Rabbi's Blog

“Tuesday is Rosh Hashanah,” I told my kids today.

You might think I am off by a couple of months, but I do indeed remember that we celebrated Rosh Hashanah this year on September 22-24.

Tuesday is, however, Yud Tes Kislev – the Chassidic New Year.  It is the date that commemorates the release from prison of Chabad’s founder, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi. To Chassidim, it is the Rosh Hashanah for the teachings of Chassidus, which were able to flourish as a result.

So, what is Chassidus?

Many view Chassidism as a way of life – a dress code or mode of conduct. That is a pitifully shallow perspective.

Chassidim are people who subscribe to Chassidus and endeavor to live their lives based on its teachings.… Read More »

Thanksgiving is designed to be a holiday of gratitude. Its roots stem from thanking Almighty G-d for the successful harvest. From the Pilgrims to Presidents Washington and Lincoln, its precise implementation shifted, but its goal was always a time to thank and praise the Almighty, while praying for the future.

Turkey and pumpkin pie remain staples at Americans’ Thanksgiving dinners. But, along with that have come the trappings of our modern society. To many, Thanksgiving is a great time for a vacation. Or for binge football watching. Or for family get-togethers. And, of course, it’s the start of the shopping craze in America.

All lovely things for those who can enjoy them. But, to many who have less, it might instead be a time… Read More »

I went to the gym to work out. I put on gym clothes.

I needed to fix a broken pipe. I put on different clothes.

Am I a physical trainer? Am I a plumber?

Is the Fedex driver a Fedex driver at home?

We all wear alternate garments at certain times. What does that say about who we are?

*

In this week’s parsha Toldot, Yaakov gets dressed up.  By wearing his brother Esav’s garments, he stepped into the persona of Esav – albeit momentarily. Through this act of deception, he was able to garner the blessings from his father Yitzchak.

Why did Yaakov need to deceive his father (and brother) in order to receive the blessings? Could he not have made the argument that he is more deserving?

The Torah describes Esav as a man … Read More »

Despite the sea of black hats, I feel a bit overwhelmed. I’m in New York, attending the annual Kinus Hashluchim, the International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries.

On the one hand, these are all my brothers-in-arms. It’s a fabulous, uplifting, and invigorating experience! A true delight for the soul!

On the other hand, Chabad has – Thank G-d – grown so much that I know less and less Shluchim as the years go on. And, the age gap with the newcomers continues to grow.

But, it’s not the lack of acquaintance that has me overwhelmed. It’s their success! I see young men – and their wives and families – who have accomplished so much in such a short amount of time. They have built communit… Read More »

Zohran Mamdani was elected the next Mayor of New York.

The Dodgers won the World Series.

The Boise State basketball team lost its season opener.

All of these events share something in common.

Mamdani’s election was the net result of every single vote cast for him. We shall see, what his tenure as Mayor of New York brings, but he was elected by each person’s vote.

The Blue Jays played 162 games and then won the playoffs to make it to the World Series. The competition went into extra innings of Game Seven. They lost by one point. Each out, including a runner arriving at the base less than a second after the ball, contributed to the final result.

The Broncos lost by one point. Against a Division II team. Who had a guard weari… Read More »

The devastation in Jamaica is awful and heartbreaking. My colleague, Rabbi Yaakov Raskin, reports of terrible destruction and challenges. Our prayers are with all those affected.

For many, they will need to start fresh. Much of what they had built up in life is no longer there. Starting from scratch is not easy – especially if you are already settled and advanced in years.

*

This week’s parsha Lech Lecha tells us about the first Jew, Avraham.

It opens with the following words:

G-d said to Abram, Go from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you.  I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will become a source of… Read More »

In February 2025, fourteen-year-old Sewell Setzer killed himself.

He was in love with a Chatbot, a creation of Artificial Intelligence.

Now, his mother is suing the AI company, Character.AI, and app where users can chat with chatbots who takes on the personas of characters, such as a teacher, neighbor, or celebrity. In her wrongful death lawsuit, which may very well wind its way to the Supreme Court, she claims that the company subjected and seduced her son to unhealthy, addictive and life-threatening behaviors.

Can a Chatbot be held liable for a human death? Character.AI argues that its Chatbot produces something that is protected by the First Amendment – free speech.

*

As I read about this tragic and riveting reality, I’m… Read More »

We are grateful to Hashem and delighted at the return of the hostages! And we pray for the immediate return and proper burial of the remains of all the fallen hostages.

They have endured so much and demonstrated amazing faith. 

*

Can a fish survive out of water? Can a doctor survive without her medical devices? Can a carpenter survive without his hammer? Can a person survive without food?

It depends, you might say, on what survive means. A fish needs water. Without food humans will die.

But without a hammer, a carpenter might lose some of his identity but he won’t disappear.

If a person needs – among other things – food and oxygen to survive, what does a soul needs in order to live?

*

In the opening parsha of … Read More »

We are sitting oif shpilkes, awaiting the joyous homecoming of the captives from Gaza. The anticipation, anxiety and excitement are unbelievable. And, our hearts go out to the families whose loved ones have been torn from them for too long.

Prayers, posters, and protests have become the norm for two long years.  Despite the exhaustion of waging a war for the very soul of our people, the exhilaration is tangible.

Every Jew knows that it could have been them locked up and tortured in the tunnels of Gaza.

This is not the homecoming of a stranger.

This is not the homecoming of a fellow citizen.

This is not the homecoming of a distant relative.

This is my homecoming. This is your homecoming. This is the homecoming of every single Jew.

So Yom Kippur has come and gone. 

At Chabad in Boise it was an uplifting experience, with hundreds of locals connecting with their faith, their community, and their Creator. Thank you to Rabbi Mendel Bluming and Moshe Lifshitz for leading rousing services.

Hopefully, it was moving, inspirational, and meaningful.  And, hopefully, I am – at least in some measure – a different and better person.

But, let’s be honest. That was a lot of sermons.  The rabbi just did not stop speaking!

So, let me pose this question: Which do you prefer? A sermon or a song?

What is it about music and lyrics that stirs so many?

A speech might be motivational, but I can probably only hear it once... Barely.  A song, on the … Read More »

Rumor has it that the most simultaneous, universal water consumption occurs during halftime of the Super Bowl.  Consider it a collective usurping of resources.

Could you imagine the other way around? Imagine if hundreds of millions of people simultaneously did an act of sharing, a selfless deed. Or recited a prayer. Or shed a tear for a friend. Or gave a loved one a hug.

*

Our Rabbis teach us that on Yom Kippur the essence of the Jewish soul emerges from a potential year-round slumber.  On this day all Jews are equal. No one is holier than another. No one is closer to G-d than another.

Can you imagine the power of one soul? It’s infinite. 

Now imagine the collective gift of all the millions of souls sharing and giv… Read More »

We are beholden by the actions of our forbearers.  Ever since the founders of this country established a Constitution, we must abide by it. Even if we disagree with it, we cannot simply do away with it. We must follow a process and vote in order to potentially amend it.  Similarly, we inhabit the world that our ancestors left us.  The discoveries, the scientific advances, the wars, the successes and failures – all of it is imposed upon us whether we like it or not.

In a strange fashion, we accept that reality. Our ancestors have a right of sorts to foist this on us because they are the ones responsible – in a way – for our existence.  If not for them, we would not be here.

Yet, we still have the right… Read More »

We clearly live in a confused world.

No, I’m not only referring to the inexplicable actions of someone so full of hatred, confusion, and instability – to take someone else’s life away in barbaric fashion.

I’m mainly referring to the rest of us.

Much of what I have been hearing the last few days – from all sides of the political and cultural spectrum are things like: “Where do we go from here?” or “We are at a boiling point. Civil war is around the corner.” “How can our society and country ever heal?”

On the one hand, it’s a somber and gloomy assessment of our current reality. It doesn’t lend itself to hope and inspiration.

But, perhaps – just perhaps &n… Read More »