Va’eira: G‑d Revealed
Dear Friends,
After some serious health scares, my grandmother moved to California, where she is lovingly cared for by my aunt and uncle. As a cross-country trip did not seem feasible, I had resigned myself to not seeing her anytime soon. But we were awarded flights to L.A., so we were off.
We spent many hours together and had a great time. We cried together, laughed together, and yes, I also got scolded. As she saw it, I was wasting too much time. “How consistent are you with fixing regular Torah study sessions?” she asked. “Your grandfather would want you to join a Torah class. I never saw Zaidy without a scholarly book; he never wasted a moment.”
It’s true. Judaism keeps us quite busy. We have ritual-rich holidays all through the year. But this month, Tevet, has almost nothing. Even people who are generally Jewishly occupied can easily lapse now. There is no better antidote than joining a stimulating Torah class. Find one that works for you in our Jewish classes and events directory.
Dovid Zaklikowski,
on behalf of the Chabad.org Editorial Team
To liberate ourselves from the choices that limit us so that we can make choices that empower us is the spiritual exodus we struggle to achieve.
I know the story of the coals, but why did G‑d choose Moses of all people to stutter?
Blood, frogs, lice, wild animals, pestilence, boils, hail—all to get the Jews out of Egypt, and Egypt out of the Jews . . .
The very same sages and mystics who explain how impossible it is to talk about G‑d, talk about Him all the time.
What happened to “once a believer, always a believer”? Two hundred years the Jewish people held on to their faith, and suddenly, just because things got a bit worse, all is gone?
Times of extraordinary illumination from above are preceded by periods of profound darkness.
Rabbi Friedman introduces and defines the general concept of idolatry, and looks at specific “idols” of American society, starting with the worship of money.
Can one truly break away from the evil that others did, and resolve to act with generosity and understanding to others?
When fighting evil, we must take extra precautions not to be soiled, rolling in the mud with our enemy.
Do water and earth have feelings? Would they know if they were struck, and who was doing the striking?
As a child, I manufactured schemes to persuade my family to cancel trips requiring air travel.
Things that come so easily for most children do not come so easily for my child. The confusing, murky world of interpersonal communication remains a puzzle that seems to have a perpetual missing piece.
The mitzvah of education kicks in for each mitzvah as soon as the child is capable of observing it.
The urge to do and achieve is positive if it drives us to bring more good into our world.
He instructed that a careful search be made to see if any of his personal items had been left behind . . .
Why was freedom harmful to spirituality two hundred years ago, and a boon today?
The entire contents of the barrel had leaked out during the long ride. Not a single drop was left!
“Mercy, your honor, mercy, I am the guilty one! Punish me, not this noble old man!”
Between the brain and the heart lies a narrow strait called the neck.
This neck presents a major challenge, because the brain must ponder very deeply to squeeze its thoughts through such tight passage and reach the heart below.
But it is also a great advantage, because when the heart is thrown to and fro by the migh...
