From The Desk of Rabbi Yehuda - Chabad Lubavitch of Westport

Do I Know You?

Friday, February 28, 2025 - 10:00 AM

Inspiration is found in all sort of places — challenging places included.

The past 16 month is a perfect example. The pain we all well know and have strongly felt — yet the rays of light, nestled between details of pain and heartbreak have been nothing short of incredible.

Last week I was reading about the release of hostage Eli Sharabi who was in captivity for 490+ days — an eternity. Details of his treatment and poor conditions slowly emerging yet right there in the story was the name Kobi Levi.

Kobi actually didn’t know Eli personally but that was of no consequence when he saw a post from Eli’s sister on Facebook looking for a volunteer to put on Eli’s tefillin daily praying for his release. Kobi wasn’t a daily tefillin wearer — yet that too was of no consequence when he committed to laying the tefillin daily. Not an insignificant commitment to say the least.

Upon Eli’s release, Kobi wrote Levi a letter of love and hope that ended with “you’ve touched my heart and I look forward to meeting you again — better days are ahead I’m sure”.

Kobi moved by Eli’s plight and Eli no doubt moved by Kobi’s gesture. Connecting over the timeless mitzvah of Tefillin— transcending the limitation of time and space. One in captivity one in freedom over the performance of a mitzvah that has been at the forefront of Jewish life for over 3300 years.

I think of the myriads of good deeds, gestures and mitzvas that were done since October 7th and recognize that behind the ugly face of evil which pervades the news and too often our consciousness —there is a way greater force of goodness, love, hope, connection & faith at play. It is this that should be pervading our conciousness with way greater attention.

Good news and deeds— may not sell newspapers, but it has, kept us alive and flourishing, for millennia.

Inspiration “is” found in all sorts of places and as a course of action for Am Yisrael it’s up to each of us to fortify each other with acts of goodness, kindness and Mitzvah!!

Reflections on Today

Thursday, February 20, 2025 - 10:00 AM

Today I need inspiration. A lift.

It feels like the wind has been punched out of me.

I speak for myself but I’m sure you feel likewise.

I reflect on why I feel like this. Wasn’t it sort of expected? Weren’t there many telltale signs that the Bibas children were likely not coming home alive?

As I reflect further — I know it revolves around hope. I was so hopeful that it would end differently. It drove another day. Light at the end of the tunnel.

I continue to reflect and cut through the pain — do I stop hoping? Can a Jew ever stop hoping? If I do, who do I become and what does life represent?

My faith kicks in where my hope starts fading. Hope alone can’t navigate me through this mess, I realize. Faith can. It has. It will. In turn, it allows my hope to spring eternal.

Ani Maamin. I believe. Yes, I do.

My ancestors did. I am here as a result.

My reflection is over. I now know that faith and hope need to lead to action.

I learn from my Rebbe. Our Rebbe. Upon returning from the funeral of his late wife Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka — amidst palpable sadness — he instructed his secretary to initiate the opening of a new charitable fund dedicated to supporting the various needs of Jewish woman and children.

Pain to action. Questions to action. Disbelief to action. Faith to action.

Yes. Today is a challenging day that needs to lead to a brighter tomorrow. There’s no one to rely except ourselves. Ani Maamin!!!

With much love,

Rabbi Yehuda & Dina Kantor

P.S. Tzedaka -- a call to action -- if you’d like to contribute to families of hostages or injured soldiers to be distributed on the men’s Israel trip — please do so here.

P.P.S. Prayer-- one of the pillars of the world -- Here are some prayers if you’d like to say Psalms and pray for the betterment of our brethren in the Holy Land.

P.P.P.S. The Rebbe and Eli Wiesel -- FAITH!

Anticipation

Friday, February 14, 2025 - 10:00 AM

The excitement of anticipation oftentimes outweighs the actual experience itself.

It’s true. We look forward to something for long periods of time and then —poof — it’s over. We move on.

We move on — too fast that is. Onto the next thing. Rinse, wash, repeat. Anticipate, experience, move on only to start searching for the next experience.

Curiously, the Torah tells us in this week’s parsha that when the Jewish nation received the Torah they encamped at the “foot” of the mountain.

At the foot? Not at the peak?

No, they didn’t ascend the mountain to receive the Torah. They didn’t because when it comes to foundational and critical moments one doesn’t “arrive” and then move on. It becomes life’s mission to continuously— boldly, relentlessly, persistently and joyously climb the mountain.

Earlier this week I saw this amazing photo and story of two Israeli soldiers Shachar and Boris who pledged to each other before going to fight in Gaza that when they come out they’d climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Unfortunately Shachar was injured by a Hamas grenade that exploded near him and Boris was injured in a tunnel. Both of them suffered significant injuries.

This past week, despite their injuries they climbed and reached the top of Kilimanjaro carrying a flag with the faces of four of their friends who never made it home.

Shachar said as follows:

“We want to show everyone struggling physically or mentally to believe in themselves. Get up. Leave your home. See what you are capable of.

Incredible. Boris and Shachar got to the peak of Kilimanjaro but their unbreakable spirit and their heroism ensures that they will continue to reach even greater heights on the proverbial mountain called — life!

The Torah is the ultimate book of life for the Jewish nation. Receiving it at the foot of the mountain was deliberate. The excitement of anticipation was handed to each of us — to learn it, love it, live it, cherish it — passing it on to our children Dor L’dor!

With best wishes for a Shabbat Shalom

Beautiful!

Friday, February 7, 2025 - 10:00 AM

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

On a base level that is true. It’s somewhat subjective.

But is it really true?

Is there no objective beauty? Qualities, dimensions or places that represent objective beauty?

Of course there is. Picture a sunrise or

sunset, a baby at birth or closer to home —freshly blanketed snow first thing in the morning (maybe:)— and then there’s a blossoming garden. Images that universally evoke an appreciation for something greater and larger — a Divine glimpse.

King Solomon describes the world as a garden and 75 years ago — with accepting the leadership of the Chabad movement — the Rebbe quoted this verse as an opening salvo. The world as a garden. G-d’s garden.

Bear in mind it was 1951, the holocaust barely over, Jewish life decimated and morale incredibly low. No, he insisted — it’s a garden. A garden that requires much work. Requiring gardeners and tenders to cultivate, to be sure, but a garden at its core.

Fast forward 75 years. The world has had its ebbs and flows. The beauty has surfaced and at times receded never far from the surface. The gardeners have .. well, this requires a new paragraph.

You see, the gardeners are you and I. There has been herculean gardening that has been done since then, only to be handed over into our hands. As with everything — some gardeners work with more enthusiasm than others yet every gardener adds their special touch and is a vital part of creating and enhancing the beauty of G-d’s garden.

The true “beauty” of this world as a garden will be recognized at the time of Moshiach, the utopian age at which time we shall see the objective beauty of this world!

With best wishes for a Shabbat Shalom.

Rabbi Yehuda & Dina Kantor