Q:
What does one do if he lives in an area where there is no contact with his rebbi?
A:
First of all, there may be somebody in that area who could become a rebbi of his.
Secondly, what business does he have living in such an area? It’s important to live in a good neighborhood. When you live in a certain neighborhood it becomes part of your personality. You can’t help it. רעיו חר‡ יו ̇ו„ובמי יו ̇עו„ב ך ̆נמ ם„‡ וחביריו – You’re attracted, you’re drawn after your environment. If the environment is a pop culture environment, and there are movies all around and people with TVs all around, you can’t escape the influence. Although you can try to some extent but you can’t escape it.
And therefore a person if he’s wise, he should listen to what the Chachomim say: shachen tov! (Avos 2:9). A good neighbor is very important! And a good neighborhood is very important. It’s extremely important to find a place where you’ll be influenced by the people around you.
TAPE # E-129 (January 1999)
