Living Torah Archives

Rabbi Zalman Gopin is a mentor at the yeshiva in Kfar Chabad, Israel. As a student, he once asked the Rebbe about how to best deal with the mood swings a person experiences. He would have expected the Rebbe to say that sadness is a bad thing, unequivocally. To his surprise, the Rebbe’s answer was much more unpredictable. (1960s)

The twentieth of Av marks the passing of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, the Rebbe’s father. Reflecting on the passing of a loved one is seldom joyous and often brings up feelings of sadness and even bitterness.