Holy Business
Dr. Bernard Spector, a respected businessman and philanthropist from Montreal, once visited the Rebbe to receive his blessing and advice. "Rebbe, when does one decide they have enough?" he asked.
Dr. Spector explained that he had recently sold his business and was now receiving other lucrative business offers. "I am seeking advice to know when a person decides they have enough money for themselves and their family, and they have reached their goal."
Taking a Sabbatical
Ilana and Doron Toweg have become modern-day heroes and role models for millions of people both in Israel and around the world.
They are owners of a large agricultural farm in Moshav Azaria and are one of the premier sources of produce in Israel. At one point they served as the exclusive eggplant supplier to Strauss, Israel’s largest food distributors.
But, in 2014, they made a huge decision that would seem extremely illogical to any serious entrepreneur.
Doing Well by Doing Good
Not long ago, the conventional belief was that profit and corporate social responsibility were mutually exclusive pursuits. The notion that a company could boost its bottom line while contributing positively to society was rarely entertained by business leaders.
Today, however, advanced technologies and streamlined processes are reducing costs, paving the way for a new perspective: benefiting people and the world need not sacrifice profitability.
The Global Flourishing Study
The Global Flourishing Study, a five-year project surveying over 200,000 people across 22 countries, seeks to understand the underlying factors that enable people to flourish—not just to survive, or even to be happy, but to thrive in a deep, meaningful, and multidimensional way. Led by over 40 researchers across disciplines and backed by Gallup, the study measures well-being across six dimensions: happiness, health, meaning, character, relationships, and financial stability.
Incentives
When choosing a career, our prospective decision may be based on many factors such as work qualifications, salary, and time commitments. But most importantly, if possible, we endeavor to seek a job which we will also enjoy and find meaningful, enabling us to make a positive impact on the world around us.
The Paradox of Time: Why Less is More?
In an era of constant distraction, the ability to focus has become both a rare luxury and a vital asset. We have all experienced moments where effort disappears, time vanishes, and work feels automatic.
Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi called this state "Flow." His research into human fulfillment revealed that "optimal experiences" occur when we are fully immersed in a task. Whether you are an artist, an athlete, or a professional, deep satisfaction comes from being "all in."
A Nuclear Reaction
In 1976, renowned author, radio host, lecturer, and business consultant Rabbi David Lapin was at an apparent crossroads during the early stages of his career. At that time, he was working for a commodity trading company in Johannesburg while also establishing a Jewish studies academy and delivering dozens of weekly lectures to hundreds of Jewish students in the region. With two full-time jobs, he felt that he was spreading himself too thin to successfully manage all of his responsibilities. Seeking guidance, he decided to consult the Rebbe, Rabbi M.M. Schneerson.
Work Smarter, Not Harder.
In 2016, Adam LaRoche, the First Baseman of the White Sox, made national headlines when he decided to retire a year early and forfeit the remaining $13 million from his contract. This decision was made after his manager told him that he could no longer bring his 14-year-old son to the team clubhouse during practice and training.
Your Network Is Your Net Worth
In 1973, after struggling academically and trying her hand at more than 20 jobs, Barbara Corcoran borrowed $1,000 to start a small real estate company in New York City. That modest beginning ultimately grew into The Corcoran Group—one of the most recognizable and successful brokerage brands in the industry.
Her rise is a powerful example of how relationships can outweigh traditional credentials. With no formal business education or elite academic background, Corcoran built her success not on technical expertise, but on her ability to develop and sustain meaningful relationships.
An Open Letter from Columbia
Earlier this week, more than 500 Jewish students at Columbia University signed an open letter expressing their pride in their Jewish identity, defending their support for Israel, and decrying the harassment they've faced surrounding the school's anti-Israel encampment.
“Most of us did not choose to be political activists”, the students wrote. “We are average students, just trying to make it through finals much like the rest of you... One thing is for sure, we will not stop standing up for ourselves. We are proud to be Jews…”.
How to Respect the People we Love?
Why is it that it is sometimes challenging to like and respect the people whom we love?
Love is an emotion of the heart, respect is an intellectual appreciation for the positive qualities and values of another person and understanding their unique needs. While emotions are expressed more powerfully, they can also become destructive if they are not contained and given the proper context and boundaries. Intellect, on the other hand, may be more rational and less passionate, but it enables a person to develop a genuine appreciation and respect for those they love.
To Love Life
The Talmud teaches that one can learn a lesson from everyone, even from one's enemies. Just a few days after the horrific massacre on October 7th, a senior Hamas official was interviewed and asked how they had successfully taken the Israeli people by surprise.
The Hamas official responded, “The Israelis are known to love life” — Hamas view this as Israel's weakness and a weapon to be exploited. “We, on the other hand, sacrifice ourselves, we consider our dead to be martyrs... We made them think that Hamas was busy governing Gaza and assisting the people living there…All the while… Hamas was preparing for this big attack.”
Israel's Life-Saving Inventions
It is no secret that Israel is a leader in the production of technological inventions which have changed the world. In fact, Israel has more hi-tech start-ups per capita than anywhere else in the world.
Across a wide spectrum of industries, from Netafim to Watergen in agriculture, from PillCam to ReWalk in medical technology, to road safety life-saving AI Mobileye, Israel is leading the way with life-saving inventions.
Unconditional Love
The love that exists between parents and their children or among siblings is natural and innate since they are intrinsically connected. While the intensity and expression of the love may be dependent on many factors, the underlying foundation for the love will always remain intact under normal circumstances.
Why the Soviets Feared the Mikvah
One of the most powerful chapters in modern Jewish history unfolded in the shadows of the Soviet Union, during decades of Communist repression. Judaism was not merely discouraged—it was systematically targeted for eradication.
Among the many institutions under attack, the mikvah—the ritual bath—stood at the center.
What could be so threatening about a mikvah?
The Power of Jewish Women
When Yigael Yadin, an Israeli archaeologist and former military Chief-of-Staff, came to Masada in the 1950s and first laid eyes on a three-pooled plastered bath system carved into rock, he did not realize that he had just made the first-ever discovery of an ancient Mikvah, a Jewish ritual bath. Hundreds more were subsequently found all over Israel.
Words Matter
In 2018, furniture company IKEA performed a social experiment called “Bully A Plant- Say No to Bullying”. The experiment, conducted at a school in the United Arab Emirates, showed students how destructive negative comments can be. IKEA set up two identical plants in the school and kept them under identical controlled environments. They each received the same amount of light, nutrition and water. All except for one thing, that is. For 30 days, they invited students to compliment one plant and bully the other.
Hey Siri!
Hey Siri, what’s the weather forecast for this week? Alexa, please turn off the lights. Hey Siri, what is the Shabbat candle lighting time in Dobbs Ferry for this evening?
Along with the incredible technological advancements and development of artificial intelligence over the last few decades, we have also come to better appreciate the power of our speech. We can be literally “talking to the walls” while accomplishing a great deal of things.
A Seder in Boquete
Tucked high in the misty mountains of Boquete, Panama—the region’s coffee capital—a traveler might expect little more than quiet villages and picturesque landscapes. It is the kind of place people come to disconnect. Yet, unexpectedly, it has become a place where Jewish life flourishes.
I had the privilege of experiencing this firsthand in 2012.
The Billionaire Slave- Freedom Redefined
Howard Hughes—a billionaire, aviation pioneer, and Hollywood producer—seemed to embody the ultimate dream of freedom. With immense wealth, global influence, and limitless opportunity, he could pursue anything he desired.
Yet his life tells a very different story.
Hughes became a prisoner—not of governments or poverty, but of his own mind. Despite his fortune, he lived in constant fear: afraid of being attacked, poisoned, or betrayed. His paranoia consumed him. He withdrew from the world, isolating himself for years. In the end, he died not surrounded by luxury, but from malnutrition and dehydration—a captive of his own anxieties.