Reciprocity
Throughout all stages in life and the various relationships we develop, we tend to be both a recipient and a provider.
Children are dependent on their parents for food, shelter and basic necessities, while they give boundless joy, Nachas, and love to their parents in return.
Educators and mentors guide and greatly impact the lives of their students by instilling within them exemplary morals and imparting them with invaluable wisdom and inspiration. In turn, students give their teachers and mentors a sense of fulfillment while helping them crystalize and better understand their subject matters.
No Free Lunch?
How often do we encounter an apparent freebie only to find out about the hidden fees or many strings attached. As the popular saying goes, “there is no such thing as a free lunch".
It is only human and natural for us to have the “what's in it for me” attitude when conducting business. However, Judaism teaches us that we should strive to develop a selfless approach while interacting with one another and to help others wholeheartedly without any preconditions or expectations of receiving something in return.
What Makes You Happy?
Israel is ranked as the fourth happiest country in the world, according to the UN-sponsored World Happiness Report. The obvious question arises: how can Israel, the only civilized nation under constant mortal danger, maintain such happiness? Despite ongoing threats from Iran and its terrorist proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah, along with facing global boycotts and condemnations, what are the sources of this happiness?
The First Request of a Freed Hostage
After 491 days in Hamas captivity, Eli Sharabi was released this weekend in a terribly weakened and emaciated state, to the devastating news that his wife and daughters were murdered in the October 7 attacks.
One of his first requests was a spiritual one—a pair of tefillin—and his family's Chabad rabbi was ready to help.
A Moment of Silence
Depicted over the gallery doors of the House Chamber in the U.S. Capitol are 23 historical figures noted for their work in establishing the principles that underlie American law. Moses, is in the center, facing forward, with 11 portraits on either side facing right and left toward him. Of course, this is in recognition of the fact that the foundations of a moral and ethical society must be predicated on a belief in G-d as transmitted to Moses, the Jewish people and, by extension, the whole world at Mount Sinai.
An Objective Truth
Elie Wiesel, an author, Nobel Prize laureate, and renowned Holocaust survivor, once recounted his visit to Brooklyn in the early '60s to meet with the Rebbe, M.M. Schneerson.
Wiesel posed a poignant question to the Rebbe, asking, "How can you believe in G-d after Auschwitz?" The Rebbe responded by looking at him in silence, his hands resting on the table. After a moment, he shed a tear and softly replied, "In whom do you expect me to believe after Auschwitz? In man?"
Light Your Candle of Truth!
On September 23, 2011, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a powerful speech at the United Nations General Assembly. During his address, he recalled a conversation he had with the Rebbe in 1984. Netanyahu shared the Rebbe’s words when he became Israel's ambassador to the UN:
"Remember, you are going to the UN. You will be serving in a house of many lies. But remember, that even in the darkest place, the smallest candle can be seen far and wide. Your mission is to light a candle for truth and the Jewish people."
Proactive Versus Reactive
When news spread of the disturbing acts of anti-Semitic vandalism that took place at Jewish-owned shops in the Golden Horseshoe Shopping Center in Westchester on January 25, 2024, the Jewish community was rightfully shaken, disturbed, and indignant in the face of these shocking events.
Just Do It
“Just Do It” is not only a clever Nike marketing slogan, it's a way of life.
We may find ourselves at times inspired to launch a new business, take on a new project, spend more time with our family, or reconnect more with our Jewish identity. However, after the initial excitement wears off, it may become challenging to keep focused on attaining our goals.
The Game Plan
When an individual, business, organization or community is faced with a challenge, there are often a variety of ways to respond to the issue. One group may easily give up when the problem seems insurmountable. A second group may choose to compromise their values and quality in order to avoid a greater potential loss. A third group may try to aggressively oppose and resist the challenge. And yet a fourth group may passively sit back and hope things will work out on its own.
A Hostage Mother’s Wish
On Thursday, January 30, 2025, while freed hostage Agam Berger was being flown with her parents in a helicopter en route to Rabin Medical Center, she held up a sign on a dry-erase board that read, "I chose a path of faith, and I returned through a path of faith."
Agam was kidnapped on October 7th during the brutal surprise Hamas attack at the Nahal Oz base alongside her friends Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Daniela Gilboa, and Naama Levy. Her friends, who were miraculously released last week, shared that despite enduring 14 months in captivity, Agam remained steadfast in her faith. She consistently observed Shabbat, refrained from eating non-Kosher food despite hunger, recited blessings before meals, and even risked further abuse by refusing to cook for her captors on Shabbat.
It's a Beautiful World
On the evening of January 17th, 1951- 10th Shevat, 5711, a diverse crowd of a few hundred people which included holocaust survivors, refugees from Stalinist Russia and American-born young students, all gathered at the headquarters of the Chabad Lubavitch movement, 770 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY, in anticipation of a monumental event that was about to occur.
Song of the Soul
In a moving video clip from early October, a young man named Yehuda Becher can be seen singing a soul-stirring song he composed to the prayer “My G-d, the soul that You have placed before me, it is pure.” Tragically, just a few days later, Yehuda was murdered by terrorists at the Nova Music Festival, along with over 1200 of our beloved brothers and sisters, during the Simchat Torah October 7th massacre.
Optimism
Once, a disciple of the Rebbe Rashab, Rabbi Sholom Dovber Schneerson (1860-1920), despairingly came to the Rebbe to receive his blessing and guidance after experiencing a devastating loss to his once successful business.
The Rebbe Rashab listened and then said: “One of the wondrous attractions in Vienna is a great big wheel (the Wiener Riesenrad, constructed in Vienna in 1887, one of the oldest extant Ferris Wheels in the world)
Post Oct. 7 Miracles
A young boy comes home from Hebrew school, excited to share with his parents what he learned about the Exodus from Egypt.
He begins, "Mom, Dad, you won’t believe this! The Jews were running away from Pharaoh, and they got stuck at the Red Sea! But then Moses called in the Israeli engineers, and they built a huge bridge overnight so everyone could cross safely. Then, when Pharaoh’s army chased them, Moses radioed the Israeli Air Force, and they bombed the bridge, causing the Egyptians to drown!”
Harnessing Our Inner Passion
During Chanukah 2020, in Tyumen, Siberia, a special ice Menorah was built in honor of the holiday which served as a beacon for the local Jewish population. The Menorah was erected by the local Chabad emissary, Rabbi Yerachmiel Gorelick. The menorah generated considerable publicity in the town and was also featured on a prominent Israeli television show, which described how the Menorah was built and featured the lighting of the first light of Chanukah on the ice menorah.
Nature is a Series of Miracles
A comedian once shared a great perspective he learned during his travels:
"I was on an airplane recently, and the flight attendant announced that there was high-speed internet on the airplane. It worked great, and we were all enjoying the service. But shortly afterward, it broke down, and an announcement was made on the loudspeaker to apologize. Just then, the person sitting next to me made a face and expressed his profound disappointment with the airline.
Man Plans…
There is a well known Yiddish expression, “Der Mentsch Tracht Un Gott Lacht (man plans and G-d laughs)”. While this lesson has always been relevant, over these past two years it has been felt even more profoundly.
Finding Faith Amidst the California Fires
In the face of life's adversities, moments of profound clarity can emerge, reminding us of the deeper purpose of our existence. For Joshua Kotler and his wife, Emily, such a moment arose amidst the devastation of the California wildfires that destroyed their Altadena home.
As the fire consumed their house perched atop a mountain, the Kotlers escaped with their two young daughters, taking only the bare essentials. When they returned to the charred remains, they discovered a single item untouched by the flames: a menorah passed down from Joshua's grandmother, a Holocaust survivor.
The Digital Revolution
The digital revolution in the mid-twentieth century spurred the emergence of the information age.
The technological advances of the last few decades have radically changed the way we communicate, work, shop, and receive our education just to name a few.