Documentation

There was a saying when I was a doctor in training. If it was documented, it was done.
This is a reality.
To document an activity, a thought, a feeling states that it existed.
Even if you did not take the forceps out of the patient, if you documented it it was "done".. or so it was in our minds as far as we know... until we DOCUMENT AGAIN that it WAS NOT done and that is documentation that something else was done in its stead.
So guess what. I am a fellow who likes to document his knowledge and skills as well as his interests now, his beliefs, his concerns and his trust in the ability of our Creator to shape our lives and bring us to peace and humanity.
This is my job. I realize that somehow, the opportunity to attend a medical school fell into my lap and I took it. Right? So I am a physician today and I will document as I see fit.

But there is more to document.
There is a movement I have mentioned in a few previous blogs called the Lubavitch movement. They have to my knowledge had seven rabbis that were their leaders over the last century and then some years. That is good. I see that they are focused on their future.
But that said, what about the eighth Lubavitch rabbi? Who is this person? Is there an Eigth? Perhaps there is and I do not know his name.
But that said, it is well known that they Lubavitchers have called the 7th Lubavitch Rabbi the Messiah and they have memorialized his facial image for all times. It hangs in their homes by their doorways. It hangs in their offices. It is the large photograph that hangs behind the person giving an address to a conference of 4000 rabbis this past year in New York.
Is 'this' documentation? I say not really. It is memorialization at one level. It is heresy and foolishness at another level.
Who is the leader of the ChaBaD today? It seems that their leader is a beloved Rebbe who died in the 1990s. He was a great leader of course right? He stood in a procession line every Sunday I was told into his nineties greeting people and exchanging pleasantries.
Where is the documentation of all of this Rabbi's teachings? I have yet to find a book authored by Rabbi Menacham Mendel Schneerson the 7th Lubavitcher Rabbi who is the chief Rabbi of the Lubavitcher's new ChaBaD movement that is sending rabbis all over the globe to make sure that our Jewish people have a place to be Jewish as "ChaBaDniks". Right?
Rabbi Avigdor Miller documented his achievement. He has written several books. I have four of them on my shelves. I need do nothing more than reach out and pick up a volume of his work and do my reading.
Where is the work of the 7th lubavitcher Rabbi. If you go to art scroll, feldheim, eichlers or any other Jewish book store, can you find a book authored by the Rabbi. There is no online documention by this rabbi. There is only his teachings as reported by his students which in turn is a true learning from which we can learn. But that said, where is the leadership that we want and seek when we look to the largest new 'orthodox' jewish movement. I can not learn the scope of his teachings by talking to another ChaBaDnik. There is no guide to the ChaBaD movement, is there? I must say that I can not read the books of others and really think that I really 'knew' this rabbi, can I? But actually, maybe I can say I knew him. Maybe I can decipher from what wsa NOT left for our learning that he did not really have that idea to produce leadership manuals and discussions of Torah that I can access on my bookshelf. Perhaps this rabbi just wanted to succeed by putting a rabbi in every town on the planet.
Is the act of establishing an empire of flesh and blood who is a learned individual a true act of humanity and trust in God? Perhaps it could be. But perhaps it is also just your way of declaring to us that you realliy think you were the smartest rabbi who ever existed and that you think that your ideas for the future of our nation are for us all to be emblazoned with the image of your face, the mood of your cabeinet and the soul of your memory in our minds for all of the future generations. Is this your way of declaring to the world that you are the "messiah" we are all looking forward to??? I know that I do not believe you may have said "I am messiah", but did you leave explicit instructions for the nation that you have achieved in how to memorialize your of course lightning rod life for the generations to come? The fact is, the ChaBaD movement has emboldened themselves with your image all over the world. Everything is done in your name. Is it done in G-d's name? I beg to differ.
So either Rabbi Schneerson of blessed memory, you either wanted us to remember yourself as the "messiah" we had hoped might visit our lives, or you just did not anticipate what the followers of your words and your sacrifices would do today. Would you be happy from the grave to know that there are mass exoduses to your grave site all year long? Do you realize that your grave site is to the Lubavitch what Mecca is to the Moslem in terms of its priority to be seen and visited and shared. Well thats a very harsh criticism by myself. I apologize to the human race for making such a comparison. But that said, we do not need a Mecca in our faith. We need trust in God. And that means I love your life and I love your intelligence, but I can not say that your contributions are the future of our people in all of their efforts to change the Jewish world. I can not say that ChaBaD is the authentic mission of our Creator.
I can not say that you are truly orthodox.
I can not say that you represent the Jewish Nation of Moses and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.
So what I can say is that you are here and you have left your leadership's mark for all to see, know, remember and comprehend.
That is an achievement.