Rabbi's Blog - Chabad Lubavitch of Idaho

Over the Top!

Friday, December 27, 2024 - 8:32 AM

Chanukah is most widely celebrated by kindling the menorah. This commemorates the miracle of the oil lasting eight days instead of one.

The Talmud (Shabbat 21b) teaches us how this mitzvah of kindling the menorah should be performed:

The mitzvah of Chanukah is to kindle one light per household (each night of Chanukah); Mehadrin (those who eagerly pursue mitzvos) kindle a light for every member of the household; Mehadrin min hamehadrin (those who are even more eager than the standard mehadrin)... kindle one on the first day, and on each following night increase the number of lights by one.

Amazingly, while with regard to many commandments – even Biblical ones – we find varying degrees of meticulousness, when it comes to lighti… Read More »

Success!

Friday, December 20, 2024 - 6:40 AM

This week’s Torah portion Vayeshev tells us that Yosef (Joseph was a successful man). In fact, it informs us of his success twice.

You may be thinking, “Well obviously, he was the viceroy of Egypt and ran all its affairs.”

However, the truth is that the Torah never mentions his success once he rose to power. Instead, the Torah declares how successful he was when he was 1) a slave and 2) a prisoner.

Why would Yosef be considered successful when he was demoted to the lowest levels of society, relegated to a life of suffering and isolation from his family?

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Today is the 19^th of Kislev. It’s considered the Rosh Hashanah of the Chassidic calendar. This day commemorates the release of Rabbi Schneur Zalman, founder of… Read More »

Not So Little

Friday, December 13, 2024 - 6:00 AM

On Sunday we celebrated the Upsherenish (first haircut) of our son Levi. At one point someone asked him where all his hair had gone. He responded that they cut it because, “I’m not so little anymore.”

Meanwhile, everyone was enjoying the lavish spread that Esther and friends had prepared. The attention to every detail was impressive. In fact, every little detail was accounted for.

That got me thinking about little things. Should we invest our attention on small details, or focus our limited energies on things that are “not so little?”

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In this week’s parsha, Vayishlach, we read about Yaakov’s quarrel with a stranger. This stranger, we are taught, was the angel of his brother Esav … Read More »

The Reluctant Shepherd

Friday, December 6, 2024 - 6:11 PM

A boy comes home from Hebrew School and asks his mother to help him with his Hebrew homework. She stares blankly at the page of strange letters and suddenly bursts into tears. “I’m sorry I don’t know Hebrew,” she says.

“Don’t worry Mom,” the young boy replies, “I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. I can call my friends for help with my homework. Their parents were raised in observant homes. They know Hebrew; they know the Torah.”

“No, my son,” she says. “These are not tears of sadness. They are tears of joy, because I know that one day you will be able to teach your children. I embraced Yiddishkeit late, but you will have the tools to give your childr… Read More »