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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.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Parshas Devarim: My actions matter

"Hashem, your G-d has multiplied you and behold, you are like the stars of heaven in abundance" (Deuteronomy 1:10)

Rav Moshe Sternbuch Shlita in Ta'am V'Da'as explains that the Jewish people are compared to the stars in the sense that each individual Jew has a specific purpose in this world. Just like the stars have their own name, each Jew has their own purpose that they were specifically created for. The Jewish people, in general as well were created for the purpose of honoring G-d's name and sanctifying it to the best of their ability.

In another place the Jewish people are compared to the sand by the sea. Just as the sand's importance is due to the conglomeration of many particles, so too the Jewish people enhance their individual qualities by standing together in unity. Only then can they rectify all the worlds.

Imagine the power of the individual! Rav Chaim of Volozhin, the famed disciple of the Vilna Gaon, tells us at the beginning of his work Nefesh HaChaim that a person shouldn't think that their actions don't matter. Not only do our actions matter, but they have the power to change all the spiritual worlds.

The Rambam tells us in the Laws of Repentance that we should look at the world as if it is wavering on the scale between good and bad and the next action (ie my action) could either destroy or save the world. This is the power of our actions!

The Yetzer Hara (evil inclination) will try to convince us that what we do doesn't matter in the bigger scale of things. After all, if G-d is omnipotent and omniscient, why should he care what we do and what effect should our actions have on the world?

Our actions are so powerful, the Sefas Emes tells us that if G-d forbid a person speaks lashon hara against someone else, that spiritual imperfection exists until we ask forgiveness from that person. That means we have spiritually polluted the universe through our mouths and the only way to rectify the damage done is to do teshuvah and ask the person for forgiveness. Without that, the spiritual damage cannot be undone!

We may not have the biggest numbers but each individual is important. We can change the world as a group as well as individually. Just look at what the first man did and the repercussions for those actions.

We should merit to live up to our potential and continue to sanctify G-d's name in this world.

Shabbat Shalom

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