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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.
Thursday, November 21, 2013

Parshas Vayeshev: Everything happens for a Reason

These are the generations of Yaakov, Yosef was 17 years old was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them." (Genesis 37:2).

The Seforno explains the when Yaakov came back to the land of his father, what happened to him was similar to what happened to our forefathers in the time of the destruction of the second Temple and the final exile. 

Rav Moshe Sternbuch Shlit'a asks in Ta'am V'Da'as what the connection is to what happened by the destruction of the second Temple and what occurred during the life of Yaakov?

Yosef ends up going to Egypt because of the hatred of his brothers and then his brothers and father go down there as well. We too went into exile after the destruction of the Temple because of unlawful hatred between people. This hatred between people has kept us in this exile until today.

What was the purpose of Yaakov going down to Egypt? He went there Rav Sternbuch explains because he needed to bring out the sparks of holiness among the most immoral of all societies. They did not change their names, language or clothing and sanctified G-d's name.

Rav Moshe Schneider, Rav Sternbuch's Rosh Yeshiva of the famed Toras Emes Yeshiva, explains that in our days, when a Jew keeps Torah and mitzvos while living among people that are not observant, they have the ability to sanctify G-d's name. 

They do so by keeping G-d's will even in a place that is far away from a Torah center or observant Jews! The fact that these people see Orthodox Jews acting in such a way certainly has a positive influence on them.

The fact that today Jews are spread all over the world and are surrounded by immorality and all the negative influence that comes with it, nonetheless, they hold strong the principles of the Torah and sanctify G-d's name.

The Chofetz Chaim said that the hatred of the brothers caused Yosef to go into exile, ending up in Egypt but in the end it was G-d's will for him to be there to be able to save his brothers and family. The same thing is true today that in the end of this long terrible exile we will see that the suffering did have a purpose and everything will be made clear to us.

In the time of Ikvesa d'Meshicha (the birth pains of the coming of the Messiah) may we be able to withstand all the trials and tribulations of the coming of the Messiah and he should come speedily in our days.

Shabbat Shalom

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