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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.
Monday, May 13, 2013

The 48 Ways to Acquire Torah: Think over what you have heard

The next of the 48 ways to acquire Torah is to think over what you have learned. This means that when you hear something, analyze it in an organized way to make sure you understand it. Even if you have heard the teaching a hundred times or more, nonetheless still think it through to make sure it is clear.

This can also teach us not to be so quick when we hear something. Don't interrupt until you have heard what the person has to say. This will help in the final analysis if a person is quick to answer before they have heard everything.

Aren't we quick to want to say something before the person has finished talking? Don't we want to interrupt before we lose the flow of what what we want to say? Even if that may be true, don't, you may have misinterpreted what you have just heard!

Even if we hear something, we should give it proper organized thought. Whether we have heard it before or if it is the first time, there is no mitzvah in blurting out something before it has properly been digested.

Sometimes the best answer or response is nothing at all. Just stop and think about what has been said. A knee-jerk reaction may not be what you have intended or what you wanted to say. We must be careful in our words and actions to the extent that the best thing for us in a certain situation is silence.

This reminds me of a funny story. Someone was telling their friend something and in the middle of the story, his friend blurted something out before hearing the end. This person looked foolish as his friend said, "how can you say this, you haven't heard the end of the story yet!"

His friend responded that the way the story was going, this was going to happen and then that...and I made the comment based on that. His friend replied that the comment was totally out of place because that is not what happened in the story.

When his friend heard the end of the story, he was totally embarrassed as to what he had said and wished he refrained from what he said. Ahhh, the power of listening, internalizing and thinking over what you just heard!

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