Weekly Letter: Separate Ourselves from Alien Influence, and the Practice of Yoga

During the days between Pesach and Shavuos – the Rebbe reminds us that now is a suitable time to separate ourselves from alien influence – in preparation for the Festival of Mattan Toroseinu, when G-d sanctified us as a nation apart from other nations. The Rebbe refers to the practice of yoga which is not in keeping with our status as a holy nation and to our Jewish names, which preserved our identity in Egypt and in whose merit we were redeemed.

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Here’s My Story: Inspiration For The Isolated

Rabbi Yaakov Blotner has served as a Chabad emissary in Worcester, Massachusetts, since 1972. He has specialized in kosher supervision and has also headed up the Jewish Chaplaincy Services, an organization which provides religious services to prisons and mental health hospitals. He was interviewed in January 2026.