Mitzvah Campaigns

Mitzvah Campaigns, or "Mitvtzo'im" (Heb. מבצעים) is a term coined by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, leader of the Chabad movement, to refer to his various initiatives calling his followers, and all Jews, to reach out to less affiliated Jews and encourage them to undertake specific practices of Orthodox Judaism.

"Other Hasidic rabbis cared only about their own. They did not engage in the outreach work of Lubavitch for fear that their own followers would be corrupted. But the Lubavitch Rebbe was willing to take the risk." ["A Rabbi's Complicated Relationship With Judaism", The Jerusalem Post, June 6, 1994]

"You shall spread out"

He encapsulated his outreach activity in the slogan of "Uforatzto" (Heb. ופרצת) "you shall spread out." The origin of this phrase is in G-d's words to Ya'akov, "You shall spread out to the west, to the east, to the north, and to the south." [Genesis, 28:14] Rabbi Schneerson would use it in a borrowed sense to refer to the global scale of the outreach activities that he was calling for.

Rabbi Schneerson's general outreach activity began already in the early years of leadership, but was accelerated with the call for encouraging these specific practices.

History of the Ten Campaigns

The first Mitzvah Campaign was the Tefillin campaign, for every Jewish male of 13 and older to don the Tefillin on all days other than Shabbos and Yom Tov. This was declared shortly before the Six Day War in 1967, as a merit to save and protect the Jews of the Land of Israel. The victory of that war was later attributed to the efforts in promoting this campaign.

In 1973-1974 other Mitzvah Campaigns were initiated:
* the Torah campaign, that all Jews: men, women, and children, engage in regular Torah study. Of this Rabbi Schneerson said:
* the Mezuzah campaign, for every Jewish home to have a Mezuzah on all its doorposts;
* the Tzedaka campaign, that every Jewish home have a prominently-displayed charity box, in which all the family members give charity regularly;
* the campaign for all Jewish homes to be filled with Torah books, inspired by the lesson of the city of Yavneh;
* the campaign for Jewish women and girls to light Shabbos and Yom Tov candles with a blessing, starting from age three, and even earlier.In 1974-1975 he called for
* the Kashrus campaign, for all Jewish homes to follow the laws of keeping Kosher;
* the Family Purity campaign, that married Jewish women should immerse in the mikveh and keep the laws of niddah.In 1975-1976 he called for
* the Jewish education campaign, that every Jewish child should study in an Orthodox Jewish school;
* the Love your fellow Jew campaign, which he declared should be henceforth listed as the first and the foundation of all the other campaigns.

From then on Rabbi Schneerson would refer to these outreach activities as "the ten general Mitzvah Campaigns." He emphasised their importance, saying:

Furthermore, he stressed a joyful approach to outreach: He also stressed warmth and friendliness:

He taught that the Jewish education and love your fellow Jew campaigns are all-encompassing campaigns, of which all the other campaigns are a subset. [ [http://otzar770.com/library/display_page.asp?nPageNumber=1840&ilSC=40&nBookId=78&cPartLetter=b Public address of 13 Tammuz, 5742] ]

easonal campaigns

Additionally, Rabbi Schneerson called for numerous other campaigns. Some were related to the holidays in that time of year:
* the Shofar campaign, that all Jews to hear the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah;
* the Four Species campaign, that all Jews to perform this Mitzvah on Sukkos;
* the Hanukkah campaign, to bring the joy of Chanukah to all Jews, encouraging them to fulfil the Mitzvos of Chanukah;
* the Shmurah matza campaign,
* the Purim campaign, to bring the joy of Purim to all Jews, encouraging them to fulfil the Mitzvos of Purim;
* the Lag Ba'Omer campaign, to bring the joy of Lag Ba'Omer to every Jew, especially by organising Lag Ba'Omer parades for Jewish children;
* the campaign that all Jewish children should hear the ten commandments on Shavuos;
* the campaign for all Jews to study Torah on topics related to the Beis HaMikdash during the Three Weeks of mourning.

Other campaigns

Others campaigns applied all year round:
* the campaign for all Jews to study Chasidic philosophy;
* the campaign [ [http://www.sichosinenglish.org/essays/42.htm Prayers For Our Times] ] for all Jews to recite before morning prayer the phrase, "I hereby take upon myself to fulfill the positive [Mitzvah] , 'Love your fellow as yourself,'" [Arizal, beg. of "Shaar HaKavanos"; "Pri Etz Chayim Shaar Olam Ha’asiyah", ch. 1.] and after prayer to recite the verse, "Indeed, the righteous will extol Your Name; the upright will dwell in Your presence." [Psalms, 140:13]
* the campaign against contraception and family planning;
* the campaign for vouchers in parochial schools;
* the campaign against any territorial concessions in the Land of Israel;
* the campaign against the Law of Return endorsing non-Orthodox conversions (see Who is a Jew);
* the campaign for a Moment of silence in public schools;
* the Letter in the Sefer Torah campaign;
* the campaign for all Jews to celebrate their Jewish birthdays with a festive gathering, and to undertake to increase in Torah, prayer, and good deeds in the coming year;
* most recently, the campaign for all Jews to study Torah on topics related to Moshiach and the Jewish redemption, and many more.

Notably, Rabbi Schneerson even called for intensive activities in the Noahide Campaign, calling on every single Jew to reach out to non-Jews to teach and encourage them to adopt the Noahide laws and study Chasidic philosophy with the goal of bringing the concept of divine unity as explained by Chasidic philosophy to become famous. [Likutei Sichot, Vol. 25, p. 192]

References

External links

* [http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article.htm/aid/62228/jewish/10-Point-Mitzvah-Campaign.html The 10 Point Mitzvah Campaign]
* [http://www.chabad.org/library/howto/wizard.htm/aid/142433/jewish/Ten-Mitzvahs.html Ten Simple Ways to Live Higher]