Rabbi's Blog - Chabad Lubavitch of Idaho

Permanent Partnership

Friday, January 30, 2026 - 8:52 AM

At a wedding in Israel this week, I watched with curiosity as the Chupah concluded with the breaking of the glass. The reason we break the glass at the end of the marital ceremony is to recall that our joy is incomplete when our Holy Temple still lies in ruins.

The verse in Tehillim (Psalms 137) talks about the Jewish people wailing on the Rivers of Babylon: “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. May my tongue cling to my palate, if I do not remember you, if I do not bring up Jerusalem at the beginning of my joy.”

Yet, here we were in the Holy Land itself, observing the very same custom. Should we still mourn when Israel now boasts more Jews than any other country in the world? Should we be full of … Read More »

Street Synagogues

Friday, January 23, 2026 - 6:29 AM

Harley Finkelstein is the President of Shopify. But, what he’s famous for this week is wrapping tefillin at the National Retail Federation. He said that he initially put on tefillin outside the mega-event. But, now Jews need to be loud and proud, so he’s putting on tefillin right at the Shopify booth for all to see.

He is an inspiration to many young professional Jews. I returned this week from the Chabad Young Professionals International Encounter in NYC. We brought a small group from Idaho to join a diverse crowd from all over the world. It was a true inspiration seeing so many hundreds and hundreds of Jews wearing their Judaism loudly and proudly.

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In July, 1999 I was traveling from Uganda to Kenya with a friend. Si… Read More »

Rejecting Pharaoh

Friday, January 16, 2026 - 12:20 PM

I’m in New York for the Chabad Young Professionals Encounter.

Wow! I’m so enthused to see nearly 1000 young professionals from Boise to Paris and from Pensacola to Las Vegas. They have come together to celebrate Shabbat and engage Jewishly.

These young men and women come from diverse backgrounds. Yet, they share one amazing common denominator. They all possess a passion and pride for Judaism.

Where do they get this from?

Blood. Frogs. Lice. Wild Animals. Pestilence. Boils. Hail. Locust. Darkness. Death of the Firstborn.

Seven of these famous plagues, which G-d brought upon Egypt, are discussed in this week’s parsha Va’eirah. They are pretty severe. It is evident from the text that G-d wanted to con… Read More »

The Faithful Shepherd

Friday, January 9, 2026 - 8:28 PM

In this week’s Parsha of Shemot we are introduced to Moshe (Moses), considered the greatest Jewish leader. But which qualities in particular illustrate the hallmark of leadership? Great leaders are known for their oratory skills (Moshe had none) or grassroots appeal (the Jews complained about Moshe’s intervention). If he was not popular and apparently lacked charisma, what leadership qualities did he possess?

Students of the Torah will surely point out that he was very pious and humble and therefore merited to have the quintessential relationship with our Creator. But how does that demonstrate his leadership skills?

The Zohar states that Moshe is referred to as the raaya meheimna of Israel, the faithful shepherd. A famou… Read More »

Sticking Together

Friday, January 2, 2026 - 6:38 AM

Prior to the passing of Yaakov (Jacob), he gathers all his sons to his bedside to bless him. The Torah relates:

“Jacob called for his sons and said, "Gather and I will tell you what will happen to you at the end of days. Gather and listen, sons of Jacob, and listen to Israel, your father.”

As we read further, we see that no prophecy is given regarding the End of Days. Instead he blesses his sons. The Talmud clarifies that Jacob wished to reveal to his sons the end of the days (i.e., the time of the ultimate Redemption) whereupon the Divine Presence departed from him.

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True – as the Talmud states – Yaakov did not end up revealing the time of Moshiach’s arrival. But perhaps he … Read More »