Faith vs Effort – Man’s Paradoxical Misson

“If only G-d would give me a sign… such as, say, a large deposit in a Swiss bank account under my name…” (Woody Allen)

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Sam is unrelenting in his petition of Heaven. His unremitting prayer causes such an uproar above that G-d dispatches an angel to determine what it is that troubles this tenacious petitioner.

”It’s the lottery,” Sam tells the querying angel. “How big a deal is it for G-d to let me win the lottery?

Shavuos With the Rebbe – Marking 30 Years

Over the year’s late British businessman Zalman Jaffe and his wife Roselyn spent every Shavuos in Crown Heights, where they merited an especially close relationship with the Rebbe and Rebbetzin. At the Rebbe’s request Mr. Jaffe faithfully recorded these visits, which were published annually as My Encounters with the Rebbe and savored by Chabad readers everywhere.

L’CHAIM! – Something To Think About… Something To Drink About

A man once approached his Rebbe demanding an explanation as to what made him so great.

“You eat and I eat,” argued the disciple, “You say a blessing before you eat, as do I. So what makes you so much greater than me?”

“What you say is correct,” said the Rebbe, “Indeed, you eat and I eat; you say a blessing before you eat, as do I. But there is one small difference,” asserted the Rebbe: “You see, while you say a blessing so you can eat, I eat so I can say a blessing!”

A Plan Like No Other

Ever wonder what would happen if we treated Torah as we treat our cell phone?

To Count is to Be Counted Upon – Kabbalah of Self Worth

The Baal Shem Tov was accustomed to draw out his prayers on Friday evenings. His disciples, who typically finished before him, would wait for their Rebbe to conclude, so as to join him in the Shabbos meal.

It happened, on a given Friday, that one of the participants felt rather hungry. He thought to himself: “There is still plenty of time before the Baal Shem Tov will complete his prayers; I ought to go and eat something. In all likelihood, I will be back before he’s done. Besides, there are plenty of others around; I shall certainly not be missed.”

The Blessing Within – Quantifying Our True Worth

Rabbi DovBer of Lubavitch, would listen to the weekly Torah reading read by his father, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi. One year, his father was out of town for a Shabbos when the Admonition was read. After hearing the Admonition read by the substitute reader, the child was so emotionally upset that even a month later he had not fully recovered. The child was later asked, “Why were you not disturbed this way when the Admonition was read in past years?” The child replied, “When father reads, no curses are heard.”

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The Veitzner Rav, R’ Tzvi Hersh Meisels, was a skilled Shofar blower, who somehow managed to smuggle a Shofar into Auschwitz with him.

Is Fear a Sin? – Faith Vs. Anxiety

Two men in the same town came into sudden wealth. They both hit upon the idea of burying their treasures in the ground. Each picked a landmark on their respective properties, paced 50 steps and dug a hole.

Chaim, the more anxious of the two, kept looking over his shoulder to make sure he wasn’t being watched before placing the treasure into the ground. The more trusting Berel, on the other hand, took no such precautions. Alas, unbeknownst to him, he was noticed by a dishonest neighbor who eventually stole the treasure.

So What if Life Isn’t Fair?

Learning To Play The Hand You Were Dealt

An occasional golfer one day hit a straight drive quite a way down the fairway. When he got over to the ball, he was taken aback to find someone else about to hit it. Pardon me,” he said, “You’re addressing my ball.”

“This is my ball!” replied the fellow.

“Sir,” said the stunned golfer, “If you pick it up, you’ll find my name on it.”

The man scooped the ball up and examined it. “Hey; what’s your name doing on my ball,” he protested.

Holier Than Thou – How Religious Is Too Religious?

“What you are not allowed, you are not allowed, what you are allowed you need not.”(Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi)

Can you be too religious? Ought one to deprecate a person whose religious observance seems “Over the top?” Are the terms “Ultra-Kosher,” or “Ultra-Orthodox,” really objective?