From The Desk of Rabbi Yehuda - Chabad Lubavitch of Westport

Building Blocks

Friday, December 29, 2023 - 10:00 AM

“A year in review” was the subject title of an email I recently received.

I was amazed at how much had transpired and how much I’d simply forgotten about. Was it water under the bridge?

When it comes to life and living — there’s no water under the bridge. Everything in life is a building block.

A few weeks ago someone from a community near Gaza shared the following with me. For context bear in mind, he lost many friends in the terrible October 7th massacre, he is displaced from his home, he’s dealing with children who have severe PTSD and the list goes on.

“You think about your house your family etc but then you think about what you’re living for and what you’re protecting … everyone is very motivated to get the job done”.

But then you think about what you’re living for what you’re protecting!

The power of this concept is what has preserved and sustained Judaism for millennia. It’s the secret to living a meaningful, rewarding and joyous life. It’s not easy at times and nor is it for most people the natural default. Yet it’s the Jewish way of life. It started with a promise to Abraham and Sarah and almost 5,000 years later it remains the same.

There is no water under the bridge. There are stepping stones. We build on the past to create the future.

2023 was a really tough year. We will grow from it. We will build upon it. As a united and Eternal Jewish nation we have our work cut out for us. The good news is, we have the strength, the inspiration, the wisdom, the Torah, the Almighty, the inner talents and convictions — we need only to remember what we’re living for and both physically and spiritually— AM YISRAEL CHAI!!

With best wishes for a Shabbat Shalom & best wishes for a joyous and meaningful year ahead,

Unimaginable Heights!!

Friday, December 22, 2023 - 10:00 AM

The human spirit has the capacity to rise to unimaginable heights.

Imagine this. Iris Haim, mother of one of the hostages mistakenly killed by friendly fire, recorded a message to the soldiers that killed her son telling them that she and her family love them and do not blame them for his death.

“We received your message, and since then we have been able to function”, the soldier told Iris Haim, according to Kan. “Before that, we had shut down”.

It’s a story of absolute heroism ( to read the full story) all around. The soldiers themselves serving selflessly in the most extreme conditions to protect Am Yisrael and of course Iris’s beyond gracious and supremely heroic message to the unit.

Where does this strength come from?

Truth is, in this week’s Torah portion we read the famous Biblical story of Joseph— who was sold into slavery by his brothers—reuniting with them. The setting takes place in Egypt and Joseph is the second most powerful man in the world. He has all means at his disposal and every opportunity to exact his fair due from his brothers who consorted to kill him.

His response when he sees them recoiling in shock and with deep regret? “Don’t be upset or angry with yourself that you sold me to this place, for now we see that G-d sent me ahead of you to save your lives”. In fact, it wasn’t you who sent me it was the Divine plan all along.

I’ve always felt this response from Joseph was too incredible. A Biblical story if you will. Yet clearly Iris’s message to the soldiers rises to this level and just as clearly it’s a lesson to each of us that we too can rise to higher levels that at first glance may seem superhuman.

Indeed, if we tap into the Divine sparks that we each possess we can rise to heights previously unimaginable. A worthy goal for 2024!

What Are The Odds?

Friday, December 15, 2023 - 10:00 AM

Miracles is a major theme of Chanukah!

We celebrate “major” miracles. Yet ironically the Talmud says, “the recipient of a miracle doesn’t usually recognize the miracle they’re receiving”.

This had me thinking about the definition of miracle. How could that be? I mean, isn’t a miracle something that is out of the ordinary right there in plain sight?

Earlier this week I read about someone in Brooklyn who won 10 million dollars in a scratch-off lotto. Apparently the odds of winning is one in 3.5million. Hmm. Is that a miracle? Don’t answer that yet, because 15 months later he won a second scratch off lotto game for another 10 million. Now it gets exciting. The odds of that happening is one in 12 trillion. Is that a miracle?

Perhaps the words “out of the ordinary” are the key words here. Yet the irony is, for the person that wins twice, do they feel more or less likely to win again? Do they continue to play or do they cut and run?

We all know the answer… the more something happens, the more it seems likely to happen again and it takes an objective observer to point out just how miraculous and out of the ordinary it really all is…

Chanukah is a time of miracles. Each of our lives are full of miracles. Do we see them? Based on the above it seems likely that the answer is “not enough”. Perhaps that’s the very message of Chanukah— to count our blessings & appreciate the miracles that fill our lives!!

Incredible!

Friday, December 8, 2023 - 10:19 AM

Incredible or rather “so credible”!

A few days ago a new archeological discovery in the City of David in Jerusalem, was announced. Roof tiles dating back to the time of the story of Chanukah! It was an exciting find in the archeological world, dating back almost 2200 years.

Ironically, as amazing as it is, it’s not at all surprising. After all, the Menorah tells the same story in a different manner. It’s a story that has been painstakingly and lovingly preserved for thousands of years.

In truth, the greatest miracle of all is, that despite all the challenges that the Jewish nation has endured, the lights of the Menorah continue to light up every corner of the world. Adversity hasn’t brought erosion or weakness. Our mission of creating light, if anything, has only intensified. Now that’s truly incredible!

Archeological finds, in addition to helping piece parts of history together underscores the truism — “truth endures”. It may not be the most popular and it may not get the most air time, it fact people may want to squelch or eradicate the truth, yet ultimately, it is truth that ensures — lies and deceit don’t. Tiles emerge even thousands of years later!

It hasn’t been the easiest couple of months for the Jewish nation. Yet once again, despite all adversity, the Jewish nation has banded together to do the incredible and we don’t need archaeological proof of that — we merely need to inhale deeply and then proclaim our gratitude and exultation to the Almighty — just as we’ve been doing for thousands of years!!

With best wishes for a Shabbat Shalom & a Happy Chanukah,

Duality!!

Friday, December 1, 2023 - 10:00 AM

War has resumed in Israel and with it, the internal conflict that perpetually exists in the Jew.

This perpetual conflict, once understood, sheds untold light on virtually everything in life.

It’s called the two soul dynamic. Each of us have two souls, not one. Each of these souls have a different nature. One is focused on personal needs, delights, gratification and physically enduring. Shamelessness and determination is its nature.

The second soul strives for the Divine. Its nature is G-dliness, transcendence and goodness — lack of self and self aggrandizement — is its nature.

This is the complexity of the Human. Driven by seemingly two contradictory states. Yet the truth is they aren’t contradictory. They are really complimentary one of the other. Each of them bring to the table something that the other doesn’t and in synthesis produces the most refined and successful result.

We go through our days giving expression to each of these sides. At times we are shamelessly driven for all sorts of personal and ego driven motives. Whilst at other times we would give the shirts off our back and selflessly dedicate ourselves to causes, ideals and aspirations that aren’t at all with an eye to self or personal gain. It may be an internal struggle but ultimately the second soul has the ability to dictate!

This is the power of the human being. The ability to transcend and the empowerment to become something greater each day over the prior day. The strength to selflessly do what needs to get done despite the challenges that exists.

It is this underlying source of strength that ensures that Israel will successful in the mission of vanquishing evil and creating light. It may sometimes be unsettling but the power to overcome we all have in abundance!!

With best wishes for a Shabbat Shalom & for internal strength and clarity,