Seeds of Wisdom: Based on personal encounters with the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory
Seeds of Wisdomis a new anthology of life-lessons from the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, gleaned from the personal recollections of people from all walks of life and a myriad of backgrounds and countries of origin, as recorded in the "My Encounter with the Rebbe" oral history project, launched by Jewish Educational Media to document the untold story of the Rebbe s life stretching back to his childhood in the Tsarist Empire more than a hundred years ago.The book is based on individual interviews, with a focus on the legendary private visits with the Rebbe, known to Chabad-Lubavitch Chassidim asyechidut,where individuals sought the Rebbe s counsel, direction and blessing in meetings, normally held as they were in the dark stillness of a Brooklyn night many years ago. The book does an excellent job of conveying that atmosphere, conjuring up a telling vividness.While the Rebbe s published works fill many volumes, the details of how he influenced individuals and communities an entire generation are being documented, conversation by conversation in these fascinating stories.Rabbi Mendel Kalmenson, a Chabad-Lubavitch emissary in London, England, has mined this immense lodestone of precious ore for nuggets which epitomize the Rebbe s unique style, and has encapsulated them in an attractive book of 175 pages.The editor deftly weaves the material into six sections; Nurturing the Human Spirit; Parenting; Knowledge and Learning; Love and Relationships; Faith and Prayer; and Jewish Leadership addressing issues of marital conflicts, raising children, strategies for actualizing spiritual and emotional growth, dealing with health and financial difficulties, leadership challenges in the communal, institutional and other spheres, and many other topics.Each short chapter encompasses advice that is simultaneously personal and universal by providing an individual anecdote, engagingly summarized and presented by the editor; as told by a fascinating diversity of people who sought the Rebbe s advice; including Torah scholars, statesmen, educators, scientists, teachers, business people and home-makers. Each story ends with a pithy "mission statement."However, the purpose of this book isn t just to tell stories, no matter how striking and inspirational. Rabbi Kalmenson has chosen and edited each selection to drive home the Rebbe s essential advice as typified in the following; showing how to take the first step in bettering oneself spiritually: --chabad.org