8:00pm: What Should We Do About an Abusive Educator?

The topics in this week’s 379th episode of the highly acclaimed MyLife: Chassidus Applied series, with Rabbi Simon Jacobson, will include:

  • Chassidus applied to Yud Kislev
    • What is the significance of this day what and can we learn from it?
    • How is the geulah of the Mitteler Rebbe different than that of the Alter Rebbe?
  • Lessons from Vayishlach
    • How does the theme of this parsha play itself out in history, and especially in our lives today?
    • What do we learn from Yaakov’s confrontation with Esau?
    • Why did Yaakov prepare for war with Esau and not trust that G-d would protect him?
    • If Yaakov kept all 613 commandments, how could he marry two sisters, which is clearly against Torah law?  
    • What is the significance of Yaakov’s name being changed to Yisrael? Why didn’t his patents give him that name? 
    • If a child’s name is determined by parents who have a mini-prophecy, why does G-d sometimes change a name? 
    • Why did the angel wrestle with Yaakov and injure his hip?
    • Can it be said that Reuven is worse than Esau? 
    • Was Dinah in any way at fault for what happened to her?
    • What do we know about the enigmatic Dinah?
  • Why is it that so many important stories are omitted from the Written Torah while other seemingly minor stories are mentioned explicitly in detail?
    • Why are there almost no details about Abraham’s early life in the Torah?
    • In general, how does the Torah decide which details to include in every narrative?
  • What should we do about an abusive educator?
  • Chassidus question: What does Tanya mean that our Torah / Tefilah reaches a certain world/reality and that different parts of Torah stem from different worlds? What does that practically mean for us?


MyLife: Chassidus Applied is a weekly video webcast candidly answering questions from the public about all life matters and challenges, covering the entire spectrum of human experience. 

This hour-long dose of insights, broadcast live every Sunday night 8-9PM EDT, is meant to provide people with inspired guidance and direction, empowering them to deal with any issue they may face. 

In what has become a staple in so many people’s lives, MyLife: Chassidus Applied 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?

MyLife demonstrates how Chassidus provides us with a comprehensive blueprint of the human psyche as a microcosm of the cosmos, and offers us all the guidance we need to live the healthiest possible life and build nurturing homes and families, bringing up the healthiest possible children, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. MyLife is brought to you by the Meaningful Life Center as a public service, free of charge.

Questions may be submitted anonymously at chassidusapplied.com/ask.