Rabbis' Blog - Chabad Lubavitch

Keep up the prayers

Friday, December 29, 2023 - 12:54 PM

Since the beginning of the current war in Gaza numerous miracles were reported in the mainstream media or have gone viral on social media by the soldiers themselves or their relatives and friends. Here is a story I read earlier this week.

One late afternoon a group of Israeli soldiers operating in Northern Gaza finished securing an area and took a short rest. One of them decided to pray Mincha (the afternoon service) during the brief lull in fighting and stood up to face Jerusalem while the others sat facing the opposite direction. While praying he saw a terrorist jump out of a nearby tunnel they had not uncovered during their mission and aim an RPG (Rocket-propelled grenade) at the group. Firing his weapon, he alerted his comrades and the terrorist was killed within seconds. Thank G-d, their entire group was saved.

In this week’s parsha we learn of the final meeting between Yaakov and his twelve sons, the heads of the tribes of Israel. He blessed each one of them in accordance with their personal history, their children’s respective destinies and their tribes’ divine mission in the broader context of Judaism. Sprinkled throughout the blessings, there are prophetic references to Jewish warriors who would wage battle against Israel’s enemies such as King David, Barak and Devorah the Prophetess as well as the mighty Samson.

In the middle of all this, Yaakov declared (Genesis 49:18), “For Your salvation, I hope, O L-rd!” While it is crucial to courageously wage war with weapons and military tactics and the Jewish nation would produce impressive leaders and warriors, their victories would ultimately depend on G-d’s blessings.

This is true regarding everything in life. Our sages make the following observation about the Jewish attitude to farming. Nature dictates that if you plant a seed in the ground and care for it properly it will grow into a tree and produce many more fruits. Therefore, taking a seed and burying it the ground to decay is considered a logical thing to do because it will grow into something far greater and more beneficial to all.

However, Jews take perfectly good seeds and plant them in the ground because they have faith in G-d that they will grow into trees and produce many fruits. They offer a prayer before heading out to the field and gives thanks to G-d when they reap the fruits of their hard labor because there is no guarantee the seed will actually grow. Certainly without planting the seed nothing will grow, but we appreciate that our connection to G-d and securing G-d’s blessings is the real key to our agricultural success.

Forced Into Unity

Friday, December 22, 2023 - 11:38 AM

When the delegates of the Continental Congress declared their independence from the British establishing the United States of America, Benjamin Franklin allegedly said “We must hang together or surely we shall hang separately.”

This anecdote brings to mind an important lesson we can learn from today’s fast day “Asarah B’Teves” (the Tenth of Teves) which commemorates the siege of Jerusalem in the year 425 BCE by the armies of the Babylonian empire. 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).

Whereas Tisha B’Av is observed as a major 25-hour fast day of mourning and Asarah B’Teves is observed as a seemingly minor fast day from dawn until nightfall, an obscure rule makes today’s fast quite major. When Tisha B’Av (or other fast days aside for Yom Kippur) occurs on Shabbat the fast is postponed to Sunday, but if Asarah B’Teves would occur on Shabbat it would not be postponed, like Yom Kippur! The current setup of the Jewish calendar ensures this can never happen, but in its original format (which was discontinued about 1,600 years ago) it was certainly a possibility.

The Asarah B’Teves fast is so intense because it commemorates the beginning of the end. The destruction and exile that followed the siege could have been avoided had the Jews of the time reacted to this episode properly, as is revealed through a fascinating linguistic curiosity in G-d’s prophecy to Ezekiel about these events.

Ezekiel 24:2: "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.” 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.

Upon deeper reflection, it’s clear that the Babylonian siege had the potential of creating a profoundly positive circumstance. Under siege, all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were prevented from leaving and unable to go about their personal business as usual. The attackers forced them to come together, regardless of their personal feelings for each other. As alluded to in the double meaning of “samach,” the horrifying “siege” provided them with an unexpected “support,” forcing them to unite as a single collective in true love, and thus avert the Holy Temple’s destruction and their exile.

Alas, the Jerusalemites of the time did not seize the golden opportunity and their hatred for each other and other problems led to the subsequent disasters. But the message of “samach” still resonates strongly for us today.

The most important factor in overcoming all adversity as a nation is our ability to unite together through the strong bonds of Torah and Mitzvot. By increasing in Torah study, Mitzvah observance and including all our fellow Jews in the experience, we pave the way to victory on all fronts and prepare ourselves and the world for complete and final redemption through Moshiach, who will usher in an era of true world peace and tranquility for all.

The Epilogue to Chanukah

Friday, December 15, 2023 - 12:15 PM

This Shabbat is one of the rare occasions we read the Torah portion of Mikeitz when it is not Chanukah. Usually, Shabbat Mikeitz coincides with Chanukah and we read from two Torahs during services. In the first we read Parshat Mikeitz, in the second about Chanukah and the Haftorah - the readings from the Prophets we conclude the Torah service with on Shabbat and festivals - is connected to Chanukah. This year, however, we will only read Mikeitz from one Torah and recite the Haftorah from Chapter 3 in the Book of Kings, an event that will occur once again in 17 years, so let’s talk about it.

After King David’s passing, his twelve-year-old son Solomon assumed the throne. One evening G-d offered him in a dream whatever he wished. Instead of seeking wealth, honor, or longevity the young monarch requested “Give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and bad; for who can judge Your great people?"

G-d was pleased with his request and granted him tremendous wisdom “so that there was none like you before you, nor after you shall any arise like you,” as well as wealth, honor, and longevity.

This week’s Haftorah’s opens with the words “And Solomon awoke, and behold it was a dream” and that very morning his divinely granted wisdom was put to the test. Two harlots who lived together had a serious dispute over the ownership of a child. Both had recently given birth to baby boys and that evening when one of them awoke to nurse her baby she was horrified to find him dead. Jealous that her roommate would have a living child, she quietly switched her dead child for the other’s living one and the two women stood before the king each claiming the living baby.

After appraising the situation King Solomon called for a sword. “"Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other,” he decreed.

One of the women anguishedly cried out “Give her the living child, but don’t kill him!” and the other one said, "Let it be neither mine nor yours, divide it."

Pointing to the first woman, King Solomon declared she was the mother of the living child, and all of Israel was awed at their king’s divine wisdom.

King Solomon led the Jewish people for forty prosperous and peaceful years, presided over one of the most consequential Jewish High Courts in our history, and authored some of the most profound texts of Jewish wisdom. Yet, the opening act to his divine wisdom involved a person so depraved as to have an infant killed due to petty jealousy. This is because Torah’s wisdom is meant to impact even the lowest and worst elements of society.

This is the perfect epilogue for Chanukah. For eight nights we illustrated that creating light was the only effective way to combat darkness, and the need to progressively increase in light. Now that Chanukah is over we must realize the light of Torah can and must illuminate the deepest darkness of depravity and immorality. Instead of trying to understand it, we need to combat it with ever increasing Torah wisdom and behavior, and very soon this epic battle will culminate in the eradication of darkness and the start of an era of true peace and tranquility for all, with the coming of Moshiach.

The Menorah in Gaza

Friday, December 1, 2023 - 2:57 PM

Gaza Menorah.jpg

I’d like you to see this special photo of Israeli soldiers setting up a huge Menorah in the middle of the battlefields of Gaza during the temporary lull in fighting this week. The fact that this symbolic act was approved and endorsed by every level of the Israeli military and was welcomed and appreciated by the wider Israeli public is another indication of what this terrible war is really about.

War is ugly, but the fact of the matter is that Jews have been forced to engage in war since the very beginning of our existence. The story of this week's parsha is the standard for how Jews should deal with armed conflict and mortal enemies.

After 20 years away from home hiding from his murderous brother Eisav’s wrath, Yaakov traveled back to the Land of Israel with a large family and a considerable fortune. He sent angels with a message seeking peaceful rapprochement and was distressed upon hearing that Eisav spurned his overtures and was marching toward him and his vulnerable camp with 400 warriors.

In response, Yaakov prepared for war by splitting his camp into two to ensure at least some survived the impending attack. He then sent a large gift to appease his brother as a diplomatic gesture to avoid the conflict altogether. And finally, he prayed to G-d for protection and salvation.

For thousands of years, Jews have been inspired by Yaakov’s three-pronged approach to his rendezvous with Eisav. Although we try to avoid armed conflict through diplomacy, we must never do so at the cost of Jewish lives and be prepared to defend ourselves in every way possible. Most importantly, we must always remember that our victories and long-term security arrangements depend on G-d alone, and we must verbally acknowledge that through prayer as well.

The heroes of the Chanukah story are called Macabbess which is an acronym of the Biblical verse “Who is like You O G-d among the mighty!” which was their battle cry for the duration of their war. Even when they attacked their enemies with weapons and guerilla tactics, their confidence in their cause and readiness to enter battle stemmed exclusively from their faith in G-d.

The huge Menorah in Gaza reflects the same ideal. When we are fighting for survival and the ability of seven million Jews to live in peace and tranquility in every inch of the Holy Land, we must always remember that our presence there is a Divine mandate, and the war we are now waging is a Divine obligation. This awareness will surely bring with it miraculous success.

As the fighting resumes in Gaza we continue to pray for the safety of our soldiers, for the immediate return of ALL the hostages and the wellbeing of all the inhabitants of Israel and the flames of the Menorah remind us that light will always overcome darkness and good will always overcome evil despite the overwhelming odds.