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Nitzavim-Vayelech
This Week's Highlights
Shalom!
We hope your week—the second to last before Rosh Hashanah!—is humming along. This week, in addition to our typical magazine, we decided to try something new: give you a shorter version of our best content for this week. Let’s see how it goes!
- Human composting is now legal in six states. Dive in with us as we chat about what the Torah says about it.
- 8 out of 10 Americans say they believe in a soul. But what is it, really? Tzvi Freeman's taken a deep dive into Chassidic teachings to share some enlightening thoughts.
- Rosie Grossbaum is not just any Chabad teenager; she's a beacon of positivity, even with her Cystic Fibrosis diagnosis. Trust us, her story is a must-read.
- Yaakov Schy had a cultural epiphany in Bhutan, all thanks to a Tajik man's comment on his North Face clothing.
- Talk about turning lemons into lemonade. Discover how a grounded El Al flight led to a heartwarming Shabbat celebration for 200 in Rhodes, Greece.
- The Jewish Ghetto of Venice is teeming with stories, but wait till you read about what the Cantor of the Park East Synagogue just experienced. Spoiler: It's profound.
- The Baal Shem Tov isn't just a name; he's a cornerstone of the Chassidic movement. We've put together 15 interesting facts about this influential figure.
- Think you're an expert on the Hassidic movement? We've got a fun quiz lined up. No cheating!
- The Hebrew word of the week means “education,” but there's a twist: it is also related to midwives!
- Why’s it so crucial to include even the tiniest tots in Hakhel? This week's Parsha sheds some light.
- With Rosh Hashanah around the corner, get into the spirit with an inspiring Chassidic tale and a delicious salmon recipe that'll have your guests asking for seconds.
- Finally: A big mazal tov to Ukraine’s newest rabbinical couple! Read their story here.
As we march towards Rosh Hashanah, we want to wish you easy and meaningful preparations. Have a great week and a sweet new year in 5784!
Mendy Kaminker and the Chabad.org Editorial Team
PS: Ashkenazim begin Selichot (pre-Rosh Hashanah morning prayers) in the wee hours of this Sunday morning. Read up on them here.
PPS: Should you need any High Holiday supplies, our Judaica shop has you covered!
Voices
The Courageous Spirit of a Teen With Cystic Fibrosis
Wherein lies the source of Rosie’s positivity? What enables her to embrace a life that appears to us to be fraught with uncertainties?
Wherein lies the source of Rosie’s positivity? What enables her to embrace a life that appears to us to be fraught with uncertainties?
I Was Dating a Man With Cancer and Couldn’t Handle It
Did he not understand that I didn’t want to hurt him, but that I didn’t want to mislead him either?
Did he not understand that I didn’t want to hurt him, but that I didn’t want to mislead him either?
How I Met My Jewish Self in a Temple in Bhutan
Amidst the vast landscapes of Bhutan, a young man's passion for language unexpectedly reawakens his bond to Judaism.
Amidst the vast landscapes of Bhutan, a young man's passion for language unexpectedly reawakens his bond to Judaism.
The 96-Year-Old Survivor Who Did a Last (and First) Mitzvah
The younger of the two boys shared a story. “You know, it seems very quiet now, but this past Friday I experienced the greatest moment of my life.”
The younger of the two boys shared a story. “You know, it seems very quiet now, but this past Friday I experienced the greatest moment of my life.”
By the Numbers
15 Facts About the Baal Shem Tov
He spent much time roaming the forest, admiring G‑d’s pristine creations.
He spent much time roaming the forest, admiring G‑d’s pristine creations.
10 Questions: Take the Hassidim Quiz
Beyond black coats and fur hats, what do you know about the Hassidic way of life?
Beyond black coats and fur hats, what do you know about the Hassidic way of life?
Video
Rosh Hashanah: What’s It Really All About?
How the Jewish New Year is celebrated and what it tells us about every human being and our relationship to G-d.
How the Jewish New Year is celebrated and what it tells us about every human being and our relationship to G-d.
What is the Purpose of Life on Earth?
But why does G-d need our efforts? Can He not accomplish His goals without us? A pre-Rosh Hashanah message.
But why does G-d need our efforts? Can He not accomplish His goals without us? A pre-Rosh Hashanah message.
Parshah
Why Children Must Be Present at Hakhel
The Torah espoused the value of early childhood education thousands of years before modern educational psychology recognized it.
The Torah espoused the value of early childhood education thousands of years before modern educational psychology recognized it.
For Your Nitzavim-Vayelech Hakhel Group (PDF)
This weekly study packet is part of theJewishwoman.org “Be a Leader” initiative. Print it out and learn it with your study group.
This weekly study packet is part of theJewishwoman.org “Be a Leader” initiative. Print it out and learn it with your study group.
Your Questions
Is Human Composting Permitted in Judaism?
While seemingly akin to traditional burial, human composting presents numerous issues.
While seemingly akin to traditional burial, human composting presents numerous issues.
What Is a Soul?
Just as we invoke the existence of a force of gravity to explain things falling and an electromagnetic force to explain a host of otherwise very mysterious phenomena, so we invoke the existence of a soul-force to explain our inner experience of being alive, conscious, and self-directed.
Just as we invoke the existence of a force of gravity to explain things falling and an electromagnetic force to explain a host of otherwise very mysterious phenomena, so we invoke the existence of a soul-force to explain our inner experience of being alive, conscious, and self-directed.
Jewish News
Hebrew Word of the Week
Story
The Master Key
Finally, the great moment arrived. It was the morning of Rosh Hashanah, and Rabbi Ze’ev stood on the reading platform in the center of the Baal Shem Tov’s synagogue amidst the Torah scrolls, surrounded by a sea of tallit-draped bodies.
Finally, the great moment arrived. It was the morning of Rosh Hashanah, and Rabbi Ze’ev stood on the reading platform in the center of the Baal Shem Tov’s synagogue amidst the Torah scrolls, surrounded by a sea of tallit-draped bodies.
Lifestyle
Download Your Free Rosh Hashanah Cookbook
Our free Rosh Hashanah cookbook includes easy recipes with beautiful photos and clear directions that will guide you as you prepare your Rosh Hashanah meals.
Our free Rosh Hashanah cookbook includes easy recipes with beautiful photos and clear directions that will guide you as you prepare your Rosh Hashanah meals.
Honey-Mustard Glazed Salmon with Pomegranate Salsa
This recipe is perfect for Rosh Hashanah. Pomegranates symbolize our wish to have a year filled with mitzvot and good deeds, just as a pomegranate is filled with luscious seeds.
This recipe is perfect for Rosh Hashanah. Pomegranates symbolize our wish to have a year filled with mitzvot and good deeds, just as a pomegranate is filled with luscious seeds.
Said Rabbi Judah in the name of Rav: A person is forbidden to eat before he feeds his animals, for it is written (Deuteronomy 11:15), "[I will send grass in your fields] for your cattle" and only after that, "that you may eat and be sated."
— Talmud, Berachot 40a
Print Magazine
How can you attain love of an infinite G-d? Through love of your fellow human beings.
As Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa would say, “If people like you, G-d likes you too.”
How did he know?
Because he knew that if people truly like you, it must be that you genuinely like them.
And when you hold genuine love in your heart for ...
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