for my blog so you can all benefit from the Rav's erudition and insight.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013

The 48 Ways to Acquire Torah: Not liking making directive decisions

The next of the 48 ways to acquire Torah is not liking making directive decisions. Being a rabbinic figure is a very difficult job. Making decisions and answering people's questions is a big responsibility and should not be taken lightly.

How does one receive training in such a field? Today's rabbis have to learn a lot of material about many different aspects of Judaism. From kashrus to Shabbos to festivals to blessings...there appears no end in sight!

Even more important than the book knowledge and passing the exams is the amount of time they have spent with a qualified mentor that can guide them in the practical aspects of the material that they have learned. This is so important because one needs proper guidance and direction.

Another important element in becoming a person who answers questions for others is to know when to say, "I don't know" or "I am not sure" and be able to go to someone who knows more than them. As one of the commentaries tells us, one should not like making these decisions because of the awesome responsibility it entails and the tremendous repercussions they can have on someone's life.

This also means that if one has the proper training and proper mentors to go to, that they should not shirk their responsibilities if they are qualified for this work! The Talmud tells us that it is not good if a person has reached that level and does not help others. At the same time, the Talmud explains, if one is not qualified and answers questions for others, that is equally dangerous!


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