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8:00pm: What Is the Halachik and Hashkafic Explanation for Public Menorahs?

The topics in this week’s 288th episode of the highly acclaimed MyLife: Chassidus Applied series, with Rabbi Simon Jacobson, will include: 

  • Chassidus Applied to Chanukah
  • What was the dispute between the Jews and the Greeks?
  • How do we explain the victory of Chanukah when in the end Greek secularism seems to have prevailed in modern times?
  • What is the halachik and hashkafic explanation for public menorahs?
  • Lessons from Miketz
  • How do we explain the seemingly unacceptable behavior of the tribes?
  • If you don’t like someone, is it better to be two-faced and speak nicely to the person, or behave like the tribes who couldn’t speak to Yosef? 
  • Since the purpose of Chassidus is to apply it to our lives, why was there a “kitrug” to prevent this?
  • Why don’t we follow the Alter Rebbe’s directive to recite psalm 119 weekly?
  • Follow up (episode 284-286): 
    • Rochel and Leah
    • Non-Jews
    • Marriage
  • Chassidus question: What is the concept of olives according to Chassidus?
  • My Life 2019 essays: I’ll Do It Later, Shmuly Katzoff, 16, Brooklyn, NY; Separateness That Leads to Closeness, Levi Berger, Bal Harbour, FL; The Three Tricks in a Chassid’s Basket, Ben Diamond, 34


This hour-long dose of insights, broadcast live every Sunday night 8-9PM EST, 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 chassidusapplied.com/ask.

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 chassidusapplied.com/ask.

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