New Book of Sermons Helps Shluchim Inspire Their Communities

Rabbi Zushe Greenberg’s new Hebrew volume offers five ready-to-deliver sermons for every parsha in Bereishis, featuring engaging stories, Torah insights, and practical lessons.

“What am I going to speak about this Shabbos?” or “this Yom Tov?” or “this Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur?”

The dilemma facing every Shliach is constant. Sermons are an incredibly opportune time to educate community members, raise their knowledge of Torah ideas and inspire them to enhance their Yiddishkeit.

A good sermon, with the right story and the right message in the right moment could hit home in a way that personal conversations often cannot.

But what to speak about?

Preparing a good speech takes time, effort, and peace of mind—all three of which are, for most Shluchim, in little supply and in high demand.

That’s why the publication of Mitzvas Hayom B’Speech, the new book of sermons by Rabbi Zushe Greenberg is so exciting. The Hebrew volume, covering Chumash Bereishis with five sermons for each parsha, is now available for purchase through the Shluchim Office.

For many years, the Shluchim Office has been publishing and translating the weekly sermons of Rabbi Zushe Greenberg, Shliach in Solon, Ohio, making them available to Shluchim around the world through ShluchimSermons.org, free of charge.

Rabbi Greenberg’s sermons have become well known for their clear and accessible style, relatable topics, engaging presentation, and practical and uplifting messages.

Every speech starts with a hook to draw in the listener, continues by teaching them something new they didn’t know before, and leaves them with a meaningful lesson and a call to action with regard to their personal Yiddishkeit.

“Can I absentee ballot my participation in Rosh Hashanah services?”, “Why do we wish someone ‘until 120’?”, “Why do we kiss a mezuzah or a sefer Torah when no mitzvah requires us to?”.

These are all examples from one parsha—Parshas Noach—of hooks drawing the listener into the sermon.

The question about kissing leads into a discussion about the chavivus a Jew should show for mitzvos. The desire for Jewish “absentee ballots” leads into an explanation of why each mitzvah has its particular time—and how doing it at that time connects us with Hashem. And the question about living until 120 encourages listeners to give their time to Torah and Jewish causes.

In the introduction to the volume, Rabbi Greenberg explains that he came, in his own Shlichus, to see the sermon as central to building an active shul. He noticed how influential a good sermon could be, and began to invest many hours a week in preparation, alongside Rabbi Mendy Sasonkin a”h, of Akron, Ohio.

The talks were very well received within the community, and he began sharing his ideas with other Shluchim as well, first putting them to paper in Hebrew, and then in translation through the Shluchim Office.

As he writes in the introduction, the Rebbe told Rabbi Mordechai Savitzky during a yechidus in 5748 that sermons delivered before Yizkor had accomplished olam umlo’ah—entire worlds.

There were people who, without those sermons, might not have retained a connection to Yiddishkeit. Rabbi Marvin Tokayer, whom the Rebbe asked to serve as a rabbi in the Far East, recalled the Rebbe telling him: “Every time you speak, make sure that the people learn something new—that they leave better than they came in, one level higher.”

That purpose comes through in the way these speeches are written.

The ideas are substantive, yet simple to give over. A shliach can use a speech and feel that he is speaking naturally to his own community, just as he does in person: explaining something they may never have learned, sharing a story they will enjoy, and encouraging them toward a mitzvah or a stronger connection to Yiddishkeit. With several speeches for each parsha, one can choose the subject that will speak to his listeners that week.

The title of the book comes from the Rebbe’s words to Rabbi David Hollander on Erev Rosh Hashanah 5752. As Rabbi Hollander passed by during panim, the Rebbe wished him, “Hatzlacha in di speeches.” Rabbi Hollander did not hear, so the Rebbe repeated in a louder voice: “Mitzvas hayom b-speech!”.

Mitzvas Hayom B’Speech gives you a collection of sermons written with that goal in mind: your congregants will learn something, feel inspired, and leave ready to take another step.