Acharei-Kedoshim: Being Holy
Dear Friend,
Here are some powerful words that our own Rabbi Tzvi Freeman adapted from the Rebbe's teachings, which we thought would be an appropriate message for this week:
The nations cannot understand why the Jewish people should have a land. “If it is G‑d and scriptures and heaven that you are all about,” they claim, “then why do you want a piece of earth? Is G‑d in a place? Will you find G‑d in settling land, in governing a country, in defending it? Make up your mind: Is it heaven you want, or earth?”
Those words, perhaps, are never said. They are quiet words, engraved within the human psyche. And they are the bias behind all their contentions with us: We don’t belong here, on earth, where they belong, playing by their rules. Because G‑d is in the heavens, and the earth belongs to humankind.
But this is the mission of the Jewish people: For all to see that the same G‑d in heaven is here within the earth, within all the endeavors of humankind. For there is nothing else but Him.
Beginning with that specific, well-defined, very special piece of earth to which our destiny is tied.
Together, let us bring heaven down to earth.
The Chabad.org Editorial Team
Understanding two different approaches to a single verse: the social vs. the interpersonal.
To be a real Jew is to reach out to help others. Sympathy is nice, but that’s just the start of a long journey. The only way to find out what people need is through hard work and determination.
A famous talk by the Lubavitcher Rebbe analyzes the lives of Noah, Abraham and Moses as milestones in humanity’s journey from an instinctive selfhood to a true concept of “love” for one’s fellow.
Instead of asking whether there’s such a thing as a miracle, let’s ask if there’s such a thing as nature. Who is this Mother Nature anyways?
Boston-area rabbi writes about responding to his children’s questions.
A portly gentleman in his mid-sixties collapses into bed each evening, exhausted and spent. His wife by his side, they are attached wrist to wrist with a cord, in case she tries to walk out of the apartment in the middle of the night . . .
It’s perfectly natural for us to feel disconnected from our aging images. What makes us truly who we are, our essence, doesn’t get old—ever. Our bodies decline with time, but our souls don’t decline in any way.
When the lab technician examines a blood sample, the discovery of even .001 percent of the suspected element is very significant.
In a message to the Vancouver Jewish community and to people around the world whose lives were touched by Rabbi Lipa Dubrawsky, a rabbi writes about the loss of a friend and colleague.
The name of this month, Iyar, spells an acronym for the phrase “I am the L‑rd your healer.” What does the unique nature of this month teach us about illness as well as healing? What role do we play in blocking or facilitating our own healing?
Our discussions often burst out into mutual, full-blown frontal attacks. What can I do?
Time just marches on, and we can neither slow its march, nor speed it . . .
I was at my father’s side in the empty prep room. The room was silent; just the two of us. Suddenly—this could happen only in Israel—someone swung open the door and jabbed his head in. “I’m looking for my friend . . .”
In the mood for a BBQ? Or just want a quick, delicious supper? Try these grilled beef kebabs—step-by-step instructions and pictures.
The anecdotes proved plentiful, respectful and admirable. Chabad-Lubavitch representatives called to mind the wise and witty former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher and her various one-on-one encounters with them.
Rabbi Lipa Dubrawsky, scholar and educator of thousands, passed away suddenly at the age of 56. A beloved rabbi and the educational director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Vancouver, Canada, he touched the lives of many through his classes, optimistic attitude and personal warmth.
This painting is a tribute to the beauty of the Havdalah service, and the moments in time that remind us to hold on to the Shabbat glow, long after Shabbat has ended.
The world is a place of constant change and unrest.
Each point in time is distinct from the point before and the point after.
Each point in space is its own world, with its own conditions and state of being.
It is a world of fragments, a perpetual rush of traffic and noise.
Look at your own life: You do so ...
