Eikev
History in the Making
Dear Friend,
This week marks 72 years since the passing of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, father of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory. A mystic, scholar, and chief rabbi of Dnipropetrovsk, he died in Kazakhstan, where he had been exiled by the Soviets as punishment for his fearless efforts on behalf of Jewish people and their right to serve G‑d.
Russia is currently hosting a massive gathering of Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries from all over Europe.
The conference is more than just a celebration of the present with an eye toward the future. It is a direct tribute to Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, a prominent leader of the thousands of Chassidim who laid their lives on the line to preserve the flame of Judaism that Stalin and his minions tried to snuff out.
Throngs of Jewish leaders are proudly walking down the very same corridors of power where their predecessors walked shackled and silenced. A country where Judaism had been suppressed is now supporting a Jewish revival that extends far beyond its borders.
The blood, sweat and tears of the previous generations were not in vain. The long-reaching effects of the efforts of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak and his brave comrades are still being felt today.
The Chabad.org Team
A telling interaction between Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson and Peretz Markish during the height of Stalinist terror.
G‑d is surely not a hypocrite. If He tells us to do something, He should do it Himself as well. So shouldn't G‑d be obligated to feed the poor? Why doesn't He help His own children rather than commanding us to do it for Him?
Says the Talmud, Rabbi Eleazar used to give a coin to a poor man and immediately begin to pray.
Our verse implies that our unconditional connection with G‑d is itself conditional! Can that be right?
Seven areas of our lives represented by the "Seven Kinds": our humanity (wheat), passion (barley), joy (grapes), intimacy (figs), action (pomegranates), struggle (olives) and tranquility (dates)
It’s understandable that if you had to rely on a daily miracle to eat, you’d always feel hungry.
A condensation of the weekly Torah portion alongside select commentaries culled from the Midrash, Talmud, Chassidic masters, and the broad corpus of Jewish scholarship.
But how can I be a friend still? How can I conjure her up at a moment’s notice—not because of something I see, but something I do?
The treacherous Jew, who had pretended to be a Catholic, would be put to death by burning in the city square.
A rabbi donates a kidney to save the life of a 56-year-old, who plans to advocate for similar donations.
Ron Dermer lauds Chabad of Baka for welcoming new immigrants.
A win-win for everyone, building Judaism and community in Ukraine.
Coordinating volunteer efforts; offering weekday meals and a community Shabbat dinner.
In the beginning, a world of twos was created.
Heaven and Earth. Body and soul. Good and evil. Life and death. Light and darkness.
Those who chose Heaven abandoned the earth. Those who chose the body abandoned the soul. Those who chose evil destroyed life.
Those who chose good believed it would only come with death....
