Chabad Rebbes

The sixth section of the Book of Leviticus opens as G-d addresses Moses after (Acharei, in Hebrew) the death of his brother Aaron’s two oldest sons (which was recounted in the third section, Shemini). G-d gives Moses the laws regarding the Day of Atonemen...

The Torah teaches: “Do not hate your brother in your heart; reprove your fellow man.... Do not take revenge and do not bear a grudge.... Love your fellowman as yourself.” Clearly, “Love your fellowman as yourself” is not commanded in the idyllic expectati...

This Torah reading contains the verse: “Perform My judgments and safeguard My statutes.” “Judgments” translates the Hebrew mishpatim, referring to those laws whose rationale can be comprehended by mortal intellect. “Statutes” translates the Hebrew chukim,...

A Chassidic Rebbe once saw two drunken gentiles stumbling down the street while embracing each other. “I really love you.” “No, you don’t,” answered his friend. “Yes, I do.” “No, you don’t,” went the conversation back and forth for several minutes. “If yo...

Rabbi Nosson Gurary, one of the vintage shluchim who has been working on a college campus in upstate New York for over 30 years, recently related one of his early outreach experiences. It was Yom Kippur and he had been active for several weeks to organize...

The great saint, R. Yisrael of Ruzhin, and several of his chassidim stopped at an inn to spend the night. On the following day, one of the followers noticed that the innkeeper was busying himself with various chores before reciting his morning prayers. “P...

It was Yom Kippur eve and everyone was in shul waiting for the Alter Rebbe to give the signal to begin the Kol Nidrei service. The Rebbe was wearing his kittel , the special Yom Kippur robe, and had lifted his tallis over his head. The entire congregation...

I. With regard to the mitzvah of ahavas Yisrael,we find two different statements from our Sages:[Trans. Note: Certain portions of this sichah were not included in this translation.] a) “Rabbi Akiva states: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ This is a great...

In the famous 19th chapter of Vayikra, which is a summary of many essential principles of the Torah, the laws about fruit-trees are stated. The produce of the first three years of the tree’s life (orlah) is forbidden. The fourth year produce (neta revai) ...

Acharei Mot begins by mentioning the death of Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron. Their death, related in the Sidra of Shemini, is something of a mystery, for on the one hand they seemed to be punished for their faults, while on the other, a Midrashic com...