8:00pm: Is Independence Healthy?

This week’s edition of MyLife: Chassidus Applied with Rabbi Simon Jacobson, Episode 169, will air tonight, Sunday, here on CrownHeights.info, beginning at 8:00pm. This week Rabbi Jacobson will address the topics: Chassidus Applied to Yud Beis Tammuz; Is Independence Healthy? Lessons from July 4th; “Atzmus in a Guf” – What Does that Mean? Are Introverted People at a Disadvantage? Should I Twiddle My Thumbs Until I Get Married? Tzedaka: How and Where to Give?

What is the significance of Yud Beis/Gimmel Tammuz? What practical relevance does it have in our lives today?

Please explain the phrase the Rebbe used to describe the Frierdiker Rebbe: “Atmuz U’Mehus b’guf gashmi”? Without explanation, this seems difficult to understand and could be misconstrued to mean something that causes unneeded controversy.

What lessons can be learned from July 4th, Independence Day? Is freedom and independence congruous with Torah? Didn’t the Alter Rebbe oppose Napoleon because he advocated independence?

Is it possible that introverted personalities will find it more challenging to fulfill what the Rebbe demands of us – as in the needs to reach out to others in shlichus? Are there different expectations due to personality differences? Can an introverted personality get in the way of being a chassid? Are people expected to change because of it?

Shidduchim, as we know, can be quite challenging. Since marriage consists of matching the right two people, a successful match is not entirely dependent on our readiness. We may be all ready, but for whatever reason we may not have yet met our appropriate bashert. People can wait years until they meet the right person to start a life with. Yet, while they’re waiting, the chassidishe standards expect that the person learn Torah and not pursue anything else. How is this not a recipe for an unfulfilled, drained and unhealthy single life? A person must always feel productive, but it seems that following the chassidishe path of learning until one gets married is unreasonable for many people. What can one do about this issue?

When giving tzedakah, does the place the money is going to have anything to do with the reward for giving? How should one know if he’s giving tzedakah to the right place?

Rabbi Jacobson will address these relevant issues in this week’s 169th episode of MyLife: Chassidus Applied. Other topics that will be discussed include: how much Torah study children should be doing in the summer and follow up to the conversations regarding hiuli and global warming.

Rabbi Jacobson will also review the following essays submitted in the last MyLife: Chassidus Applied essay contest: “Combating Relationally Assessed Self-Worth and Unactualized Potential” by Jordan Goldstein; “How Can We Stop Sinning?” by Gavriel Eleff; and “The Attention Obsession” by Levi Teleshevsky. These and other essays can be read online at meaningfullife.com/essays.

And finally, the Chassidus question of the week: Understanding Perek Ches of Tanya

This hour-long dose of insights is meant to inform, inspire and empower us by applying the teachings of Chassidus to help us face practical and emotional challenges and difficulties in our personal lives and relationships. To have your question addressed, please submit it at meaningfullife.com/mylife.

The topics in this Sunday’s hour-long broadcast will include:

  • Chassidus Applied to Yud Beis Tammuz
  • “Atzmus in a guf” – what does that mean?
  • Is independence consistent with Torah? Lessons from July 4th
  • Does the Rebbe’s shlichus place introverted personalities at a disadvantag?
  • What’s an appropriate amount of Torah study for kids during summer?
  • Am I supposed to twiddle my thumbs until I get married?
  • Tzedaka: How and where to give?
  • Global warming/ environment protection: follow-up
  • Chassidus Question: Understanding Perek Ches of Tanya
  • MyLife Essays: Combating Relationally Assessed Self-Worth and Unactualized Potential; How Can We Stop Sinning?  The Attention Obsession

In what has now become a staple in so many people’s lives, MyLife: Chassidus Applied addresses questions that many people are afraid to ask and others are afraid to answer. When asked about the sensitive topics he has been addressing, Rabbi Simon Jacobson commented, “I understand that the stakes are high and great care has to be taken when speaking openly, but the silence and lack of clarity on matters plaguing the community can no longer go unaddressed. The stakes of not providing answers are even higher.”

The on-going series has provoked a significant reaction from the community, with thousands of people viewing each live broadcast and hundreds of questions pouring in week after week. At the root of every question and personal challenge tackled by the series is the overarching question: Does Judaism have the answers to my personal dilemmas?

In inimitable “Jacobson-fashion”, the broadcast answers people’s questions in simple, clear language while being heavily sourced. Each episode is jam-packed with eye-opening advice from the Rebbeim, gleaned from uncovering surprising gems in their letters, sichos and maamorim that address our personal issues with disarming relevance. Simultaneously, Rabbi Jacobson is able to crystallize a concept quickly, succinctly, and poignantly for any level of listener.

All episodes are immediately available for viewing in the MLC’s archive and can be downloaded as MP3s for listening on the go.

Questions may be submitted anonymously at meaningfullife.com/mylife