The Weekly Sedra – Ki Tisa

This week’s section, which contains the story of the sin of the Golden Calf (Egel shel Zahav), coincides with the holiday of Purim.

One obvious similarity between them is that both began with Jews transgressing (in Purim; attending the feast of the king and bowing to Haman) and another is that in both G-d forgave the Jews due to the leader of their generation; first through Moses and then through Mordechi.

Why did they need these leaders?

Why couldn’t they just have repented on their own?

The Weekly Sedra – Tetzaveh

This Shabbat the Torah portion deals with the garments worn by the Kohanim (priests) in the Holy Temple and this coming week will be Purim, the holiday celebrating the salvation of the Jews from their enemies some 2,400 years ago.

At first glance it’s not hard to see the deeper meaning and connection between them; the Torah portion deals with holy garments and on Purim it is customary to wear funny ones (Aruch Chiam 696:8).

But this itself is not understood. Why did the priests dress so uniquely in the Temple and why the costumes on Purim?

To understand, here is a Purim story.

The Weekly Sedra – Terumah

This week’s section tells us about the Tabernacle that the Jews built in the desert after receiving the Torah.

The purpose of this Tabernacle was to enable the Jews to serve G-d properly and completely.

For instance, we see that the specifications of this Tabernacle were very detailed. And we are taught that it was the center of not just the Jewish religion but of the entire world: the Creator’s connection to His creation.

Demonstrating that G-d’s plan for man is exact, available and achievable.

The Baal Shem Tov taught that every detail of the Tabernacle is important on a personal basis as well. That is what our section hints at when it writes: “Make me a Temple and I will dwell in THEM (rather than in IT)” (25:8) namely in each and every one of us.

Joy and Happiness

When’s a good time to be happy? Anytime! But especially now, as we approach the Jewish month of Adar, concerning which our Sages state: “When Adar starts, we increase our simcha – joy.”

As such, let’s take a look at some of the words of our Sages and Chasidic teachings about the importance of joy and happiness in our lives.

King David in Psalms advises us, “Serve G-d with joy, come before Him with jubilation.”

The power of joy is unlimited, for, as stated in the Talmud, “Joy breaks all boundaries.”

The Weekly Sedra – Mishpatim

This week’s section begins with G-d telling Moses ‘These are the laws (Mishpatim) you should put before them (Lifnayhem)’.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that ‘Mishpatim’ are the type of Torah laws that make practical sense (like the damage cases mentioned in our section). They aren’t like the Torah laws called ‘Aydut’ that make only religious sense (like Tefillin or Mezuza) or ‘Chukim’ which are totally illogical (like not cooking meat and milk together). And the word ‘Lifnayhem’ also means ‘inside of them’

So G-d is telling Moses here (and the leaders of every generation after him) to put these logical Mishpatim/laws ‘inside’ of each Jew.

What does this mean? And why specifically these laws, why not the Aydut or Chukim? And why only the leaders of each generation?

1988: Passing of the Rebbetzin

From The Living Torah, The Rebbetiz’s Funeral

On Wednesday, February 10, 1988 (Shevat 22, 1988) the Rebbe’s wife of 59 years, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson, passed away after a brief illness.

She had felt ill the night before and was brought to the hospital, where she requested a glass of water. After reciting the blessing “Blessed are You, G-d… by whose word all things come into being”, she returned her soul to her Maker.

An erudite and wise woman, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka carried the mantle of her exalted position in a most humble and unpretentious fashion. Though she was the wife of a leader revered by hundreds of thousands, almost nothing was known about her until after her passing, when those who knew her felt that they could tell of her life and personality without violating her jealously guarded privacy.

The Weekly Sedra – Yitro

This week we read about the giving of the Torah. Besides being the basis of the Jewish faith it is an event unequaled in history.

In fact no one ever so much as dared to invent such a story….not even the religions that claim to ‘replace’ Judaism.

G-d, the creator of all spiritual and physical being, actually appeared and spoke to millions of Jews and defined for the first and only time in history what He wants from the world.

The Other Side of the Tapestry

S. Paul, Minnesota, February, 1979

I sat in the hall waiting for the program to start. I felt alone in a room filled with hundreds of people. I had missed my ride to the country. Instead, I was here, in this hall full of chassidic Jews–a stranger in a strange land…

A World that Was

I grew up like any other middle-class American. I went to college, dated, had fun with my friends. Although I happened to be Jewish–and was proud of it–my Judaism didn’t play a big role in my life.

My mother grew up in Chicago in an observant home. Her father, my beloved grandfather, passed away in 1973. When I was little he held me on his lap and told me stories of his own childhood–stories that seemed like fairy tales to me.

The Weekly Sedra – Bo

This week’s section tells of the last three plagues and the Exodus of the entire Jewish nation from Egyptian slavery.

Strangely, the Jews prepared for this monumental event in a seemingly very inappropriate way:

All Jewish males had to undergo a painful and debilitating operation and then eat a full meat meal: they circumcised themselves and then had to eat from the Korbon Pesach – the Pesach Offering, just hours before beginning an arduous desert trek.

Who would do such a crazy thing? Why did G-d want them to do it? What sense did it make?!

The Weekly Sedra – Va’eira

This week’s section finds Moses face to face with Pharaoh the king of Egypt (according to some, the king of the world) and from the beginning we see the game is fixed and Pharaoh doesn’t stand a chance.

Even before they meet G-d announces, “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart so I can multiply my miracles and signs. And he won’t listen and I will smite Egypt and take my people, the Jews, from Egypt with great miracles. (7:3,4)”

And Pharaoh is certainly no match for the Creator of the universe!

At first glance this is not only unfair, it’s cruel. Why harden Pharaoh’s heart with false confidence in order to add plagues?

The Weekly Sedra – Shemot

This week’s section begins the awesome saga of the 210 year imprisonment and miraculous escape of an entire nation. Never even vaguely similar in history has anything occurred nor has any religion or nation even claimed so; the scope and depth of these events simply defies human imagination.

But, after all, the story of Exodus is not understood from the beginning.

Why did the Jews have to go into slavery?

The Weekly Sedra – Vayechi

This week’s section begins on a strange note: The Patriarch Jacob on his deathbed gathers his twelve sons around him for a final message but he didn’t succeed.

The Talmud tells us (Pesachim 56a) that Jacob wanted to reveal the end of days to his sons (i.e. the date of the arrival of Moshiach) but the Shechina (G-d’s presence) left him and he wasn’t able to”

Does this make sense? First of all, what is so important about the date when Moshiach will arrive? Second, why couldn’t he tell? It’s only a date, certainly he didn’t forget it! And it couldn’t be that G-d told him not to reveal it. Exactly the opposite – the Shchina departed from him!

The Weekly Sedra – Vayigash

This week’s section VaYigash, which means ‘And he approached’, is the finale of the traumatic saga of Josef and his brothers.

It begins with Judah approaching Josef to beg for mercy and interestingly the only one of Josef’s brothers that is really highlighted in the entire section is Judah. The others are barely mentioned.

The Zohar and books of Chassidut explain the reason; Judah represents Moshiach (who will come from the tribe of Judah) while Josef is a preparatory stage before Moshiach and this section hints at the future ‘Geula’ (redemption of the world) through Moshiach.

So we see later (46:4) when G-d encourages Jacob to go down to Egypt and says, “…and I will take you up and take you up”. The first ‘taking up’ refers to the redemption from Egypt and the second to the future redemption.

Didan Notzach!

Click Here to watch part of the Farbrengen where Chassidim are singing Didan Notzach
Click Here to watch the Sicha the Rebbe said about Didan Notzach

The 5th of Tevet is celebrated as a day of rejoicing in the Chabad-Lubavitch community. On this date in 1986, U.S. Federal Court issued a decision in favor of Agudas Chassidei Chabad (“Union of Chabad Chassidim”) regarding the ownership of the priceless library of the 6th Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn. The ruling was based on the idea that a Rebbe is not a private individual but a communal figure synonymous with the body of Chassidim. The Lubavitcher Rebbe (Rabbi Yoseph Yitzchak’s son-in-law and successor) urged that the occasion be marked with time devoted to study from Torah books (“sefarim”).

On the 5th of Teves 5747, the verdict in the case of the Previous Rebbe’s library was handed down and great rejoicing enveloped Chassidim all over the world.

After Minchah on that day the Rebbe, spoke about the lesson we must learn from the suffering and the pain of undesirable phenomena.

Candles and Champagnes

Tug of holidays

It is during the holiday season, more than any other time throughout the course of the year, that we feel what it means to be an outsider in American society. This year, for the first time in forty six years Christmas and the Solar New Year coincide with the Jewish festival of lights, Chanukah. And although we always feel that the Christian holidays coincide with Chanukah annually, this is only because for reasons unknown to myself, Christmas seems to last for an entire month and a half while Chanukah begins with the first day and ends on the eighth, without the three weeks before and two weeks after of pre and post but still holiday season excuses for partying.

This weekend, more than any other of the year, we Jews will feel the strain of two forces tugging on us: 1) Chanukah and Shabbat (The ultimate combination of light) – and 2) New Year’s Eve; forcing us to in the very least contemplate what we are celebrating: our Judaism or our secularity?

The Weekly Sedra – Chanukah/Mikaitz

This week’s section always coincides with the holiday of Chanukah.

‘Mikaitz’ means ‘At the end’ and refers to the end of Joseph’s imprisonment. But it also hints at Moshiach and the raising of the dead.

In fact, so do Josef’s release and Chanukah.

First of all; all of them, Moshiach, Josef’s release and Chanukah are miracles without precedence and totally above nature, but they affect the entire world.

Josef’s miraculous rise from prison to become ruler of the entire world is like Moshiach who will elevate the Jews from exile, spiritually rule the world and eventually raise the dead.