Rabbi's Blog

With a broken heart, I landed in New York to join thousands of my colleagues at the annual Kinus Hashluchim (the International Conference of Chabad Lubavitch Emissaries). Sharing dinner with friends and brothers-in-arms, I was uplifted by the energy.

Despite the Kinus occurring during the Shiva after the tragic and heinous murder of our colleague Rabbi Tzvi Kogan הי"ד in the United Arab Emirates, we are marching forward.

One speaker reminded us that after the terrible terrorist massacre in Kfar Chabad, Israel in 1956, the Rebbe insisted on increasing activities and building Kfar Chabad ever more than before. It wasn’t enough to simply rebuild. The bounce back needs to be greater than the previous status quo.

So, the br… Read More »

My daughters look forward to Friday. Truth be told, it’s a day with lots of work for them. Since it’s Erev Shabbos there’s a plethora of chores to get done. Cooking, cleaning, setting the table, baths and fresh clothes – Erev Shabbos is a busy day for everyone in our household.

Yet, the girls are excited because they will usher in Shabbat with the lighting of the candles. The older ones can’t wait to can help their younger sisters with this special mitzvah! Starting at three years old, they each light their own candle.

We once had a guest that frowned at this tradition. “How can you let a three-year old kindle a fire?” she exclaimed. “Aren’t you teaching her bad habits?”

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In t… Read More »

Once upon a time, a fisherman was out on the lake and caught a huge fish. “This is wonderful!” he said aloud. “The Baron loves fish!” The fish thought, “Okay, there is hope for me. The Baron loves fish.”

The fisherman took the fish to the Baron’s palace, and notified the sentry that he had caught a great fish for the Baron. “Ah, such a beautiful fish! The Baron loves fish.”

Great,” thought the fish, “Confirmation.”

The fisherman presented it to the royal chef. “I will prepare this fish in the most perfect way.” The fish thought, “Indeed, I will receive special treatment! It’s my lucky day.”

Before preparing the fish, the chef and the… Read More »

Flights to nowhere are either joyous or frustrating.

During Covid, Qantas sold out a Flight to Nowhere in ten minutes. Evidently, people were quite bored and enjoyed the thrill.  But, last week’s British Airways flight from London, UK to San Jose, Costa Rica turned around over the Atlantic and landed back in London, leaving many passengers deeply frustrated. It seems the cause was a water leak.

This week’s parsha is all about journeys. Avraham and Sarah, the first Jews, are instructed by G-d to, “Go from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you.”

It’s obvious that they were people of great devotion and faith. They were told to travel, but not … Read More »

I’ll be honest. I’m hoping that in a week from now we will be living in a calmer society.

The political season brings with it much admirable emotions. The passion citizens have for their country. The values they hold dear. The devotion to volunteer for important causes.

But, I would need to have my head in the sand to ignore the detrimental effect it also has on our society.  Politics is a nasty game. So much of it has become about putting down other people. It’s hard to avoid the insults. Our headspace is invaded by endless negativity and personal attacks.

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Chassidim often share the following anecdote:

As a small child, Reb Zalman Aharon (the “Raza”), the older brother of Rebbe Sholom DovBer of Luba…Read More »

On July 27, Hezbollah terrorists massacred fellow Arabs with an attack on Majdal Shams, a Druze village in Northen Israel. 12 youth were killed and scores injured. Israel promised a strong response to protect all its citizens.

Israel has been engaged in a tit-for-tat with Hezbollah for the last year.  However, recently, it appears that Israel has seized the initiative to restore peace to the region – with the only language that terrorists seem to understand. Hopefully, this will allow all the displaced residents of Northern Israel to return home.

It seems that Israel has suddenly realized that its survival depends on its own strength and pride.

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This reminded me of the opening words of this week’s Torah portions, Nitza… Read More »

Turn the Lights On!

This week, in a remarkable development, thousands of terrorists’ pagers and radios exploded in Lebanon and Syria.  The ingenuity of the undertaking and the immense planning involved is staggering.

Think of it this way: For months and possibly years, these devices were considered critical and “productive” to the sinister efforts of these villains. But, lurking beneath the surface – possibly in plain sight if disassembled – was dangerous explosive material.

Sometimes we need to look beneath the surface, or simply turn the lights on.

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This Shabbat marks the eighteenth of Elul, the birthday of the Baal Shem Tov (founder of the Chassidic movement) and the birthday of the Alter Rebbe (R… Read More »

Umberto Eco once wrote, “The real hero is always a hero by mistake; he dreams of being an honest coward like everybody else.”

We’ve all heard stories of people that accidentally saved the day. Whether it’s Curious George getting up to mischief or someone trying to steal a car and seeing a baby in the heat – they were just in the right place at the right time.  They did not intend to be heroes. Yet Divine Providence brought them to such acclaim.

Are such people deserving of credit? What if they put forth no effort whatsoever? What if they were trying to do something else and inadvertently did something heroic? What if they intended harm, but instead the act was one of unexpected valor?

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This week&rsquo… Read More »

Mrs. Eva Schloss, stepsister of Anne Frank and a survivor of Auschwitz-Birkenau, was once asked what is her response is to those that deny that the Holocaust ever happened.

Her response was curt and to the point: “The Nazis took many photos.”

The Nazi regime was very organized and also quite obsessed with documentation.  They went to great lengths to record the atrocities they carried out, whether for their own pleasure or paranoia.

I found this response outstanding. She did not say, ‘Well, I was there so it must have happened.’ This, of course is true as well.  But there is an even better source of testament to the genocide.

The Nazis provided the evidence for their own incrimination.

In a tragic reru… Read More »

Do you use product reviews to help you determine if a product is worth purchasing?

They might be worthless.

A recent study suggests that many product reviews are AI-generated fake reviews. It’s gotten so bad, that it’s difficult to determine the authentic reviews. The star rating system is becoming more and more useless, due to Artificial Intelligence.

Makes me wonder: Are these reviews intelligent or are they artificial?

The only way to really evaluate a product or app, might be to test it out myself.

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In the parsha of Re’eh that we read this week, the Torah warns us not to fall prey to the imagination and trickery of a false prophet – even if s/he performs miracles.

You shall not heed the words of that prop…Read More »

No matter what other news is in the headlines, what’s going on in Israel still takes center stage. As we continue to pray for a swift end to the suffering and the immediate release of the hostages, we often wonder why the world is so preoccupied with Israel. And, why does a piece of land play such a central role for the Jewish people? Is it worth fighting for a piece of land?

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In this week’s Torah portion, Eikev, we are taught to thank G-d for the food He gives us: “And you will eat and be sated, and you shall bless the L-rd, your G-d, for the good land He has given you.” The Grace After Meals is a central part of Jewish life. We say blessings before we eat, asking G-d permission to partake of His bounty. And, we … Read More »

When Rabbi Akiva was taken out for execution, it was the time for the recital of Shema, and while they combed his flesh with iron combs, he was accepting upon himself the kingship of Heaven by reciting the Shema. His disciples said to him: Our teacher, even to this point? He said to them: All my days I have been troubled by this verse, ‘You shall love the L-rd, your G-d… with all your soul’, which I interpret, ‘even if He takes your soul.’  I said: When shall I have the opportunity of fulfilling this? Now that I have the opportunity shall I not fulfill it?

On Tisha B’Av we read about the cruel murder of the Ten Martyrs, including Rabbi Akiva. As the above quote from the Talmud indicates, he was eag… Read More »

Parenting is a very rewarding privilege. But it’s also challenging.

Sometimes, when my son wants something that is not healthy for him, I need to say no. The way he sees it, I am spitefully harming him. The way I – and hopefully mature adults – see it, I am lovingly and responsibly helping him.

My daughter may wish to swim alone in the pool.  From her viewpoint, I’m downright nasty when I say no.  In truth, it would be hateful and reckless for me to permit any young girl, let alone my daughter, to swim alone.

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In this week’s parsha, Devarim, we read the beginning of Moshe’s month-long rebuke of the Jewish people at the conclusion of his life.

He chastises them that, “You said, &lsquo… Read More »