Appreciation
There are many forms of expressing appreciation and gratitude. It may be a simple verbal “thank you”, an email or text message, and of course a thank you card or gift.
Showing appreciation consists of more than just paying lip service and fulfilling our social duties, it is an acknowledgement of the true source of the wonderful gifts we have received.
Expressing gratitude and appreciation go to the heart of who we are as Jews. The definition of the word Jew in English, or Yehudi in Hebrew, is derived from the word “Hodaah”, which means to thank or acknowledge G-d. The Talmud explains, “anyone who rejects idolatry is called a Yehudi (i.e. One who acknowledges G‑d's existence and submits to His authority)”.
First Impressions
Research indicates that first impressions are formed within 7 seconds. In fact, experiments conducted by Princeton researchers even suggest that individuals can make accurate judgments of others within as little as 1/10 of a second.
The 7-Second Rule has become a powerful tool for marketers, salespeople and communicators alike. It's about getting your message across quickly and effectively.
Marrying the Warriors
In March of 2024, ten couples, each with a member serving in the Israel Defense Forces, were united in a simultaneous wedding ceremony in Tel Aviv — one of the largest Jewish weddings ever held in Israel. The event, part of Chabad of Savyon’s “Marrying the Warriors” initiative, took place at the Hangar 11 event hall in Tel Aviv Port, with ten wedding canopies and individual officiating Rabbis, and each couple inviting 100 guests. Following the ceremony, a joint celebration included performances by top Israeli artists.
Many of these soldiers had postponed their weddings due to the war. Couples included some with high security clearance and lone soldiers from abroad.
The Secret to a Happy Marriage
What is the secret to building a successful marriage and a meaningful relationship?
Western civilization has developed exponentially over the last few centuries in many areas such as commerce, medicine, science and technology. Despite all the challenges still facing society today, we are living in a relative prosperous era.
A Lesson from Afghanistan
It is difficult to remain apolitical in today’s charged political climate. Every aspect of society seems to have become a partisan issue. While of course it is important to vote based on our values and beliefs, we must be careful not to fall into the partisan political trap.
One of the things the Jewish people have learned throughout our long history is that we can not put our absolute faith in any particular party or politician. We have seen the worst and the best come from all sides of the political spectrum. While we do our best to establish a stable, safe, and prosperous society, we must put our ultimate faith only in G-d that He will take care of all our needs.
Social Media
What common denominator do social media networks and platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter etc. share which make them so appealing to consumers? While they each have their own unique features and applications, they have all tapped into an essential human disposition: the need for connectivity.
G-d created human beings with a natural desire to connect with fellow human beings. This desire is the driving force behind the formations of communities, country clubs, business networks, peer groups and of course families.
A Ray of Faith in Minneapolis
Before being rushed into emergency surgery for a gunshot wound to the stomach, 13-year-old Endre Gunter asked his surgeon to pause.
“Can you say a prayer with me?” he whispered, according to his aunt, Natalie Davis, who shared the moment on a fundraising page for his medical care.
The surgeon later told the family that not only did Endre survive the operation, but that his courage and faith deeply inspired the entire medical team. “That moment of prayer, and Endre’s resilience, will stay with our family forever,” Davis wrote.
The King is in the Field
At the start of the pandemic, I received a remarkable email from Brandon Steiner, Founder of Steiner Sports Agency. The message began with these words: “Over the past 7 or so years, I have posted over 2,500 blogs. Last week's blog, 'What if you could talk to G-d? My question for all of you is - if you could have a conversation with G-d, what would you say? What questions would you have?’ had the most responses I have ever had!"
It brought to mind the Midrashic statement, “We are believers, the sons of believers”. This is true at all times but especially pertinent during challenging moments.
But Where is G-d?
Eliot Lasky, who was born to Holocaust survivors, grew up in a traditional Jewish community. At the age of 18, he left school and eventually joined the Rolling Stones on their American tour during the height of the hippie era. In this time, Eliot desired to fit in more than anything else.
As time went on, the allure of his new lifestyle faded, and he found himself grappling with profound philosophical questions about faith and life in general. One question in particular kept recurring in his mind: "How can Judaism be right while the rest of the world is wrong?" Upon seeking advice from a friendly rabbi, he was directed to seek counsel from the Rebbe.
The Justice System
Having an established justice system is a bedrock of any civilized society. Without law and order, the world would be a very chaotic and dangerous place. Our Sages state, “pray for the welfare of the government, for were it not for the fear it inspires, every man would swallow his neighbor alive (Ethics of our Fathers 3:2)”.
A Lesson from Rachel Goldberg-Polin
During her heart-wrenching and emotional eulogy for her son Hersh on September 2, 2024, Rachel Goldberg-Polin expressed her extraordinary faith so profoundly:
"I have had a lot of time during the past 332 days to think about my sweet boy, my Hersh. And one thing I keep thinking about is how, out of all the mothers in the world, G-d chose to give Hersh to me.
The Power of Giving: How to Create Wealth
John D. Rockefeller, born in 1839 into a poor family in upstate New York, began working at age 16 as a clerk in Cleveland to support his family. His first wages were just a few dollars a week, yet from that very first paycheck, he set aside 10% for charity, following the Biblical practice of tithing.
Rockefeller later reflected:
“I tithed from my first dollar, and I never would have been able to tithe the first million dollars I made if I had not tithed my first salary of $1.50 per week.”
The Greatest Return on Investment (ROI)
Investors often evaluate the efficiency of an investment by measuring the Return on Investment (ROI). In a broader sense, we make decisions all the time to ascertain where we should invest our time and resources to produce the greatest profit with the least amount of risk. Often, greater opportunities for profit are associated with higher levels of risk as well.
However, there is one type of investment that produces a guaranteed high return with no risk. That is the investment in Tzedaka. I use the Hebrew word Tzedaka, and not charity, because it more accurately portrays the true essence of its definition. Charity connotes performing a nice and generous act, going beyond the call of duty. Tzedaka, however, is derived from the word Tzedek, which means “righteousness”, or doing the right thing. When we give Tzedaka, we are fulfilling our responsibility to G-d who entrusted us with allocating the wealth in the proper manner.
Rights or Responsibilities
At the turn of the 18th Century, there were many new philosophies and movements that were gaining popularity and capturing the minds and hearts of millions of people across the globe. They challenged the autocratic system of governance and power which was prevalent at that time and introduced new ideas that sought to bring an end to inequality, poverty, and suffering.
From Harvard to Claremont: A Powerful Display of Jewish Pride
As a freshman at Harvard, Sarah Silverman was stunned to discover that her newly affixed mezuzah was missing from her dorm room doorpost.
“I noticed something was gone,” she recalled. “In the place where my mezuzah had been so tightly secured, only a bit of sticky adhesive remained.”
Her heart sank. After she and her roommate swept the entire dorm floor in search of it, the morning’s excitement turned to an awful anxiety. The mezuzah was nowhere to be found.
The Goal of Education
What is the ultimate goal of education?
A child or young adult may attend school or a place of higher education to receive valuable knowledge or attain a skill in a specific field. That information may then be used to advance a career and provide them with a future livelihood.
However, there is another aspect to education which far outweighs the above mentioned objective. The ultimate goal of education is to instill in our youth good morals, faith, values, fine character and purpose. This type of education is not only provided by academic institutions but rather something which begins from the moment a child is conceived and continues on for the rest of their lives.
The True Meaning of Higher Education
During the congressional hearing on anti-Semitism on December 5th, 2023, multiple Ivy League university presidents were asked a simple question: "Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate the university's code of conduct?" Their responses were shockingly ambiguous: "It depends on context."
The Secret To Our Survival
Recently, I came across a beautiful article published in the Wall Street Journal. The article was titled “The Shul That Rose From the Ashes” in which the author, Josh Nass, describes his grandfather's childhood in Malakhovka, a suburb of Moscow, and eventual emigration to America in 1972 after surviving the horrible persecutions of pogroms, the Holocaust, and the communist government's attempt to stifle Jewish observance.
A Call to Arms: The Six Day War to Today
In the tense weeks before the Six-Day War in June 1967, Israel seemed to stand on the edge of destruction. On May 22, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser closed the Straits of Tiran, cutting off Israel’s southern shipping route—an act internationally recognized as a declaration of war. Within days, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan signed military pacts, amassing nearly half a million soldiers, thousands of tanks, and hundreds of warplanes along Israel’s borders. The Soviet Union supplied them with advanced weaponry. France, Israel’s main arms supplier, abruptly imposed an arms embargo. The United States announced it would remain neutral.
The Ultimate Security
There is a fascinating story recounted in the Jerusalem Talmud: “The last Parthian king Artavan once sent a gift of a very precious pearl to Rabbi Yehudah Hanassi, asking to be sent something of equal value in return. Rabbi Yehudah Hanassi sent a mezuzah in return. When the king received the mezuzah he was dumbfounded that Rabbi Yehudah could consider this little piece of parchment as an equivalent to the precious pearl. He expressed his sentiments in no uncertain terms. Thereupon Rabbi Yehudah explained to the king that they had different sets of values, hence the king’s amazement. He went on to say that whereas the king’s gift was something that he, Rabbi Yehudah, would constantly have to guard against theft, etc., his own gift to the king was something that would guard over the king and protect him.”