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Rabbis' Blog

This week I found the words

The third week of the war is coming to an end. Our brothers and sisters in Israel are fighting a war and we are trying to support them in every way possible, spiritually, financially, and everything in between. We are confident that the next stages of the war will result in victory and pray to G-d that the hostages are redeemed and that everyone remains safe and sound.

This week I found the words I needed to articulate what we need to know about this current conflict. You see, there is a Jewish tradition dating back to Moses for Jews to read a portion of the Torah every week, commonly known as the weekly Parsha. This exercise is not meant to simply connect us to our most treasured traditions, rather it is the way G-d communicates to us everything we need to know about the current week. As the Alter Rebbe, the founder of the Chabad movement famously taught, “We must live with the times,” which means we must live our lives based on the timely messages we can learn from the weekly Parsha.

Sometimes it’s easier to understand the divine messages and their relevance and sometimes more difficult, but this week I found the messages from the Parsha to be crystal clear.

The opening story of this week’s Parsha is G-d’s instruction to our patriarch Abraham to go to Israel. Although at the time it was known as the “Land of Canaan” because the heathen Canaanites were conquering it from the indigenous Semites, G-d promised Abraham the land would ultimately belong to his descendants, the Jewish people.

The divine eternal promise of the land is mentioned four different times throughout the Parsha, in four separate contexts: 1. Upon Abraham’s arrival to the land. 2. After his nephew Lot moves away from him. 3. At the Covenant of the Parts. 4. When G-d instructed Abraham to do the Bris circumcision when he was 99 years old.

The most important message we must know as Jews throughout the world is that the Land of Israel belongs to us. Especially when many nations protest the Jewish presence in the Middle East, we must know with absolute certainty that the Jews living in Israel are in the right place at the right time and should never apologize for it.

Perhaps more chillingly connected to our current circumstances, is the fact that twice in the Parsha we learn how someone close to Abraham was taken hostage. His wife Sara was kidnapped by the Egyptian Pharaoh and his nephew Lot was taken captive by a marauding army of an Axis of four evil nations. Sound familiar?

When Sara was kidnapped, neither G-d nor Abraham negotiated her release. G-d inflicted Pharaoh and his household with some terrifying inflictions and she was hastily released the next morning. When Lot was taken captive Abraham did not hesitate to go to war against the armies who snatched him despite the overwhelming odds. Miraculously he managed to wipe them out and rescue all the captives and their possessions.

On Monday, as I thanked G-d for the release of two elderly Jewish women from captivity at the hands of the barbarians in Gaza, I realized that the second section of the Parsha, which correlates to Monday, is the section that discusses the miraculous release of our Matriarch Sara from captivity. There is no coincidence!

I hope this message encourages you to appreciate the miracles happening as we speak and to take an active role in winning this war through increasing in Torah study, Mitzvah observance and giving charity. Keep your morale high and think positively about the future. And may we merit very soon for all this to come to an end with the arrival of Moshiach who will usher in an era of global peace and tranquility for all.

 

 

I still have no words

 

I still have no words.

A journalist asked me how I felt about the situation in Israel. All I could muster was, “Imagine your sister was kidnapped, violated and paraded down the street with hundreds of residents jeering at her, how would you feel? Can you put it into words?” He could not.

While we must find the words to describe the atrocities and the horrors that occurred and define it for sheer evil it is, the desire some have to contextualize it is dehumanizing and pathetic.

The story of October 7 is still unfolding and it will become a source of countless stories of tragedy, horror, miracles, heroism and strength. Although words are now being used to at least preserve the facts on the ground, we have no words to contextualize it rationally, and we never will. It’s like explaining the Holocaust - I’d rather not hear any explanations.

With that being said, certain types of words can provide us with much-needed strength and the power to overwhelm and crush our enemies.

In this week’s parsha we learn how humanity had devolved into a bottomless pit of corruption, thievery and evil. G-d instructed Noach, the only righteous person of the entire generation, to “come into the ark” that he built so that he, his family and the representative animals could survive the flood that would wash away all life from earth. The Hebrew word used in the Torah for Noach’s Ark is “Teivah” which literally means a box, but “Teivah” is also the Hebrew word for “word.”

The Baal Shem Tov teaches that the instruction “come into the Teiva (the ark)” can also be read as “come into the words.” When you realize the world around you is awash with the stormy waters of corruption, misinformation, hatred, fallacy and terror - protect yourself by engaging in the “Teivah” - the words of Torah study, prayer and acts of goodness and kindness.

Especially in times like these when we encounter so many words describing the horrible crisis in Israel in ways that outrage us, there is no need to wallow away in despair that the world doesn’t get it. Recite a prayer, a chapter in psalms or read some verses of Torah. Share an encouraging message of faith and hope with a friend and seek ways to share words of love and kindness with others. Be sure to fill your “box” with charity every day.

These are the words we need and these are the words that will work.

And just as Noach emerged from the ark after the storm to rebuild a better and more resilient world, may we merit very soon to emerge from this current crisis stronger and more united, and graced with the arrival of Moshiach who will usher in an era of true peace and tranquility for all. 


 

There are no words

There are no words.

This past Shabbat and Shemini Atzeret, when I arrived at Chabad for services, I was horrified to hear what was happening in Israel. Although details were scarce and there was no way for me to contact family and friends in Israel or read the news due to Shabbat observance, I sensed this was a calamity on a scale unprecedented in modern times. After a few minutes of shocked contemplation, I realized we were all at war and how the holiday would progress here in El Paso would matter to the Jews in Israel and the outcome of this war.

Drawing from my studies and training for how to respond to such a crisis, I recalled learning that when the Yom Kippur War broke out fifty years ago in 1973, the Rebbe insisted the Jewish world fight the war by celebrating the Festival of Joy with more unbridled joy than ever before.

The Rebbe explained this approach based on a foundational teaching from the Baal Shem Tov gleaned from the Tehillim and the Zohar. King David writes in Psalm 122, “G-d is your shadow.” Just as a shadow mimics the person’s behavior, similarly, in a way, G-d mimics our behavior. In the words of the Zohar, “When a person in this world projects joyfulness, G-d reciprocates with this same joy.”

Of course, the Israeli military must crush the enemy with every natural means possible, the Rebbe declared but the inherent connection we have with our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land behooves us to elicit G-d’s blessings of success on the battlefield by channeling all our energy into the divine joyfulness of the upcoming holidays.

Taking our cue from the Rebbe’s response to 1973 we celebrated with the Torah with a special intensity and now that the holidays are over we must channel all our energy, frustration and anger, yes, tremendous anger, into saturating the world with more Mitzvot.

When I say there are no words, I mean a specific genre of words. The time will come for words of solace, words of encouragement, words of inspiration. But these are not words we need during the war. As our precious and holy soldiers crush the monstrous terrorists on the battlefields we need to join their fight through action. An integral part of action is words of action, words of moral clarity, and words of determination to raise the morale of the Jewish nation worldwide so that we can decisively win this war against evil.

On a practical note:

This is a war against evil and darkness and the most effective way to fight darkness is by creating more light. Jewish women and girls have the unique and cherished mitzvah of welcoming in the Shabbat by lighting Shabbat candles before sunset on Friday. The time for candle lighting today is at 6:18pm. Click here to learn how to do it and for the proper blessing. If you already light Shabbat candles every Friday, please encourage another Jewish woman or girl to start doing so.

Jewish unity is crucial during these times. Please join us at Chabad on Tuesday, October 17, 7:00-8:00 pm for an event of Torah Study, Prayer and Charity in honor of our brothers and sisters in Israel.

May our mitzvot and our joy illuminate the world, ensure our victory in this war and usher in the blessed era of Moshiach when peace and tranquility will reign for all.

You Can Help Israel Now

Dear Friends

You know what is happening in Israel. We are all in tremendous shock and pain over the devastating attack by heinous barbarians against our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land, on the holy and most joyous holiday of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.

We pray that G-d should avenge the blood of the murdered, ensure the hostages are immediately redeemed and the wounded have complete and speedy recoveries. We pray our soldiers succeed in their heroic and holy work and that they all come home safely. We pray for the safety, security and well-being of all our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land during this horrible war and forever. 

We are all at war. Even when we are physically distant from the battle Judaism teaches us that we have the power to influence the outcome through the innate connection we share with our brothers and sisters throughout the world.

1. Morale must be high. An army must be upbeat to win a war and the most potent spiritual weapon we have is positivity and joy. Clearly, it is very difficult, but now more than ever it is crucial to think positively and seek ways to bring true happiness to ourselves and those around us. Engaging in arguments and debates about the war is largely useless and please be sure to care for your emotional health at such a sensitive time.

2. Prayer is powerful. Choose a psalm of Tehillim to recite regularly. We suggest reciting psalm 20 available at chabadelpaso.com/6320 or you can choose any psalm, available online at chabadelpaso.com/1228223.

3. Do more Mitzvot. Positive action breeds positive energy and the divine energy generated by a Mitzvah is indescribable. We suggest an increased focus on Mitzvot uniquely connected to security. Men should wrap Tefillin, every Jewish home should have Mezuzahs on all the doorposts, and women should light Shabbat candles on Friday afternoon at the proper time. Please let us know how we can assist you with doing these Mitzvot.

4. Give more charity. The most tangible way to support our brothers and sisters is by donating to the many worthy causes in Israel providing much-needed assistance to everyone impacted. Kindly donate to Chabad of Israel’s National Emergency Fund here: charidy.com/Chabad.IL/elpaso

With its tremendous network throughout the land, Chabad of Israel has tens of thousands of people on the ground helping every segment of society there.

In addition, kindly set aside a giving box in your home or office and commit to placing small cash in it regularly for charity. Every act of charity, however small but consistent, can transform the world into a more positive and peaceful place.

Maimonides declared that “one positive good deed, spoken word and even thought can tip the scales and bring salvation to the entire world.” May this war be the last one anyone should ever fight and may we merit the arrival of Moshiach who will usher in an era of eternal peace and tranquility for all.

Rabbi Yisrael and Chana Greenberg

Rabbi Levi and Shainy Greenberg

Here’s What I Learned from my Etrog

For a full week, I have been visiting friends all around town to celebrate Sukkot by reciting a blessing on the “Lulav” palm branch tied together with the myrtle and willow leaves held closely together with the beautiful Etrog citrus fruit.

Although the biblical wording is vague, the identity of these four specific species has been clearly articulated by Moses and in practice for over 3,000 years. Our sages explained how the identity of each traditional species of this combination is embedded in the precise biblical language of this Mitzvah.

The Torah does not specifically name the citrus fruit we should use during Sukkot. It simply says we should take a “Pri Eitz Hadar” which means “a beautiful fruit.” However, the Talmudic sages explained that the word “Hadar” lends itself to the idea that it’s a fruit that “dwells on its tree from year to year.” Whereas most fruits are seasonal, the Etrog grows year-round and for multiple years. Although the seasons are so different, the Etrog thrives on the diversity of its circumstances.

One of the cardinal rules about the Etrog (and by extension the other three species) is that it must be fresh, hence one may not save this year’s Etrog for next year since it will certainly be dried out by then.

Here is a quote from the Code of Jewish Law regarding the freshness of the Etrog: An etrog is defined as “dried out” when no moisture is left and it no longer discharges any moisture, (for moisture to a fruit is like blood to the flesh of a living creature, and it is written in Psalms, “The dead shall not praise You….”)

Judaism teaches we can learn a practical takeaway lesson from every detail of Torah to inform us how to live our lives more Jewishly and as better human beings. The identifying characteristic of the Etrtog and its freshness requirement can impact our lives long after this year’s Etrog is dried out and unusable.

When an Etrog is attached to the tree it remains fresh and it preserves and thrives in all seasons. Likewise, to forever have “spiritual moisture and freshness” and to remain proudly and staunchly Jewish under all circumstances a Jew must remain attached to the “Tree of Life” - the Torah.

That’s why the week-long presence of the Etrog in our lives flows straight into the joyous festival of Simchat Torah. The day we complete a full cycle of Torah learning and restart a new cycle of learning. Because learning Torah every day is the foundation every Jew needs to grow and thrive as a Jew should.

In honor of the new year and brand new Torah cycle, I encourage you to include Torah in your daily routine by studying the section of the weekly Torah portion that corresponds to each respective day. There are so many ways to do this but I recommend listening to an amazing daily class by Rabbi Yehoshua Gordon obm available here.

 

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