Rabbis' Blog

This week, I had an interesting experience with social media. WhatsApp Status is a feature on the messaging app that allows users to post temporary updates that disappear after 24 hours, visible only to their contacts. I went fishing for tips on mastering the art of utilizing time by posting a question on my WhatsApp Status: What tips have worked for you to master the art of utilizing your time properly?

As friends and family responded to me privately, I posted screenshots of the responses to my WhatsApp Status, and it blossomed into a wide-ranging conversation on this topic, from practical tips to in-depth analyses on why many struggle managing their time.

From the many massages I received throughout the week in reaction to this slow-motion, completely anonymous conversation, I learned that even very successful people struggle with mastering their time, and that time is a commodity everyone wishes they utilized better.

I found it providential that the day I started this conversation had a unique relation to the topic. In 1943, the Rebbe published a special calendar with short Chassidic teachings, anecdotes, or customs for each day of the year called Hayom Yom. Here is the entry for this past Tuesday, the first day of Iyar:

At a chassidic gathering during the period of Sefirat HaOmer, in the 1890s with the fifth Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Shalom Dov Ber Schneerson, known as the Rebbe Rashab, someone said: "The students of the Alter Rebbe (the founder of Chabad) were always keeping count." The Rebbe Rashab commented: "That idea characterizes man's divine service. The hours must be 'counted hours,' then the days will be 'counted days.' When a day passes, one should know what he has accomplished and what remains yet to be done... In general, one should always see to it that tomorrow should be much better than today."

Starting from the second day of Pesach, we are instructed to count 49 days, or seven weeks, and celebrate the 50th day as the holiday of Shavuot. This 49-day counting period, called Sefirat HaOmer, is not the only context in which Jews count. We count six days of the week and rest on the seventh. When living in Israel, we count six years of agricultural work and observe the seventh as a Sabbatical year without working the fields.

However, Sefirat HaOmer is unique in that it requires every individual to make a blessing and intentionally count the days, and every individual keeps track of their own count. Whereas Shabbat happens for everyone the same, with Sefirat HaOmer there are scenarios where someone may be on a different counting schedule than the rest, and even celebrate Shavuot on a different day! Crossing the international date line during this period can complicate Shavuot observance. Read more about this here and here.

My weeklong conversation about time management helped me appreciate the correlation between “counting the hours and days” of life and the unique style of the counting we do with Sefirat HaOmer. Everyone must do it, but everyone must do it in their unique way. There is no one-size-fits-all formula for mastering time, because time is extremely personal. Although I went fishing for practical tips - and still need to decide which tips work for me - I reeled in much more than that. The appreciation that time is the most individual and personal treasure I have, and every moment G-d grants me is mine to fill in ways no one else can.

I’d love to hear what has worked for you to master the art of best utilizing your time. Thank you in advance!

This week, the Annor Family Discount Store opened in Lubbock, Texas, and an article from a local podcaster about the grand opening illustrated a deep lesson from this week’s Parsha Shemini.

When the Israelites constructed a golden calf and served it as a deity, G-d’s presence, which had permeated the camp since the revelation at Sinai with the Giving of the Torah, disappeared. After Moshe succeeded in securing their forgiveness from G-d they were instructed to build the Mishkan (holy tabernacle) to serve as a conduit for G-d’s presence to return to the camp. After months of preparations, Moshe constructed the Mishkan and officiated the daily services for seven days, but G-d’s divine presence did not dwell in the edifice. Only on the eighth day, after Aharon, his brother, was initiated into the priesthood and offered a calf as a sacrifice, did G-d’s presence return.

Why was Moshe’s service not sufficient to trigger the revelation of G-d in the Mishkan?

While idolatry in its crassest iteration and ritual relevance means serving a physical image or object as a deity, its origins and core philosophies are more nuanced than that. The first humans interacted with G-d and did not doubt His existence, power and relevance, but later generations started viewing the forces of nature as independent and powerful conduits for G-d’s blessings. They reasoned that these forces are like waiters in a restaurant. Just as it is appropriate to respect, appreciate, and tip the waiter to get good service, even though the meal is provided by the restaurant owner, the same is true for the sun, moon, stars, clouds, and rain. From there, it was a slippery slope to bowing down to molten images of the sun and all the other nonsense they came up with.

Their mistake was comparing nature to human waiters instead of correctly comparing them to tools and computers. Just as one would never genuinely credit a hammer for banging a nail into place or a computer software for producing accurate data, crediting nature for providing for our needs, or a business venture as the source of income, is similarly misguided. While we must engage in agriculture, commerce, and research on nature's terms, it must be done primarily on G-d’s terms, because every component of nature, and every man-made mechanism, is G-d’s tool to provide us nourishment, health, wealth, and peace. Thinking differently sets everything up to be a potential idol.

That’s why Aharon and the sacrificial calf, both associated with the scandalous golden calf, were necessary for G-d to once again dwell among the people. To illustrate that our G-d consciousness must be all immersive. We must feel G-d’s presence and act accordingly not only when we study Torah, do a mitzvah, or pray at the synagogue, but even in the “potential idols” of our mundane daily lives of eating, sleeping, exercising, working, and relaxing.

Which brings me back to the new discount store in Lubbock. Yesterday, the Jewish owners invited Chabad Rabbi Zalman Braun to help them mount a Mezuzah to the door at their grand opening, and Richard Jenkins wrote this in his article on Focus LBK after explaining what a Mezuzah is: We sensed the strength of the Ezer family’s faith in G-d and family the whole time we browsed and mingled with them at Annor Family Discount Store.

When could you feel most Jewish? Whatever you do, whenever and wherever, can and should be your most Jewish experience, provided it is done following G-d’s will and wisdom as articulated in the Code of Jewish Law.

In this week’s parsha, we learn about the construction of the Mishkan, the first portable holy sanctuary, which accompanied the Jews through their forty-year journey to the Promised Land. It was set up permanently in three respective locations until King Solomon built the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, destroyed 410 years later by the Babylonians. After seventy years, the second Holy Temple was rebuilt and destroyed 420 years later by the Romans. The biblical prophets foretold that a third Holy Temple will be built when Moshiach comes which will stand forever.

The fundamental difference between all previous divine sanctuaries and the third Holy Temple is their relationship with the world. While the Holy Temples of the past represented the wholesomeness of Jewish observance and our relationship with G-d, the world they inhabited was far from perfect. War, disease, poverty, and chaos were rampant around the globe, and jealousy, corruption, and hatred plagued all humanity, including the Jewish nation.

The third Holy Temple, however, will inhabit a world of health, prosperity, peace, and tranquility for all. This is the era Moshiach will usher in. Everything humanity can agree to wish for will be fulfilled at that time.

This is the meaning of the short prayer recited at the beginning of our morning prayers and after the Amida prayer: “May it be Your will, L-rd our G-d and G-d of our fathers, that the Holy Temple be speedily rebuilt in our days, and grant us our portion in Your Torah.” The third and final Holy Temple and our service in it represents the blessed era of Moshiach we all crave.

In addition to reading the weekly Parsha Vayak’hel, this Shabbat every congregation will read an extra portion known as Parshat Parah. One of the hallmarks of the Holy Temple was the necessity for anyone who entered it and all participants to be ritually pure. The laws of ritual purity are complex, but the most severe type of impurity occurs when coming in contact with or being under the same roof as a corpse. In addition to immersing in a Mikva, to be cleansed of the impurity of a corpse one must be sprinkled with spring water mixed with the ashes of the Red Heifer, as described in Parshat Parah.

This reading was instituted to remind the Jews living in the times of the Holy Temples to ensure they were ritually pure in preparation for the sacrificial service of the Paschal Lamb which was the centerpiece of the Passover Seder. Although today, in the absence of the Holy Temple, these laws do not apply to observe Passover properly, we continue to read this extra Parsha on schedule because Moshiach may arrive at any moment, perfect the world, rebuild the Holy Temple, and set in motion the original rituals of Passover, including the process of ritual purification. We need to be ready for that.

As we read Parshat Parah, consider the fact that we all can influence and expedite the perfection of the world and the rebuilding of the Holy Temple. In the words of the twelfth-century sage Maimonides, “Each person must view themselves as though the entire world were held in balance and with a single good deed, spoken word or even thought, they could tip the scales” ushering in the era of redemption.

In Israel, the word “protekzia” gets thrown around a lot. It is a Hebraized version of the English word “protection,” which signifies the practice of using connections or "knowing the right people" to gain an advantage, often bypassing standard procedures or requirements. Someone might say "I got the job through protekzia" to mean they got the job because of who they know, not necessarily because of their qualifications.

While it sounds unfair, when surrounded by enemies who wish to destroy you, it is often the only way to survive. At the time of the Purim story, the Jewish people had the greatest protekzia possible. Not only was the Jewish sage Mordechai a national war hero, trusted advisor to the king, and the judge at the palace gates, but his cousin Esther was the queen to King Achasveirosh, who ruled over the whole civilized world! Jews had never had such proximity to global power before that era or after.

Yet, specifically at a time when the Jews enjoyed such protekzia, they were faced with their greatest existential threat ever. Every Jew was Achashveirosh’s subject, and his prime minister, Haman, masterfully manipulated him to decree that every Jew be killed on the same day. There was no way to escape and no way to hide. How does this match up with the privileged position Jews enjoyed at the time?

The Roman Emperor Hadrian once expressed to Rabbi Yehoshu ben Levi how impressed he was with the Jews. “They are like a lone sheep surrounded by seventy wolves who want to tear it apart, yet they manage to survive!”

Rabbi Yehoshua rejected the emperor’s inference that Jewish survival was due to Jewish smarts. “This proves the greatness of the shepherd - G-d - who protects the sheep from the wolves.”

The Purim story recorded in the Megillah opens with the lavish 180-day feast King Achashveirosh hosted for his empire, followed by the 7-day feast he hosted for the inhabitants of his capital city, Shushan. The Jews were welcomed to the feast and provided kosher food and wine to dine on. For many, it was the highlight of their new existence as subjects to a foreign king. They felt protected by the global monarch who honored them with an invitation to the palace and felt no need to place their faith and trust in G-d anymore.

This attitude was like the proverbial sheep leaving the shepherd to stand under the protection of a friendly wolf. Inevitably, the “protector wolf” and the other wolves will tear it apart as they always wanted to. The sheep's demise is not a punishment for leaving the shepherd but rather the natural consequence of its choice.

Haman’s decree of annihilation was the natural outcome of the Jewish overdependence on their high connections. Therefore, Mordechai and Esther first inspired the Jews to repent, pray, and refresh their commitment to Judaism before “pulling the strings” in the palace.

The enduring lesson is clear. While protekzia is necessary, we must remember it is only a tool for G-d’s blessings of security and prosperity to flow to us. Our priorities must be invested in Torah study, Mitzvah observance, and ensuring our children receive the best possible Jewish education. Only this will guarantee Jewish survival forever.

On Tuesday, March 4,  a delegation of 17 Chabad rabbis from throughout Texas traveled to Austin to witness all three branches of the Texas state government dedicate the Rebbe’s upcoming birthday (four days before Passover; this year it occurs on April 9) as Education and Sharing Day.

Education and Sharing Day recognizes the importance of teaching our young people the values of a moral life and giving to others. For over 40 years, presidents, Congress, and state and local governments have honored the Rebbe for bringing moral and ethical education to the forefront of public discourse by recognizing his birthday as Education and Sharing Day.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott 

“Education entails more than the mere transmission of facts and figures,” wrote Governor Greg Abbott in his proclamation. “Rather it must prepare pupils for a life of responsibility purpose and honor. Few understood this profound truth better than Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe. A scholar and leader, he strove to advance a mode of education rooted in both knowledge and virtue. He believed that learning should inspire students to a higher calling and uplift others. His work touched lives throughout the world, and his vision resonates to this day.”

Texas Senate

In the Texas Senate, Senator Cesar Blanco from El Paso introduced Senate Resolution 44 in honor of Education and Sharing Day, and several senators acknowledged and welcomed their local rabbis to the Capitol.

“This year marks the 75th anniversary of his leadership of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement,” reads the Senate resolution. “‘Chabad’ is an acronym of three Hebrew words for “wisdom, understanding and knowledge.” The name "Lubavitch" comes from the city which served as the movement’s headquarters for over a century and means city of love. Of all the ethical values which inform our civilization, none is more important than love - love of wisdom, love of humanity, and love of our Creator. These values have guided the Chabad-Lubavitch movement throughout its history and are the essence of education at its best, and we should be certain to pass on this precious heritage to all young Americans.”

Click here to watch the video.

Texas House of Representatives

That afternoon, Speaker Pro Tempore Joe Moody from El Paso invited me to open the House session with a prayer. (The text of my prayer is at the end of this message.)

Click here to watch the video.

Rep. Moody then introduced House Resolution 351 in honor of Education and Sharing Day and spoke movingly about the importance of educating our children to be good people through daily charity giving. An ARK charity box, together with an explanation card, was placed on every desk in the chamber.

“The Rebbe taught that every individual and every individual action has an impact on our universe,” explained Rep. Moody. “The plastic yellow box on your desk is a giving box, known as an ARK, which stands for Acts of Random Kindness. This box is yours to keep, to fill, and then share the contents with the charity of your choice. Place this in a position of prominence in your home or at your work. It will start a conversation about charity and giving. It instills in us the value of giving. There is no greater way of observing Education and Sharing Day than by making giving a habit in our lives, thereby transforming acts of random kindness into acts of routine kindness.”

Click here to watch the video.

Text of my prayer at the Texas House of Representatives:

Master of the universe, bless all of us gathered here today, and especially the distinguished members of the Texas House of Representatives, who have been chosen to make laws and decisions for the citizens of our state in their noble pursuit of justice and equality. This is not only a civic responsibility but also a holy endeavor. Our tradition teaches of Seven Universal Laws given to mankind by G-d through Noah, including the instruction to foster a moral society governed by law.

These laws also include the importance of serving G-d alone, respecting G-d’s name, and the prohibitions against murder, theft, adultery, and cruelty against all living creatures.

In these unprecedented and challenging times for our nation and for all humanity, we recall the timeless words of my revered teacher and global spiritual leader, the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, whose 75th anniversary of leadership we celebrated last month.

He taught: “Difference need not lead to division. On the contrary, true unity comes from a synthesis of different - even opposite - thrusts. Differences between people are overshadowed by what is common to all of us: we are G-d’s creations.”

Almighty G-d, inspire us all to nurture an environment of love and acceptance. A deeper appreciation that within each individual lies untapped potential. In the words of the twelfth-century sage Maimonides, “Each person must view themselves as though the entire world were held in balance and with a single good deed, spoken word or even thought, they could tip the scales” ushering in the era of redemption as proclaimed by the prophet Isaiah when, “nation shall not lift the sword against nation, nor shall they learn war anymore.”

In the spirit of unity and the power of a single deed, I take this opportunity to place this dollar bill - upon which is printed IN G-D WE TRUST - into a charity box. The charity box reminds us of our obligation and opportunity to be a force of goodness and sharing for our families, our neighbors, and society at large.

Almighty G-d, May our great state serve as a beacon of light, strength and moral courage as we do our part in preparing the world for an era of global peace and tranquility.

Let us say Amen.

The recent news from Israel indicates we experienced a miracle of epic proportions. It seems that the fact bombs exploded in multiple busses and no one was hurt is only the most revealed part of a miraculous web of events that have occurred, the full extent of which we may never properly comprehend.

Since I don’t have access to more information than what is available to everyone on the internet there is no use in me sharing political or security commentary about the thwarted attack. But as a Jew, I have the benefit of learning Torah daily and seeking to understand reality through its prism and I’d like to share my thoughts on last night’s events from that vantage point.

Every weekly Torah portion which is read during synagogue services on Shabbat is divided into seven sections, parallel to each day of the preceding week. The first section is dedicated to Sunday, the second section to Monday, etc., and the final section is dedicated to Shabbat. Also remember that on the Jewish calendar, every day of the week begins the night before, just like Shabbat starts on Friday at sunset. The bus explosions happened on Thursday evening at approximately 9:00 pm which means it was already Friday on the Jewish calendar. Here is what you will find in the sixth section (parallel to Friday) of this week’s section Mishpatim:

“I (G-d) am going to send an angel before you to protect you on the way, and to bring you to the place that I have designated. Be watchful in his presence—heed his voice and do not rebel against him, for he will not overlook your iniquity, since My Name is with him; For if you will diligently obey him and thus do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and persecute your persecutors.” 

“For My angel will go before you and bring you to the land of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, and I will annihilate them. You must not prostrate yourselves to their gods nor serve them, nor may you follow their practices; rather, you must shatter their idols and demolish the pillars they have set up to worship as idols. You must serve G-d, your G-d, and I will bless your bread and your water, and I will remove illness from your midst.”

There are no coincidences in the world, especially not in the Torah. In these six short verses dedicated to this Friday, G-d declares our eternal ownership of the Land of Israel, and His promise of divine protection. Our brothers and sisters in Israel are surrounded by millions of enemies who wish to harm them every day, but G-d protects them constantly.

Last night G-d’s protection was felt throughout the world with the “kaboom!” of several empty buses exploding with no casualties. Let us thank G-d for this tremendous miracle and do our part to usher in the era that is described in the final verse of today’s Torah section. Through serving G-d with increased Torah study, mitzvah observance, and encouraging others to do the same, we will merit G-d’s blessings of abundance, and the removal of all “illness” - including the threats of violence and terror from any of our numerous enemies. May this blessed era of Moshiach begin very soon!

This month the U.S. Commerce Department announced it would consider business entities owned by Jews to be “minority business enterprises.” The advocates for this new policy argued that since Jews make up about 2.4% of the American population, they should therefore benefit from business grants geared towards ethnic minorities in this country.

In a society that values labels and categories, defining whether Judaism is a religion, culture, nationality or ethnicity is an ongoing debate. Without expressing an opinion on this matter, I’d like to highlight a seemingly small detail in this week’s parsha that sheds light on the unique nature of the Jewish nation and the importance of every individual Jew.

Two weeks before the exodus from Egypt G-d commanded the Jewish people to slaughter a lamb or sheep on the fourteenth of Nissan as a sacrifice and to smear its blood on their two doorposts and lintel. That night they would eat the roasted meat with Matzah and Maror and remain indoors until morning, while G-d killed all the Egyptian firstborn sons; the final plague that would break Phraoh’s obstinacy and pave the way for the long-awaited redemption.

The blood on the Jewish doorways that night served as a signal for G-d to not strike the inhabitants of their homes, as the verse states: “The blood will serve you as a sign on the houses in which you are: I will see the blood and I will mercifully pass over you, and there will be no destructive plague among you when I strike Egypt.” (Exodus 12:13)

There were, however, certain exceptions to the rule. The eleventh-century sage Rashi notes that the precise wording of the verse indicates that if an Egyptian firstborn son was spending the night in a Jewish home, he was killed in the plague, despite the blood on the doorposts. And if a Jewish firstborn son was spending the night in an Egyptian home, he was saved despite the fact there was no blood on the doorposts of that home.

While this seems like a technicality, it reveals something radical about G-d’s love for every single Jew. Imagine how assimilated and lost a Jewish child must be to be spending the night in an Egyptian home on the eve of Exodus! While millions of Jews were observing the first Seder in history, this guy turned his back on his people and hung out with their enemies!

And yet, G-d saved this Jew and invited him to join his brethren in the redemption from Egypt, to be present at the revelation at Sinai, and to be an integral part of the Jewish nation.

This teaches us the unique value of a Jew, which transcends all quantifiable measures of observance or stated allegiance. A Jew remains a Jew no matter what, and we all have the mandate and privilege to inspire and welcome even the most stubbornly assimilated ones to acknowledge their heritage and become active participants in Torah study and Mitzvah observance.

On Tuesday, at Rep. Elise Stefanik’s confirmation hearing for ambassador to the U.N. the following exchange happened with Senator Chris Van Hollen.

Van Hollen: “Do you subscribe to the view… that Israel has a biblical right to the entire West Bank?”

Stefanik: “Yes”

Van Hollen: “[This is] a view that was not held by the founders of the State of Israel.”

While I commend Rep. Stefanik for publicly declaring the truth and am delighted that many in the new administration share this view, this part of Senator Van Hollen’s response was unfortunately on target. Not only did the state founders not publicly declare this view, but it remains virtually absent from the official public relations talking points of its representatives until today.

If the representatives of the United States are publicly proclaiming the truth, the time has come for Israel to do the same, publicly and unabashedly. Now is a good time to correct this historic and tragic error.

This week’s Torah portion Vaeira opens with G-d’s promise to the Jewish people they will be redeemed from Egyptian slavery and inherit the Promised Land. “I will bring you to the land regarding which I raised My hand to swear that I would give it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you as a heritage; for I am G-d.’”(Exodus 6:8)

The land is ours. Not because it was a Jewish state 3,000 years ago. Not because ever since then there has been a continuous Jewish presence. Not because the United Nations agrees that this is the Jewish homeland. Not because an independent state was proclaimed in 1948. These facts, when devoid of the true basis of our claim, fail to hold firm in the current struggle. The basis of our right to the land is that G-d, the Creator of the world, gave it to us as an eternal inheritance, as recorded in the Torah.

Israel is facing tremendous challenges. We hope and pray for G-d’s protection, and that true peace and tranquility reign there for all. However, we must know and appreciate why Jews belong there in the first place, and be open and candid about it. Even if Israel’s detractors and enemies refuse to share these beliefs, they will certainly respect Israel for being honest in its beliefs.

While it would be wonderful to influence Israeli society with this, I believe this message is relevant to every Jew in the world. Although I discourage engaging in useless debates on the topic, every Jew automatically represents Israel to a circle of friends and acquaintances. Just being confident and secure with the knowledge that we have the strongest, irrefutable claim and right to the land is enough to project this truth to everyone and make an impact.

I highly recommend watching this video entitled Israel's Deed of Ownership | The Rebbe's Roadmap to Peace, Episode 1 to appreciate this perspective’s fundamental truth, intellectual depth, and practical relevance.

These days are very intense for so many. The terrible war that started on October 7th is at a critical juncture and, with so much on the line, there are furious debates and conversations about the proper path forward. Upon reflection, it seems pointless for the masses to discuss these matters at all. We are not military strategists, government operatives, political leaders, or diplomats, so why do we even invest so much emotional energy in talking about issues we cannot practically influence?

Democracy is about representative government. The vast majority of the citizenry cannot formulate plans for building roads and bridges, setting up a healthcare system, or training and maintaining an army to maintain security, so we hire people to work in government to do the job for us and leave the nuts and bolts of accomplishing these goals to these professionals.

However, decisions must be made, and the human choices these elected professionals make will be determined by the values they believe in and live by. Every citizen in any democracy has a civic duty to vote for a representative who will represent his or her value system in government. Every individual must understand their value system well and discuss and debate it. Even if you don’t have the solution to every problem, you have the right and obligation to analyze every choice made by your representative government and determine if it fits with your value system.

In this week’s parsha, we learn how G-d communicated with Moshe at the burning bush and instructed him to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery to freedom. During the dialogue, Moshe asked to understand the purpose of this redemption. Could their pain and suffering not go away while they stayed where they were?

G-d responded they needed to leave Egypt in order to come to Mt. Sinai and receive the Torah. It was not just about leaving the construction sites and settling in a land flowing with milk and honey. The Israelites were destined to break away from the flawed and corrupt worldview and culture of their Egyptian hosts and receive the Torah which would provide them a true and holistic approach to reality. A worldview that would hold true through the test of time, trial, and tribulation. A divine gift that would enable them to be a light unto the nations and prepare the world for an era of true peace and tranquility.

This is the value system we must know well and apply because these are the only values that can ensure security and prosperity for Israel and Jews around the world. The more familiar we are with the Torah’s value system, the better equipped we are to empower the decision-makers to make the right choices. Even Jews who have no right to vote in Israel’s elections can impact the zeitgeist of our brethren in the Holy Land, and familiarity and fluency with our heritage are critical.

I invite you to join me at Chabad on Tuesday, January 21 at 7:00 pm for an enlightening multimedia seminar entitled “How Israel Wins - The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Vision for Achieving Lasting Peace.” Instead of discussing the specifics of what Israel’s politicians or the IDF should do today, tomorrow, or next week, we will discover how the Rebbe articulated the Torah’s principles with which we can appreciate the grim reality in the Middle East and the proper approaches to solving the many problems we face as a nation. Dinner will be served.

Please click here to register.

As fires raged in Los Angeles this week, I reached out to a friend to ask how he was doing. In a short video message, he assured me he and his family were safe while showing me how close the danger was. Then he sent me the following message: Thank you for checking in. Yesterday I was calling people I know in the Pacific Palisades to check how they were doing, but did not know how it felt to get such calls. Now that I am receiving such a call, I realize it’s a good feeling. Good to know.

That night I learned an important lesson. When a friend is in crisis you do not need to have the solutions to the big problems to be helpful or relevant. Just showing up, either in person or through a phone call or text message can go a long way. If you feel self-conscious or worry about being a bother, reach out anyway. Even if there is no response to or acknowledgment of your call, your concern was noted and has a positive impact.  

Today is the fast day of “Asarah B’Teves” (the Tenth of Teves), which commemorates the siege of Jerusalem by the armies of the Babylonian empire in 425 BCE. This siege eventually led to the destruction of the First Holy Temple and the first major Jewish exile from Israel two years later on “Tisha B’Av” (the Ninth of Av).

The prophet Ezekiel, who lived in exile at the time received a prophecy of this tragic event in real-time and recorded it for posterity. "Son of man, write for yourself the name of the day, this very day; the king of Babylon has besieged Jerusalem on this very day.” (Ezekiel 24:2). The Hebrew word for “besieged” in this verse is “samach” which is highly irregular since “samach” is typically used in the context of “support” which is the opposite of a siege.

By using a word with this double meaning to describe the siege the prophet is conveying to us how we can undo the “siege and destruction” of Jerusalem and end this terrible exile. Supporting each other under all circumstances, even in situations comparable to a siege, is the first step to unity. Even if we do not have the solutions to the problems, unity creates the context in which all problems can be solved.

There is an ancient Jewish saying that states “Following a fire, one becomes wealthy.” This means that harsh expressions of divine discipline are followed by divine grace and kindness. May all those directly impacted by this horrible crisis experience only blessing and success from now on, and may our strengthened unity usher in the final redemption through Moshiach, when peace and prosperity will reign for all.

As we were winding down the Chanukah Playland I received a message from a rabbinical student named Mendel. He is part of a group of six young men hired by Chabad of Texas Towns to bring the joy of Chanukah to remote Jewish communities and individuals across our great state. Their RV is outfitted with everything needed for such celebrations, including a giant menorah they set up in malls to host public parties.

On Sunday they were in Odessa, Texas and after setting up the tall menorah in the shopping mall, they fanned out to find some Jews with whom to share menorahs, dreidels, and latkes. Mendel encountered two Middle Eastern fellows excited to tell him about their many Jewish friends and acquaintances. In the middle of their conversation, they video-called an Israeli friend who used to live in the area and introduced him to Mendel.

“Avi, do you have a menorah for Chanukah?” Mendel asked.

“No,” he replied. “And I’m not sure where to get one tonight. I’m driving now and will be in El Paso in a few hours.”

Mendel immediately contacted me to arrange for Avi to get his menorah to do the mitzvah for the rest of the four nights of Chanukah. After some logistical arrangements, Avi left my home a few hours later with a menorah, candles, and a plate of schnitzel - and I was once again reminded of the powerful “web of light” the Rebbe gifted to the world with the global Chabad Lubavitch network and the fifty-year-old Chanukah campaign.

Since 1974 the mitzvah of menorah lighting and the Chanukah message have permeated the public square with giant menorah displays and reached the homes of countless Jews who would have otherwise forgotten about this holiday entirely. By now, there is hardly a location on the map where a Jew cannot somehow access the tools he or she needs to fulfill this crucial mitzvah of light.

As we pack away our menorahs, let us remember the message of ever-increasing light and utilize every opportunity to perform more mitzvot and encourage and facilitate others' doing so as well. Ultimately, the world will be filled with the divine light of all our combined mitzvot, with the arrival of Moshiach, who will usher in an era of true peace and tranquility for all.

Public menorahs are a staple of Chanukah all over the world. You can find one in famous locations such as the White House lawn and the Eifel Tower to the most remote places where handfuls of Jewish travelers frequent during the season.

El Paso has menorah displays in over a half-dozen locations, including the El Paso International Airport, San Jacinto Plaza, West Towne Marketplace, The Shoppes at Solana, Cielo Vista Mall, and University Medical Center.

It was not always this way. The mitzvah of kindling Chanukah lights is meant to be done in your home, with oil and wicks or candles. In 1973 the Rebbe launched the Chanukah campaign to publicize the observance and message of Chanukah to the world. The next year a menorah was lit in front of the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, and public menorahs have sprouted everywhere since then, numbering over 15,000 around the globe today. They are not meant to replace the private menorah lighting at home. Rather, they serve as symbols of the universal Chanukah message for all and welcoming beacons for all Jews. 

While most welcomed and appreciated this new development in Jewish public pride and representation, some Jewish organizations frowned upon it and fought against it in the early days. I recently saw an internal memo written by the Rebbe to a Chabad rabbi facing stiff resistance to the public menorah, advising him to find a quiet and diplomatic way to influence the naysayers to stop their fight. Here is a rough translation of one of the talking points. Certainly, they wish to stop assimilation among the Jewish youth, etc. For the time being, lighting menorahs in public is the only way to inspire them [to remain connected and engaged in Judaism].

By now everyone admits that public menorahs are a positive and crucial part of the Chanukah culture and Jewish life in general, and there are countless stories of how the public menorahs brought Jews back to their Jewish roots. The reason for this is that the menorah represents the miracle of the oil. When the Maccabees liberated the Holy Temple in Jerusalem they found only one jar of ritually pure olive oil to rededicate the service of lighting the menorah. They lit up the menorah and that small amount of oil burned for eight nights until they could replenish the supply.

Although the Chanukah story includes dramatic stories of bravery and victory, the enduring symbol of the holiday is the “single jar of oil.” Oil is unique in that it never mixes with other liquids, and when placed on a surface, it permeates it entirely. The same is true about the Jewish soul which can never be diluted or completely extinguished, and - when awakened - impacts every aspect of life. Every Jew has an internal “single jar of ritually pure olive oil.”

The public menorah serves as the ultimate trigger for the Jewish soul. No matter how latent or dormant it may be, when confronted with the symbol of the “single jar of oil” its own internal “jar of oil” is awakened and drawn back to its source.

The ultimate Chanukah miracle.

I recently heard a friend discuss “how to win when you are losing.” How does one pull through the dreary days and the humdrum elements of life without losing spunk and spirit, and maybe even gain from the lows?

In 1798 the founder of the Chabad movement, Rabbi Shneur Zalman, known as the Alter Rebbe, was arrested on trumped-up charges of treason. His life was in mortal danger, and the devastation of the Chassidic movement he led seemed imminent.

In a miraculous turn of events, he was released from prison 53 days later, on the 19th day of Kislev - known as “Yud Tes Kislev”. After answering dozens of questions and proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that Chabad teachings and culture were no danger to society, the Czar approved the new movement.

However, as in all things, the initial arrest and subsequent liberation that occurred on the physical plane reflected a similar drama happening in the heavens. Chabad teachings are the deepest elements of Torah ever revealed to man, and the cosmos themselves questioned the appropriateness of disseminating such divine treasures. Eventually, divine permission was granted for these deep secrets to be revealed to the entire world.

In a letter to his friend and colleague, the revered Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berdichev, the Alter Rebbe described the moment he learned of his acquittal and immediate freedom. “I was reciting chapter 55 of Tehillim (psalms) at the time. When I reached the verse “Pada BeShalom - He (G-d) redeemed my soul with peace from the battle that came upon me,” before I could recite it, I was notified of my peaceful release.”

For the past 226 years the verse “Pada BeShalom” has not only personified the tremendous miracle of 19 Kislev and the epic victory of Chabad chassidism over all adversaries; it also expresses the entire mission of Chabad on a personal and global level.

One can be victorious in battle, either through aggression, by destroying and disposing of the enemy, or through peace by transforming the enemy into an ally. Chabad teachings educate us to view every challenge as an opportunity for continued growth and every enemy as a potential ally. Not through compromising our integrity or fudging the truth, but by seeing reality from a deeper perspective and finding the good in everything and everyone. This is called a peaceful victory, where everyone is a winner - for real.

Today is Yud Tes Kislev and millions around the world are celebrating the spiritual revolution this miracle unleashed, through festive dinners, with plenty of L’chaims and dancing. An essential part of the traditional celebration is singing the song composed for the words of “Pada BeShalom.” Listen to a recording here. Here are the lyrics.

But most importantly we can make “Pada BeShalom” our personal mantra as well, through studying more Chabad teachings and applying their lessons. This helps us appreciate how the humdrum of life is the divine process through which amazing miracles happen and is therefore permeated with meaning and purpose. Instead of being frustrated with and worn out from the dreary days, we learn to embrace every moment of life with true enthusiasm and flourish from every encounter.

May this year’s celebration of Yud Tes Kislev be the final accumulative one needed to reach the ultimate redemption through Moshiach, who will unleash a global awakening to these truths, and usher in an era of true global peace and tranquility, when all humanity will give thanks to G-d for “Pada BeShalom” - redeeming us from the many battles ravaging the world - in peace.

Lechaim!