8:00pm: With Abortion Back in the News, What Is the Torah’s View on the Matter of Viability?

The topics in this week’s 382nd episode of the highly acclaimed MyLife: Chassidus Applied series, with Rabbi Simon Jacobson, will include:

  • Chassidus applied to Zos Chanukah
    • Why is it called by that name and what is its significance?
    • Since we increase in light each night, why do we stop at eight? What’s special about the eighth candle that its light endures for the entire year?
    • Chanukah discourses compare the dedication of the altar to the extra support we give a child to launch their education. How does this apply to a survivor of childhood abuse and neglect: how can they gather strength to be productive?
    • Does the precedence of a Shabbat candle over a Chanukah candle indicate that a natural flame is greater than a miraculous one?
    • Why do Hillel and Shammai disagree according to the explanation that they lit one eighth of the oil each day?
    • Were the Chashmanayim righteous people or murderous mutineers who usurped the kingdom that belonged to Judah?
    • Why don’t we emphasize the vital role of women in Jewish history, as in Yehudis in the Chanukah story?
  • Lessons from Vayigash
    • Did Yaakov do anything wrong by leaving his parents for 20 years?
    • Why did Yosef say “is my father still alive” instead of “is our father still alive”?
  • Why and how do we celebrate Hei Teves? 
  • Can I still give to your Gift of Meaning Campaign?
  • Crowdfunding follow-up: How should we prioritize our charities? 
  • What can be done about people not treating others kindly?
  • How to rekindle my connection to Torah? 
  • Regarding the recent abortion case being brought to the U.S. Supreme Court, what is the Torah’s view on the matter of viability?
  • Please comment on Dr. Feldman’s passing
  • Chassidus question: How do we reconcile Tanya that says we should learn from Joseph to overlook the evil others do to us to all the statements in Tehillim where Dovid prays for the downfall of his enemies?


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.