From The Desk of Rabbi Yehuda - Chabad Lubavitch of Westport

Now, Now, Now!

Friday, June 26, 2026 - 10:00 AM

The Guinness World Records just announced a new record breaking achievement of the loudest “shout”, clocking in at 122.4 decibels.

What struck my attention is “not” that this shout is as loud as jet engines taking off or louder than an emergency vehicle siren. Rather, the word that he shouted in order to break the world’s record.

NOW!

According to a quick online search, the protagonist practiced shouting several words with his daughter until he realized that the word NOW allowed him to project the most force.

NOW!

It’s actually not surprising if you think about it.

Jewish wisdom from thousands of years ago as recorded in the Mishna teaches us the following:

“If I am not for myself, who will be? Yet if I am primarily for myself, what am I? And if not NOW then when?

Yes, when? Yes, am I too into my own self and missing things around me? Or perhaps, am I neglecting myself, my marriage, my relationship with my family, my spiritual growth, my commitment to our cherished Heritage — Torah and Mitzvot, my legacy?

Expediency in the right context is critical and advisable. Doing good, achieving a goal, growing spiritually and all those things that we may be pushing off for a better time — should be done today.

NOW! And I’m NOT SHOUTING!

With best wishes for a Shabbat Shalom,

One Size, Many Lessons

Friday, June 19, 2026 - 10:00 AM

Recently, I used an unusually quiet moment to order some clothing online — feeling great that I was thinking ahead to the changing season.

Alas, despite thoughtful ordering, every single item fit poorly, leaving me with the arduous task of returns.

So much for the idea of, “one size fits all”.

It doesn’t and it shouldn’t.

Gd didn’t design the world that way. With tens of thousands of differing species of birds and hundreds of thousand different plant species — topped off with “billions of trillions” of stars in the universe — it’s clear that “one size doesn’t fit all”.

Microcosmically too, no human being is the same. Each of us endowed with our own unique qualities, talents, soul and mission!

Individualism at its best. Endowed by God and personalized by ourselves.

In this week’s Parsha we read of a mutinous uprising against Moses by his own cousin no less. It was a contest of leadership. Not Moses’s position, rather some other elevated position that Korach felt belonged to him. The problem was, Gd had chosen otherwise.

One would think that this would suffice for Korach, yet in his contest, he questioned whether his lost position was truly from Gd or it was Moses’s doing. It seems that nothing really changes in life. I’ve encountered many a successful person, harboring some resentment about life and all the opportunities that seem to have been awarded elsewhere.

Yet Korach aside — I’m coming off a day, yesterday that is — spent in reflection and inspiration on the 32nd Yartzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

You see, the Rebbe’s approach was radically different. In every encounter he tapped out the latent potential of the other. He refused to accept the status quo. He was the biggest believer in the power of each individual. The sky not even the limit.. (a few interesting links here to see the Rebbe's style - a) 6 people , b) a variety of links)

The results of this empowering truth show for themselves. Both in the network of Chabad Houses that he directly inspired, coupled with the millions of others that upped their game and achieved things that would ordinarily not have —as a result of his conviction and his engulfing message to all. “Live your individual & unique mission” for only you can be you. Only you can achieve the Divine mission gifted to you — the world therefore need you!

One size doesn’t fit all after all — it doesn’t and it shouldn’t. It’s no more than an empty slogan.

As for me, lesson learned and USPS is a great beneficiary of this!!

With best wishes for a Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Yehuda & Dina Kantor

P.S. I still haven’t found the mystery purchaser of the sandwich…

No Big Deal?

Friday, June 12, 2026 - 10:00 AM

I wonder who this was?

Yesterday, someone I don’t know made a donation to Chabad of Westport with the following note attached.

“In honor of the congregant who bought me a kosher brisket sandwich at the historic Knicks game”.

It intrigued me so I reached out to this individual and asked him for some particulars. To which he responded.

“As a member of the Chabad of East Hampton and East Boca I was happy to reciprocate the generosity of one of your congregants who bought my dinner at the kosher stand at Madison Square Garden. (I advised him to order the brisket over the pastrami). I told him I would repay his kindness with a donation to his shul. Not more than that. Kindness begets kindness. Keep up the excellent work”.

Not more than that. Kindness begets kindness.

What a powerful truism! The chain reaction of a good deed — that inspires and results in more good deeds being done.

Not connected or perhaps connected — I received a text this week from a neighboring Chabad Rabbi who was seeking funds to pay for the burial of a “Mr David G..” OBM.

David had passed away without anyone to arrange and pay for his burial —he died penniless. The hospital didn’t know what to do with the body; fortunately they reached out to this Rabbi who immediately committed to giving Mr G a kosher Jewish burial. He was now out of pocket serious funds the he didn’t have and needed help covering the expense.

Knowing our generous community and the level of Mitzvah associated with the burial of another, I committed to send over a significant portion of the expenses to ensure a dignified and kosher Jewish burial. The reaction of kindness getting pushed further down the chain.

I immediately sent an email to a small group and the balance was raised immediately. No more than that. Kindness begets kindness. The chain reaction fully engaged!

Our tradition teaches that not only does a good deed trigger kindness in this world but it actually inspires kindness from On-High — triggering a downward flow of compassion upon the one engaged in kindness. A win win all around.

I don’t know who bought the sandwich at MSG and I don’t know Mr G but that’s hardly the point for the effects of our deeds are way more powerful than we could ever quantify.

May the soul of Mr G have an Aliya ( ascend from level to level) and May those who stepped forward get repaid from The One Above. To the anonymous sandwich buyer — drop me a line, I’d love to buy you a Pastrami sandwich!

Manna From Heaven!

Friday, June 5, 2026 - 10:00 AM

Remember when?

We all have those cherished moments of the past. Time doesn’t dull those memories — to the contrary they become rosier with time.

Stresses associated with events, trips, milestones, you name it, fade away.

There are good parts to that. After all, those stresses should never have presented themselves to begin with. If memory can blot them out then surely they were never too significant to begin with.

At times however, forgetting the reality of the past can be disastrous in navigating the future.

In this week’s Parsha, as the Jewish nation begins to travel around the desert — a group of complainers emerge. Kvetchers if you will. Nothing is good enough for them. Even the coveted Manna from Heaven was insufficient.

The memories of their experience in Egypt and the foods that they purported to have had there, suddenly became attractive. More attractive than their miraculous Heavenly Manna.

How is this possible? Were they not enslaved in Egypt. Were their lives not embittered in Egypt? How could that seem alluring? Do we not speak of this every year at the Seder?

Perhaps the Torah is sharing the power of living in the moment whilst “building” and not comparing to the past. For after all, life’s blessings at each juncture takes a different form, molded to the contours of that particular time and stage. It’s too easy to glorify the past whilst conveniently editing and photoshopping the challenges that were inherent. Whilst that has some advantages, it’s destructive for “appreciating” the current moment.

Appreciation. The key to happiness, success and recognizing our version of Manna from Heaven.

May Gd grant us all continued blessings and an inspired heart to recognize and appreciate all the blessings that we have — to build on the part and to create an even more glorious future!

With best wishes for a Shabbat Shalom,