Shalom Arush
Encyclopedia
Shalom Arush is an Israeli Breslov
rabbi
and founder of the Chut Shel Chessed Institutions. He spreads the teachings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov
among Sephardic and Ashkenazic
baalei teshuva
around the world through his books and speaking appearances. Arush is considered one of today's leading Hasidic
spiritual guides, inspiring hundreds of thousands through his books, audio CDs and online presence.
, Morocco
. His was a family of pious Jews who valued Torah scholars and visited the graves of tzaddikim
. He learned in the local Jewish Alliance
school and studied Hebrew
in the evenings. His eldest brother married and immigrated
to Israel before the rest of the family; Arush and his parents and other siblings moved to Israel when he was 13.
The family settled in Petah Tikva
, where his parents enrolled Arush in a mamlachti-dati (state-religious) school; he later attended a secular high school. In 1970 he joined the Israel Defense Force as an airborne combat medic
, where he took part in many dangerous missions, including missions during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. During that time, five of his closest friends were killed in a helicopter crash
while carrying out an army mission. This event was one of the catalysts for his personal teshuva
.
Following his army service, Arush studied economics and accounting at Tel Aviv University
.
, who introduced him to Breslov practices such as hitbodedut
and hosted him for Shabbat
meals. Together with Rabbi Berland, Rabbi Arush learned with such Breslov giants as Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Bender and Rabbi Shmuel Shapiro.
Arush next enrolled at Yeshivat Dvar Yerushalayim
as he took on more and more mitzvot
. Eventually he cut his long hair and became a practicing Torah Jew. He was introduced to his wife, Miriam, on a shidduch
, and the newlyweds moved to Moshav
Chazon Yechezkel. Later he moved to Bnei Brak to join Rabbi Berland's new yeshiva there, and when the yeshiva moved to Jerusalem, he and his family followed. Upon the directive of Rabbi Berland, in 1985 Arush opened his own yeshiva with 15 students; a year later, he had 80 students and moved into his present quarters in the Musrara
neighborhood of Jerusalem.
for married men, a boarding school for teenage boys, and a Talmud Torah
for younger boys. The organization specializes in nurturing youth at risk, and has graduated students who have gone on to become noted writers, actors and musicians. Among Arush's celebrity students is Shuli Rand
, star of the film "Ushpizin".
In 1998 Arush opened a branch of Chut Shel Chesed in Ashdod, Israel, and appointed his student Rabbi Lazer Brody, another combat soldier-turned-baal teshuva, to head the rabbinical program. In 2006 this branch merged with the Jerusalem yeshiva and Brody became the mashpia
(spiritual guide) for Arush's students and the translator of Arush's books into English
.
Breslov (Hasidic dynasty)
Breslov is a branch of Hasidic Judaism founded by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov a great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, founder of Hasidism...
rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
and founder of the Chut Shel Chessed Institutions. He spreads the teachings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov
Nachman of Breslov
Nachman of Breslov , also known as Reb Nachman of Bratslav, Reb Nachman Breslover , Nachman from Uman , was the founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement....
among Sephardic and Ashkenazic
Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...
baalei teshuva
Baal teshuva
Baal teshuva or ba'al teshuvah , sometimes abbreviated to BT, is a term referring to a Jew who turns to embrace Orthodox Judaism. Baal teshuva literally means, "repentant", i.e., one who has repented or "returned" to God...
around the world through his books and speaking appearances. Arush is considered one of today's leading Hasidic
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
spiritual guides, inspiring hundreds of thousands through his books, audio CDs and online presence.
Early life
Arush was one of 9 children born to his parents in the town of Beni MellalBeni Mellal
Beni-Mellal is a Moroccan city located at . It is the capital city of the Tadla-Azilal Region, with a population of 163,286 . It sits at the foot of Mount Tassemit , and next to the plains of Beni Amir....
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. His was a family of pious Jews who valued Torah scholars and visited the graves of tzaddikim
Tzadik
Tzadik/Zadik/Sadiq is a title given to personalities in Jewish tradition considered righteous, such as Biblical figures and later spiritual masters. The root of the word ṣadiq, is ṣ-d-q , which means "justice" or "righteousness", also the root of Tzedakah...
. He learned in the local Jewish Alliance
Alliance Israélite Universelle
The Alliance Israélite Universelle is a Paris-based international Jewish organization founded in 1860 by the French statesman Adolphe Crémieux to safeguard the human rights of Jews around the world...
school and studied Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
in the evenings. His eldest brother married and immigrated
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
to Israel before the rest of the family; Arush and his parents and other siblings moved to Israel when he was 13.
The family settled in Petah Tikva
Petah Tikva
Petah Tikva known as Em HaMoshavot , is a city in the Center District of Israel, east of Tel Aviv.According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, at the end of 2009, the city's population stood at 209,600. The population density is approximately...
, where his parents enrolled Arush in a mamlachti-dati (state-religious) school; he later attended a secular high school. In 1970 he joined the Israel Defense Force as an airborne combat medic
Combat medic
Combat medics are trained military personnel who are responsible for providing first aid and frontline trauma care on the battlefield. They are also responsible for providing continuing medical care in the absence of a readily available physician, including care for disease and battle injury...
, where he took part in many dangerous missions, including missions during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. During that time, five of his closest friends were killed in a helicopter crash
Aviation accidents and incidents
An aviation accident is defined in the Convention on International Civil Aviation Annex 13 as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft which takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight and all such persons have disembarked, in which a...
while carrying out an army mission. This event was one of the catalysts for his personal teshuva
Repentance in Judaism
Repentance in Judaism known as teshuva , is the way of atoning for sin in Judaism.According to Gates of Repentance, a standard work of Jewish ethics written by Rabbenu Yonah of Gerona, if someone commits a sin, a forbidden act, he can be forgiven for that sin if he performs teshuva, which...
.
Following his army service, Arush studied economics and accounting at Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...
.
Introduction to Breslov
Arush's quest for spirituality led him to Rabbi Eliezer BerlandEliezer Berland
Eliezer Berland is an Orthodox Jewish rabbi and rosh yeshiva affiliated with the Breslov Hasidic movement in Israel. As rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Shuvu Bonim in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, he has counseled and guided tens of thousands of Jews from secular backgrounds to draw...
, who introduced him to Breslov practices such as hitbodedut
Hitbodedut
Hitbodedut refers to an unstructured, spontaneous and individualized form of prayer and meditation taught by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov...
and hosted him for Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
meals. Together with Rabbi Berland, Rabbi Arush learned with such Breslov giants as Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Bender and Rabbi Shmuel Shapiro.
Arush next enrolled at Yeshivat Dvar Yerushalayim
Dvar Yerushalayim
Yeshivat Dvar Yerushalayim, also called the Jerusalem Academy of Jewish Studies, is a yeshiva for baalei teshuva currently located in the Har Nof neighborhood of Jerusalem, Israel. The yeshiva was founded in 1970 by Rabbi Baruch Horovitz, formerly of Manchester, England.-Link:*...
as he took on more and more mitzvot
Mitzvah
The primary meaning of the Hebrew word refers to precepts and commandments as commanded by God...
. Eventually he cut his long hair and became a practicing Torah Jew. He was introduced to his wife, Miriam, on a shidduch
Shidduch
The Shidduch is a system of matchmaking in which Jewish singles are introduced to one another in Orthodox Jewish communities for the purpose of marriage....
, and the newlyweds moved to Moshav
Moshav
Moshav is a type of Israeli town or settlement, in particular a type of cooperative agricultural community of individual farms pioneered by the Labour Zionists during the second aliyah...
Chazon Yechezkel. Later he moved to Bnei Brak to join Rabbi Berland's new yeshiva there, and when the yeshiva moved to Jerusalem, he and his family followed. Upon the directive of Rabbi Berland, in 1985 Arush opened his own yeshiva with 15 students; a year later, he had 80 students and moved into his present quarters in the Musrara
Musrara, Jerusalem
Musrara also known by its Hebrew name, Morasha is a neighborhood in Jerusalem. It is bordered by Meah Shearim and Beit Yisrael on the north, the Old City on the south and east, and the Russian Compound and Kikar Safra to the west.-History:...
neighborhood of Jerusalem.
Chut Shel Chessed Institutions
The Chut Shel Chessed Institutions includes a yeshiva, a kollelKollel
A kollel is an institute for full-time, advanced study of the Talmud and rabbinic literature. Like a yeshiva, a kollel features shiurim and learning sedarim ; unlike a yeshiva, the student body of a kollel are all married men...
for married men, a boarding school for teenage boys, and a Talmud Torah
Talmud Torah
Talmud Torah schools were created in the Jewish world, both Ashkenazic and Sephardic, as a form of public primary school for boys of modest backgrounds, where they were given an elementary education in Hebrew, the Scriptures , and the Talmud...
for younger boys. The organization specializes in nurturing youth at risk, and has graduated students who have gone on to become noted writers, actors and musicians. Among Arush's celebrity students is Shuli Rand
Shuli Rand
Shalom "Shuli" Rand is an Israeli film actor, writer, and singer. He is a Haredi Jew and is best known in the English-speaking world for his acting his role as the protagonist in Ushpizin as well as being the writer of the movie.-Personal history:Rand was born Shalom Rand and raised in Bnei...
, star of the film "Ushpizin".
In 1998 Arush opened a branch of Chut Shel Chesed in Ashdod, Israel, and appointed his student Rabbi Lazer Brody, another combat soldier-turned-baal teshuva, to head the rabbinical program. In 2006 this branch merged with the Jerusalem yeshiva and Brody became the mashpia
Mashpia
Mashpia lit. "person of influence", pl. Mashpi'im is the title of a rabbi or rebbetzin who serves as a spiritual mentor in Tomchei Temimim , in a girls' seminary belonging to the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement, or in a Chabad community.-Definition:Although counterparts to the mashpia exist in...
(spiritual guide) for Arush's students and the translator of Arush's books into English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.