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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, May 22, 2014

Parshas Bamidbar: Our actions Matter!

"And the L-rd spoke to Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai in the Tent of Meeting on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they came out of the land of Egypt saying, 'Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, after their families, by the house of their fathers, by the number of names, every male by their polls.'" (Numbers 1: 1-2).

Rashi explains that this counting showed the importance of the people in G-d's eyes when they came out of Egypt. When they fell by the sin of the golden calf they were also counted to show how many had sinned. They were also counted when G-d wanted to rest His presence on them as well as on the first of Nisan when the mishkan (tabernacle) was erected.

Rav Moshe Sternbuch Shlit'a in Ta'am V'Da'as explains that his rebbe, Rav Moshe Schneider in explaining the beginning of the second chapter of Bava Metzia tells us the importance of counting. The gemara explains that a person checks his pockets constantly because his money is important to him. So too the Jewish people who are important and special in the eyes of G-d are thereby counted many times in the Torah.

The Torah writes the counting in a singular form teaching us that each person has their own importance and function in the world. Each person is unique with their own blend of talents that they were given to enhance the world. This comes with greater responsibility because if we are given these talents, then we should use them to the best of our ability.

The Baal Shem Tov on the verse "that your seed will be numerous as the stars in the heavens" (Genesis 26:4) tells us just as the appear small like an egg but in reality they can be very big in mass so too the Jewish people. Even though they appear to be a small insignificant nation, nonetheless in G-d's eyes, they are important and His chosen nation.

Each individual has the power to build or destroy worlds. We may think that what we do does not matter but in reality, we can do great things in the physical and spiritual planes! We shouldn't think our lives are worthless but live like what we do matters!

We were put in this world for a reason, not just to serve our own desires. We were given strengths and weaknesses to make us into the people that we are. We have to utilize them to the best of our ability to better serve G-d.

May we take stock of our actions and put them to good use.

Shabbat Shalom

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