UK’s chief rabbi inspires talmidim at Rambam

During last week’s visit of Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis to the Five Towns, hundreds of people had the opportunity to hear from him, learn from him, and be inspired by him. Rabbi Mirvis, who serves as the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, was hosted by Rabbi Billet and the Young Israel of Woodmere.

In addition to speaking on Shabbos to a packed house at the Young Israel, Rabbi Mirvis visited many of the local yeshivas, and met their students.

Addressing the students in Rambam Mesivta, Rabbi Mirvis spoke about the importance of living a life based upon Torah values.

‘‘Too many times people look back upon their lives regretfully and wish they had not earned the legacy that they created,” shared Rabbi Mirvis. He talked about the beauty of the Torah way of life, its eternal relevance, and how it serves to guide us in each generation.

He explained that living as proud, committed, Torah observant Jews will also inspire the non-Jewish world that observes us. Rabbi Mirvis cited one such example about a project called Shabbos UK, which was devised to invite and introduce non-observant Jews to the beauty of Shabbos observance. In the process of explaining the concept of “A Day of Rest,” Rabbi Mirvis put it in terms of it being an experience which included “Digital Detox.”

As the date of that particular Shabbos approached, one of the largest papers in the UK ran an editorial exhorting Jews to participate in the program and suggesting that non-Jews as well take one day off a week and break their addiction to digital devices.

Before heading off to his next local appointment, Rabbi Mirvis fielded questions ranging from how to improve one’s personal tefillah to how to effectively navigate the challenges of the secular world as a Torah Jew. Rabbi Mirvis said that if you are committed to Torah and proud of who you are, those who interact with you will respect you for your principled way of life.

The talmidim were inspired by his message and undoubtedly reflected the sentiments of others in the community who were privileged to hear Rabbi Mirvis during his sojourn. Rambam thanks Rabbi Billet and the Young Israel of Woodmere for arranging the visit.