Op-Ed: Are We In The 8th Generation?
My name is Levi Polichenco. I am 23 years old and have been married for a few years. I have 2 kids and am a teacher in second grade. Recently, a question was asked to the students about the significance of the number 8. One student raised his hand and answered that we are in the 8th generation • Full Article
My name is Levi Polichenco. I am 23 years old and have been married for a few years. I have 2 kids and am a teacher in second grade.
Recently, a question was asked to the students about the significance of the number 8. Students gave different answers: Chanukah, 8 days for a Bris, etc. One student raised his hand and answered that we are in the 8th generation.
I was shocked by this thought, but then I started thinking about it.
What made this boy think that we were in the 8th generation?
I heard from another melamed that he asked his class how important the Rebbe is and what the difference between the Rebbe and the Alter Rebbe is. The answers were that they didn’t really see any difference. The Rebbe is one of the Rebbeim. Nothing really special between him and the Alter Rebbe.
What made these students think such a thing?!
I was born after Gimmel Tammuz, so I never saw the Rebbe in person, but I understand that the Rebbe is still Nossi Hador and as relevant as my right arm is to me.
What is different between me and these students?
If I may suggest, we have to confront the unanswered question of how to address the Rebbe and how we view the Rebbe in our lives and in the lives of our children.
You can’t blame them. They hear that the Rebbe passed away, and they see that Chassidim address the Rebbe as passed on. So why wouldn’t we be in the 8th generation? What is the difference between the Rebbe and the Alter Rebbe?
We have prominent Lubavitch speakers answering questions of why there is no new Rebbe by starting off with, “We don’t know but…” If they don’t know, so why takeh?!
I’m sure somewhere they hear how the Rebbe is alive, but those views are immediately brushed off as silly, because look at the reality… Well if we are looking at reality, then we should be moving on. Let’s get to the 8th generation.
The Rebbe talks a lot about achdus and especially in the last sicha, Parshas Vayakhel 5752, where the Rebbe says we are incomplete by ourselves.
What we need is a unified message. Not just a slogan, but a unified way of addressing the Rebbe, a unified way of education, a unified way of explaining what the Rebbe is, and what relevance the Rebbe has to the children.
We need to have an honest conversation on Moshiach, on the Rebbe, and on Shlichus.
We finally need to remove the topic from the taboo list.
We need it. Not only for us. Not only for peace of mind. We need to do this for our children.
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Wow. To the core. A down to earth realistic question. Yes, we can’t blame them for asking. We expected this question or thoughts to pop up. As they have been, isn’t the first to ask. Not sure what others reply as. I can imagine the pressure and anxiety of yours as a Rebbe in a class hearing this. Not being able to respond accordingly.
In addition I must say. Children are innocent their pure. They ask as they feel the need to. Whereas adults may have the same question but don’t ask. After all the Sichos and or responses rom the Rebbe one should know. As an adult asking means you’re deficient in the Rebbes Sichos. Therefore not to be looked at as a Kofer I’ll rather not ask.
Thank you for bringing this up. Hopefully it will spark talk conversations lecturing and definitely explaining.
Good Shabbos. Besuros Tovos. Moshiach now.
ונזכה זעהן זיך מיטן רבי׳ם דא למעטה והוא יגאלינו.
your article brings out a very good point, but then you fall with to by throwing some vague ideas. please elaborate on your points clearly and help our friends out with their questions.
looking towards your next (clear) instalment
when i was a kid around 5th grade our rebbi once tought about how every generation has a novi [later on i realized it was based on shoftim 5751],
another kid innocently asked: “who is the novi now? after the Rebbe?”
i sometimes wonder what would happen if he would learn Veato Tezaveh and found out about the “Moshe Rabbienu of each generation”….
dont really understand the ‘solution’ and answer that you are looking for, it seems yo be a much bigger and more general issue of how much is the Rebbe MHM Currently part of our lives, and that is something that is up to each parent to do on there own.
BH there are plenty of children growing up knowing who the CURRENT Rebbe is and don’t have these questions, [sounds like you ate one of them], its a reflection of how they were raised.
the untimate and real solution is to bring the Geulah and than we wont have to worry about all this.