The Papa, The Papa… The Existence Of A Deeper Reality

One of the Chassidim of the fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Reb Shalom Dov Ber, was a successful entrepreneur who made vast fortunes in the lumber industry.

So faithful was the Chassid that he sought the Rebbe’s advice and instruction in all his life’s affairs, including matters of commerce. Never would he make a business decision, large or small, without the Rebbe’s advice and blessing.

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity had one day presented itself in which he stood to amass tremendous profits. This was to be his largest venture ever. It required the commitment of his entire capital but the profit was so enormous, he could double or even triple his entire worth in this single transaction.

After examining it from all sides, it appeared to him that the deal was a no brainer. So as usual, he was off jovially to seek the blessings of his sainted Rebbe. But to his dismay, after listening to all the details, the Rebbe recommended against the deal.

The chossid’s attempts to educate the Rebbe on the positive indicators and exceptional profits were to no avail. Dejectedly the chossid returned home feeling like he had lost fortunes on account of the Rebbe.

10th of Tevet – Jerusalem Under Siege

On the 10th of Tevet of the year 3336 from Creation (425 BCE), the armies of the Babylonian emperor Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem. Thirty months later — on Tammuz 9, 3338 — the city walls were breached, and on Av 9th of that year, the Holy Temple was destroyed. The Jewish people were exiled to Babylonia for 70 years.

Tears to an End – A Time to Cry, A Time to Act

The unmistakable echo of hulking boots pounding the outdoor pavement was enough to strike terror into the hearts of the small band of Chassidim gathered in a dimly lit basement in the Russian city of Samarkand.

The purpose of the gathering was a “Farbrengen,” a Chassidic get-together meant to encourage and inspire one another in the pursuit of spirituality and Divine service. Such gatherings were obviously utterly outlawed in communist Russia and punishable by unthinkable penalty.

As the Farbrengen lingered into the wee hours of the morning the atmosphere became increasingly somber. With tears in their eyes a number of younger Chassidim unburdened their heavy hearts on the presiding Mashpia (spiritual mentor) regarding their deficient spiritual state.

It was at this climactic moment that the thumping from outside caught the attention of the group of Farbrengers now gripped by sudden fear. Who else would be parading the streets at this ungodly hour if not the NKVD? Alas, their secret was uncovered; their game was up. Only G-d knows what would be with them now. Would they ever see their families again?

Mench Tracht Gutt Lacht – The Folly Of Living In A Dream

Return one day before your death! (Pirkei Avos 2:10)

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev once encountered a man scurrying about. “What has you so harried,” asked the Rabbi. “Can’t you tell? I am pursuing my livelihood,” said the man.

“What makes you so sure that you are chasing your livelihood?” continued the Rabbi. “Perhaps it is behind you and all you are doing is running away from it?”

A Jewish peasant, who eked-out a meager livelihood farming a small parcel of land, had but one dream; a bigger plot to till. He prayed to G-d incessantly for this wish to come true.

The Weekly Sicha of the Rebbe – Parshas Vayeishev

The Rebbe says:

1. In this week’s Torah portion the Torah tells us that Yoseph Hatzadik (Joseph the righteous one) was a man who was “Yefas To’ar V’Yefas Mar’eh – handsome of form and handsome of appearance” and he would curl his hair. The Torah continues and tells us that this caused the wife of his master Potiphar to cast her eyes upon him and want to lie with him, and this eventually landed him in jail. However, even while he was in jail Hashem was with him and he was successful in whatever he did.

In short, there are two parts to this story; 1) Yoseph Hatzadik was “Yefas To’ar V’Yefas Mar’eh – handsome of form and handsome of appearance”, and 2) the issue of Potiphar’s wife.

Obviously, since the Torah is an everlasting guide for our lives, and every singe story has a lesson for us to learn from, there are lessons to be learned from each part of this story.

When The Going Gets Tough – The Torah’s View on Challenge and Adversity

Spotting an extraordinary teacup, a middle age couple who shared a deep appreciation for fine antiques and pottery, asked the proprietor of a local antique shop if they might have a closer look: “We’ve never seen a cup quite as beautiful,” they told the lady as she handed them the delicate article.

“I’ve not always been a teacup, you know,” whispered the antique as they took her into their hands. “There was a time when I was just a lump of clay.” “Oh, please tell us more,” urged the awestruck couple.

“As I said, I was once just a lump of red clay when my master took me and rolled me and repeatedly pounded and patted me. ‘Don’t do that,’ I yelled. ‘I don’t like it!’ But he only smiled and gently repeated, ‘Not yet, not yet.’

Then, wham! I was placed on a spinning wheel and suddenly I was spun around and around. ‘Stop it! I’m so dizzy, I’m going to be sick!’ I screamed. But the master only nodded and muttered quietly, ‘Not yet’.

Why Do They Hate Us? – The Anatomy Of Anti-Semitism

Two drunks were walking down the street when towards them came a harmless looking Jew. One drunk elbowed the other: “Hey, Vanya, what do you say we give this Yid a good working over? Eh?”

“Well, we could,” replied the second, “except the guy looks mighty fit. We’d be lucky if he doesn’t give us a hearty thrashing. I’d say we make haste while we can.”

“Vanya!” replied his friend in surprise, “What have you been drinking? Why in the world would anyone want to harm two innocent people?”

“If my scientific theories prove correct,” said Albert Einstein, then Germany will claim that I am German by birth; France will claim I am French by residence and America will claim I am an American as a result of my new citizenship. If, on the other hand, my theories prove incorrect, they will all say I am just a Jew!”

Confronting Chutzpah with Chutzpah – How to Live As A Sheep Among Wolves

Well, the neighborhood bully, he’s just one man,
His enemies’ say he’s on their land.
They got him outnumbered about a million to one,
He got no place to escape to, no place to run.

He’s the neighborhood bully.

The neighborhood bully just lives to survive,
He’s criticized and condemned for being alive.
He’s not supposed to fight back, he’s supposed to have thick skin,
He’s supposed to lay down and die when his door is kicked in.
He’s. . .

The neighborhood bully has been driven out of every land,
He’s wandered the earth an exiled man.
Seen his family scattered, his people hounded and torn,
He’s always on trial for just being born.
He’s. . .

To Whom Does The Progeny Belong? – The Antics of Misinterpretation and Displaced Credit

Unable to afford a first rate tailor, a young peasant employed the services of a substandard craftsman to sew him an outfit for his impending wedding. One glimpse at the dismal result brought tears to the young man’s eyes.

“How do you expect me to wear a coat with the right sleeve four inches shorter than the left,” cried the distraught groom.

“It’s not that big a deal,” replied the tailor. “Just pull-in your right arm a bit.”

“And what about the pants,” demanded the shaken groom. “The left leg is six inches longer than the right!”

“You’re being overly fussy,” retorted the poor-excuse-for-a-tailor. “All you need to do is bend your right knee slightly and it will be alright.” And so it went. Every problem with the bungled workmanship was corrected with another modification in the wearer’s posture.

At the wedding, the assembled gasped in shock as the sorry looking groom hobbled down the aisle; his figure contorted so as to fit the suit. “What a disfigured young man,” noted some of the guests. “Oy, Ah Rachmunis!” sighed others, “he’s Eppes a cripple.”

Talk is Cheap – Put Your Money Where Your Mouth is!

Congratulating a friend whose son and daughter had gotten married within a month of each other, a woman asked, “So tell me, what kind of man did your daughter marry?”

“Oh, he’s wonderful,” gushed the mother. “He lets her sleep in, wants her to go to a spa regularly and insists on taking her out to dinner every night.”

“That’s nice,” said her friend.

“And how do you like your son’s new wife?”

The mother sighed. “I’m not so happy about that situation,” she said. “His wife gets up late, spends all her time at the salon and always wants to have dinner in a restaurant.”

A Foot In Each World – Sitting On The Fence Syndrome

Sitting on a fence is a man who sees no sense in fighting
Sitting on a fence is a man who sees no sense at all
Sitting on a fence is a man who strokes his twenty beards
Sitting on a fence is a man who drinks real ale

But the real problem with this man
Is he says he can’t when he can
He’d rather not get his hands dirty
He’ll still be there when he’s thirty

I told myself to keep my mouth shut
But I still end up saying if and but
I lied to myself right from the start
And I’ve just worked out that I’m falling apart

Sitting on a fence is a man who looks up to his guardian
Sitting on a fence is a man who swings from poll to poll
Sitting on a fence is a man who sees both sides of both sides
Sitting on a fence is a man who looks down on opinion

Rebbe, Why Are Chabad’s Headquarters Not In Israel?

Rebbe, why didn’t Chabad establish its headquarters in Israel? Are you not concerned with assimilation? These questions feature in a private audience between the Rebbe and the Directors of the Hillel Foundation, in August 1959. To learn more about the Rebbe visit: portraitofaleader.org

Circuitous JOURNEY – Finding G-d In And Through Sin

A junior partner of an established law firm called an urgent staff meeting. “I have good news and bad news,” he said with a wry grin on his face. “Which do you want first?” The staff groaned and agreed that they’d better get the bad news first.

“Okay,” said the junior partner, “Let me give it to you straight. We will be down-sizing. Half of you won’t have a job tomorrow. The rest of you will be allowed to stay, but only if you are willing to take a substantial reduction in salary.”

There was a long stillness as the staff stood horrified in shock. Finally, a voice pierced the deafening silence: “So what’s the good news?” “Oh! Good that you remembered,” said the beaming boss: “Congratulations are in order; today I have become a full partner.

Those of us, on the lowlier spectrum of humanity, can take some solace in the fact that no one is perfect, not even our renowned Biblical ancestors. Even the celebrated patriarch Avraham, perhaps the greatest human to walk the earth, was not without fault. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

New Torah Cafe Video Released

The Dynamics of Prayer, a deep and provocative video lecture on the purpose and function of Tefillah delivered by the eminent Rabbi Dr. J. Immanuel Schochet was recently released. The lecture, which is brought to you by Torah Café, JLI’s new online learning destination, is the first installment in a series of five that will be launched on the website over the course of the next few weeks.

A Tale of Two Souls – The Mystery Behind Man’s Dual Inclinations

Like it or not, we are each engaged in a battle against our own set of mean genes. They are wily opponents too. Masters of the visceral, they control through satisfaction, pain, and pleasure.
(Dr.’s Terry Burnham and Jay Phelan, Mean Genes)

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Destroy man’s desire to sin, our sages tell us, and you would destroy the world.
Not that anyone needs to sin. But one who lacks the desire to sin is not a citizen of this world. And without citizens, who will effect lasting change? (Tzvi Freeman)

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As a child, Reb Herschel of Krakow was once scolded by his father for not arising early for prayer service. “I can’t help it,” complained the boy. “It’s that yetzer hara of mine. It keeps telling me to turn over and go back to sleep.”

”But Heschele,“ countered the father, ”don’t you see? The yetzer hara is just doing his job. The yetzer hara is an angel created by G-d with the assignment to divert people from observing His will. You ought to be smart enough to do as he does, not as he says. Next time the yetzer hara entices you to stay in bed, tell yourself: ‘Aha! He’s at it again! – He’s up bright and early fulfilling his duty. I too have a mission; I must get out of bed quickly to get on with my task as well.’“

”Oh father,“ retorted the child with a twinkle in his eye, ”you make it sound so simple. But since when does the yetzer hara have to contend with a yetzer hara that tries to stop him of his assignment? Perhaps that’s why he is so efficient. I, on the other hand . . .”

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Yechidus: Did You Buy Presents for Your Wife?

Leaving the Rebbe after Tishrei was both sad and uplifting. Sad because the visitor would no longer savor the holiness of the Rebbe’s presence; uplifting because the Rebbe’s presence would follow the visitor forever after.

The Avner Institute is happy to present the following encounter that took place with Rabbi Reuven Dunin O.B.M., who shared a unique relationship with the Rebbe. It was 1973; the holidays over, Rabbi Dunim was preparing to return to the Holy Land. Quietly he took notes of his conversation after leaving the Rebbe’s room. To learn more about the Rebbe Visit: portraitofaleader.org