https://www.chabad.org/search/keyword.asp?kid=32017 Newest articles written by Elisha Pearl Copyright 2026, Chabad.org - Chabad-Lubavitch Media Center, all rights reserved. Mon, 01 Jan, 0001 12:00:00 EST Mon, 01 Jan 0001 12:00:00 EST https://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=7084982 https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/7084982/jewish/Part-17-Jewish-Unity-Realism-about-Redemption.htm Stay tuned for this segment We look forward to sending this segment to all registered students of the “End the Cycle” course when this segment is released. If you are not yet enrolled in this course, click below to join this series. Enroll Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:00:00 EST https://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=7084981 https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/7084981/jewish/Part-16-Domestic-Terrorism-and-Hostages.htm Stay tuned for this segment We look forward to sending this segment to all registered students of the “End the Cycle” course when this segment is released. If you are not yet enrolled in this course, click below to join this series. Enroll Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:00:00 EST https://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=7084980 https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/7084980/jewish/Part-15-Governing-Judea-Samaria-and-Gaza.htm Stay tuned for this segment We look forward to sending this segment to all registered students of the “End the Cycle” course when this segment is released. If you are not yet enrolled in this course, click below to join this series. Enroll Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:00:00 EST https://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=7084979 https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/7084979/jewish/Cultivating-Confidence.htm Be bold as a leopard. Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:00:00 EST https://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=7084978 https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/7084978/jewish/Weapons-of-the-Spirit.htm Introduction Education shapes tomorrow’s warriors. But Israel’s soldiers face snipers today. As the Rebbe put it to Israeli Airforce General Ron Pekkar “we don't have time to wait for the results of the education we’re giving youth today. We may be called to act before then. Until we reap the fruits of education, it will take an entire generation.” The previous class argued that Jewish education — especially for children — is the key to cultivating the conviction needed to defend the Land. A five-year-old reciting Shema is forging her link in a chain of forty generations, establishing the “might” that silences enemies. This is true, and it is urgent. But it is also slow. A generation takes twenty years to raise. So what do we offer the soldier shipping out to Lebanon tomorrow morning? And what do we offer the Jewish people as a collective to strengthen them spiritually and psychologically? The answer: Mi Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:00:00 EST https://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=7084977 https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/7084977/jewish/The-Educational-War-The-Torah-Is-Our-Greatest-Weapon.htm You have established [our] strength from the mouth of children. PSALMS 8:3 And all the nations of the world shall see that G‑d’s name is called upon you, and they will fear you. DEUTERONOMY 28:10 Fighting Fire with Fire Clarifying our claim to the Land of Israel leads us to the soul of the conflict. While military strategy is essential, success in modern warfare is ultimately determined not by guns and tanks, but by strength of spirit. We have presented the Torah's perspective on military strategy and the Jewish claim to the Land, demonstrating why these views are logical and offer the best chance for a secure and prosperous Israel. Yet the key to winning this struggle is neither military tactics nor a solid claim – it is the strength of our faith and commitment. See Ryan, M. W. S. (2018). Defeatin Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:00:00 EST https://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=7084976 https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/7084976/jewish/Pious-Arguments-Against-Defending-Israel-Refuted.htm I have made you swear, daughters of Jerusalem… that you not arouse or awaken the love, until the time is right. SONG OF SONGS 2:7, 3:4, 8:5 We have explored one popular set of Jewish arguments, based on the Torah values of peace and justice, which maintains that we should make concessions ranging from giving away parts of Israel to relinquishing it entirely. While at first glance, these sentiments are laudable, careful inspection shows that they are both practically dangerous and do not align with the Torah’s view. Notably, these arguments based on peace and justice most often come from Jews who are assimilating into the prevailing Western culture. Yet there is another set of arguments often advanced in the Torah’s name which opposes Jewish self-defense and favors concessions. Unlike the first cluster of claims we explored, this second group of arguments tends to be championed by Jews who are deeply committed to Tora Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:00:00 EST https://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=7084974 https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/7084974/jewish/What-Is-the-Jewish-Claim-to-the-Land.htm G‑d appeared to Abraham and said, "I will give this land to your offspring." GENESIS 12:7 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore and said, "I shall multiply your offspring like the stars of the heavens. And this entire Land of which I have spoken, I shall give your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever." EXODUS 32:13 Given that the conflict centers around the Jewish people's presence in Israel, let's discuss why the Jews have a right to be there to begin with. Perhaps they should go back to Moscow, Brooklyn, Egypt, Birobidzhan, Birobidzhan is a remote province in Russia which the early Soviet government designated for Jewish settlement. Part of the goal of this settlement was to isolate Jews from central Russia. The settlement failed, yet various antisemitic individuals and influencers have made the claim that Birobidzha Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:00:00 EST https://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=7084975 https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/7084975/jewish/Whose-Peace-Whose-Justice-A-Response-to-Well-Meaning-but-Naive-Readings-of-Torah-Morality.htm Justice, Justice, shall you pursue; in order that you live and inherit the Land that the L‑rd, your G‑d, is giving you. DEUTERONOMY 16:20 Peace, Justice, and Integrity: Investigating Jewish Social Justice In the previous class, we established the Torah's unambiguous truth: the Land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people by Divine promise. We also addressed the competing narratives – Islamist, Western Social Justice, and International Law – that challenge this claim from the outside. But what happens when the challenge comes from within? Some Jews argue that the Torah itself demands territorial concessions – that authentic Jewish values like “peace” and “justice” require us to cede the Land or soften our resolve to defend it. These internal challenges come from two seemingly opposite directions, yet both reach the same dangerous conclusion. The first comes from Jews who have absorbed We Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:00:00 EST https://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=7084973 https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/7084973/jewish/When-Is-War-Over.htm You shall lay siege to the city that is waging war against you until it is subdued. DEUTERONOMY 20:20 A hallmark of Israel’s wars is that they appear to go in cycles, or “rounds,” as the Israeli idiom has it. Israel has fought war after war in Gaza and in Lebanon (and the same observation can be extended to Israel’s wars with Iran). Beyond proactive defense, how might we end the cycle of violence and make peace? The answer is simple. Instead of engaging in timid, piecemeal, responses, a Jewish army must fully neutralize threats. Halachic Foundations The Torah teaches, Deuteronomy 20:20 “You shall lay siege to the city that is waging war against you until it is subdued.” Shammai, a Mishnaic Sage, interprets the verse, “until it is subdued,” as a directive to continue fighting until the enemy surrenders. See Shabbos 19a. The broader context of S Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:00:00 EST https://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=7084972 https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/7084972/jewish/Land-A-Critical-Strategic-Asset.htm A border city: refers to a town that stands between the territory of Israel and that of other nations. We must defend it, lest enemies capture it and thereby gain easy acesss to conquer the rest of the land. RASHI, EIRUVIN 45a I reiterate: Every military expert I know of who was asked answered, without exception, that any territorial concession in Judea, Samaria, and the Golan, literally amounts to putting lives in danger, without any doubt in the matter. THE REBBE See Igros Kodesh, Vol. 33, p. 102, Letter #12,313 to Rabbi Aizik Schwei, dated 3 Teves 5738 (1977); also printed in Karasi V’Ein Oneh, Vol. 2, p. 466. Land’s Strategic Value When it comes to a border city, the rules are more stringent. Even if the enemies are coming for insignificant items, such as straw or hay, we ar Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:00:00 EST https://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=7084971 https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/7084971/jewish/The-Jewish-Strategic-Playbook.htm What qualifies as an obligatory [mitzvah] war? Defending Israel [the Jewish people] against an enemy. MAIMONIDES, MISHNEH TORAH, LAWS OF KINGS, 5:1 In our exploration of the Torah’s military guidance, we have seen the importance of cultivating and heeding strategic military experts who are not compromised by complacency, or worse, by political considerations. We also studied a key proverb that, if practiced, would radically alter Israel’s security for the better. When we further explore Torah sources, we see that halachah offers us a robust strategic defensive playbook. This strategic framework, which traces back to the Talmud and is codified in the Code of Jewish Law, was comprehensively elucidated by the Rebbe for contemporary Jewish self-defense. The Rebbe offered an analysis relevant to a Jewish community anywhere in the world, while applying it to the Jewish state’s contemporary p Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:00:00 EST https://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=7084970 https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/7084970/jewish/Rise-Up-Credible-Deterrence-and-Proactive-Defense.htm If someone is coming to kill you, rise up to kill them. TALMUD, SANHEDRIN 72a Rising Up The talmud teaches: Sanhedrin 72a, 102a; Berachos 58a, 62a; Yoma 85a; Tanchuma, Pinchas, 3; Zohar, Vol. 1, 138a. Rashi on Exodus 22:1 demonstrates how this principle is derived from a Torah verse. This proverb is adopted as normative halachah. See Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Geneiva, 9:7-13; Shulchan Aruch, Choshen Mishpat, 425:1; Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, Choshen Mishpat, Hilchos Nizkei Guf V’Nefesh, 12. For the Rebbe’s application of this source to the conflict, see Toras Menachem — Hisvaaduyos 5729, Vol. 1, p. 242; Toras Menachem — Hisvaaduyos 5729, Vol. 2, pp. 357-363; <a href="/torah-texts/59891 Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:00:00 EST https://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=7084969 https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/7084969/jewish/Warfare-as-Medicine.htm War is an illness which must be healed. THE REBBE Toras Menachem 5727 Vol. 3, p. 428, Bamidbar (1967); Sichos Kodesh 5727, Vol. 2, p. 122. Only military experts can rule on matters such as war and land concessions, since they are the only qualified source on security matters. THE REBBE Karasi V’Ein Oneh, Vol. 1, p. 111, Simchas Torah 5736 (1975); Sichos Kodesh 5736 Vol. 1, p. 131; cf. Karasi V’Ein Oneh, Vol. 1, p. 360, Bereishis 5739 (1978). Who Determines Appropriate Military Responses? Before considering specific military responses, it’s crucial to determine who should decide the nature of these responses. The principles we will discuss in the coming classes are guidelines Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:00:00 EST https://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=7084968 https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/7084968/jewish/Land-for-Peace.htm The leech has two daughters [who cry] Give! Give! PROVERBS 30:15 The “leech” represents a person or entity that constantly demands more, while its two “daughters” symbolize the unending nature of these demands. The phrase “Give! Give!” emphasizes the relentless and persistent nature of such cravings. See Tanya, Ch. 19. For the application of this verse in the context of “Land for Peace,” see Karasi V’Ein Oneh, Vol. 2, p. 116, 10 Shvat 5741 (1981); Sichos Kodesh, 5741, Vol. 2, p. 170, 10 Shvat. I have devoured, and I will continue to devour! MIDRASH, BEREISHIS RABBAH 19:12 See Sichos Kodesh 5740, Vol. 1, p. 460, 10 Kislev (1979); p. 566, 19 Kislev (1979); Vol. 2, p. 30. There, the Rebbe uses this phrase from the Midrash to explain that those who seek concessions do so not for peace, but inste Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:00:00 EST https://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=7084967 https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/7084967/jewish/Outsourcing-to-the-International-Community.htm The sword shall not pass through your Land… LEVITICUS 26:6 You have been a staff of reeds for the House of Israel. When they grasped you with their hands, you splintered and shattered their shoulders; when they leaned on you, you broke and caused them to collapse. EZEKIEL 29:6-7 See discussion in Toras Menachem 5725, Vol. 3, pp. 35-38, Purim (1965) The international community seems to have tremendous sympathy and concern for Israel’s conflicts with its various enemies. International media discusses this conflict endlessly, and leaders the world over opine freely with their takes on how it should be resolved. Surely, the international community would like to see fewer deaths along with peace and prosperity in the region. Perhaps, instead of merely pushing for a ceasefire, the int Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:00:00 EST https://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=7084966 https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/7084966/jewish/Ceasefire-Now.htm His pleasantries are smooth like butter, but his heart is at war. His words are smooth like oil, but they are drawn swords. PSALMS 55:22 You have deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, 'You will have peace’ when the sword is at our throats. JEREMIAH 4:10 An immediate ceasefire appears to be the most straight forward solution to any armed conflict. The logic is simple: People are killing each other — so why not just stop it? Perhaps Hamas committed violent acts against Jews, massacring over 1400 and kidnapping more than 230. They might have launched a few thousand rockets. But those events happened in the past. Not responding would prevent further suffering. Taking the high road might eventually lead to peace. Though this approach may sound appealing, there are several reasons why, on deeper inspection, it is ineffective. A) A Net Victory for Terror Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:00:00 EST https://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=7083853 https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/7083853/jewish/End-the-Cycle.htm The Rebbe’s timeless vision for Israel’s security in a clear and accessible manner, distilling thousands of pages of his commentary into a systematic guide. Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:00:00 EST https://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=7057170 https://www.chabad.org/multimedia/course_cdo/aid/7057170/jewish/End-the-Cycle.htm The hostages are back, thank G-d. But this conflict is not over. Israel is still surrounded by those who seek to harm its residents, and peace seems more elusive than ever. Tue, 30 Sep 2025 12:00:00 EST https://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=6094536 https://www.chabad.org/torah-texts/6094536/The-Souls-Cry/Chapter-Four Introduction This chapter develops an earlier discussion of the maamar. Chapter 2 of the maamar highlighted one of the aims of shofar blowing: to rebuild Malchus — G‑d’s speech and action. This reconstruction is rooted in reawakening G‑d’s pleasure, which “departs” each Rosh HaShanah. Reigniting this pleasure is essential for the world’s recreation. When someone becomes conscious of what brings them pleasure, it catalyzes an inner process leading them to actualize that pleasure. The present chapter picks up on this point and begins by asking: If G‑d’s pleasure in the world “departs,” how does the world continue to exist? To strengthen the question, Kabbalah reveals that on the night of Rosh HaShanah, Ze’eir Anpin, which is responsible for transmitting the Divine middos to the world, enters a state of dormancy (dormita). < Mon, 18 Sep 2023 12:00:00 EST https://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=6094635 https://www.chabad.org/torah-texts/6094635/The-Souls-Cry/Chapter-Five Introduction This chapter proceeds to explain the concept of “nesirah,” an integral element in renewing the world’s life force. The present chapter introduces several new esoteric concepts. For explanation of these themes, see the Rebbe’s maamar entitled Tiku in Sefer HaMaamarim 5727, pp. 3-14; Maamarei Admur HaZakein 5565, Vol. 2, pp. 885-908; Maamarei Admur HaZakein Al HaTorah, Vol. 2, pp. 877-885; Pelach HaRimon, Drushim L’Chodesh Tishrei, pp. 28-38. This principle can be traced back to the Chumash, which narrates the creation of Adam (on the very first Rosh HaShanah). After creating Adam, G‑d put him into a state of deep sleep, termed “tardemah” Bereishis 2:21. in the Torah and “dormita” in Kabbalah. Zohar III, Idra Rabba, 1 Mon, 18 Sep 2023 12:00:00 EST https://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=6094722 https://www.chabad.org/torah-texts/6094722/The-Souls-Cry/Chapter-Six Introduction Having explained the nesirah, and the necessity for both Ze’eir Anpin and Nukva to be in a state of Chessed, the Alter Rebbe now proceeds to discuss the importance of integrating Gevurah with Chessed, and the role of the shofar in this process. In order to establish an effective relationship in which Ze’eir Anpin can give with appropriate passion and intensity, it must incorporate a measure of Gevuros to enhance its Chassadim. This dynamic is described as “Gevuros being balanced with Chassadim.” While Chessed exemplifies calm and indiscriminate giving, Gevurah embodies an emotional valence of intensity. Pure Gevurah is incapable of being in a balanced relationship with others since it is consumed with “ascending to its source” in an effort to achieve its own idealistic visio Mon, 18 Sep 2023 12:00:00 EST https://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=6094747 https://www.chabad.org/torah-texts/6094747/The-Souls-Cry/Chapter-Seven Introduction The maamar has spoken at length about how Yitzchak’s intensity, Gevuros, in a sweetened form, are necessary in order to manifest intense blessings in the world. The Alter Rebbe now touches upon the story in the Torah which describes Yitzchak bestowing these blessings. Bereishis 27:1-8. This story is the nucleus of all blessings that manifest Yitzchak’s intensity throughout history. The Alter Rebbe contrasts these blessings with blessings bestowed by Jewish leaders in other instances, demonstrating how Yitzchak’s blessings were more intense. He also briefly explores the details of the backstory to Yitzchak’s blessings in Bereishis. Originally, Yitzchak intended to bless his wicked son Eisav. However, by conspiring with Rivkah, Yitzchak’s wife and mother of both his sons, the righteous Yaakov successfully caused Yitzchak to g Mon, 18 Sep 2023 12:00:00 EST https://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=6094757 https://www.chabad.org/torah-texts/6094757/The-Souls-Cry/Practical-Applications While the maamar discusses many lofty spiritual concepts, the Rebbe stresses that we must apply these concepts to ourselves: within our inner world, our soul, and our psyche. The Rebbe explicitly makes this point about our maamar in Toras Menachem,Vol. 4, p. 11. With that in mind, here are several practical applications one can derive from this maamar. 1. The Baal Shem Tov’s Story Consider the Baal Shem Tov’s story of the lost prince crying out to his father. Take a moment to reflect on your own life: the opportunities that G‑d, our Father, has given you, and how you may have squandered them at times. After deeply pondering this point, you may feel a sense of sadness. But the goal is not to wallow in these feelings. Instead, let them serve as the catalyst for a renewed and empowered connection with G‑d. This will help inspire you to joyously fulfill the mission with which Mon, 18 Sep 2023 12:00:00 EST https://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=6090932 https://www.chabad.org/torah-texts/6090932/The-Souls-Cry/Chapter-Three Introduction In the first chapter, the Alter Rebbe presented the concept of a memutza, an intermediary that bridges two realities. In chapter 2, he explained the necessity of awakening the “power of pleasure” to drive action. This force animates every layer of the soul, generating action. In this chapter, the Alter Rebbe connects these concepts to the act of blowing the shofar, illustrating how its sound awakens G‑d’s Pleasure, prompting Him to recreate the worlds and “birth” Jewish souls once again. Awakening Pleasure Inspires Action In this section, the Alter Rebbe applies the two introductory principles to the sounding of the shofar. The shofar projects a simple voice, like the letter alef. It is an intermediate stage between voice and speech. This Thu, 14 Sep 2023 12:00:00 EST https://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=6089897 https://www.chabad.org/torah-texts/6089897/The-Souls-Cry/Chapter-Two Introduction In this chapter, the Alter Rebbe presents the second of the two foundational principles necessary to explain the tekiah’s function: the concept that the key to achieving any goal is by tapping into the inherent “power of pleasure.” He postulates that if one is not convinced that they will derive pleasure from an action, they are likely to avoid it. The Alter Rebbe opens the chapter by exploring how an essence is manifest, in both the spiritual and physical realms. He uses two examples to illustrate that the beginnings of something significant often appear simple. Consider the “human seed.” It is not the sophisticated aspect of human cognition, like thought, that creates a new human being. Rather, it is this simple seed. Similarly, a fruit’s seed – rather than its succulent flesh – holds the capability to generate a new fruit. On a spiritual note, even though the Jewish Thu, 14 Sep 2023 12:00:00 EST https://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=6089345 https://www.chabad.org/torah-texts/6089345/The-Souls-Cry/Chapter-One Opening Why do we blow the shofar on Rosh HaShanah? On the one hand, we perform all the mitzvos simply because they are G‑d’s Will, without the need for any further reasons or explanations. Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Temurah, 4:13; Tanya, Chs. 5, 23; Likkutei Torah, Devarim,23a, 23c, 83c, 99c; Hemshech 5666, pp. 73-74 (See note 63 there for additional sources.) (Kehot 2010.) On the other hand, every mitzvah has multiple layers of meaning that we should try to comprehend according to our individual capacities.Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Me’ilah, 8:8; Temurah 4:13; Sefer HaChinuch, Mitzvah 95; Ohr HaChaim, Bamidbar 19:2; Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 32, pp. 174-176. For an elaboration on the idea of multiple layers of meaning, see Derech Mitzvosecha, Mitzvas Piryah V’Rivyah Wed, 13 Sep 2023 12:00:00 EST https://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=6089286 https://www.chabad.org/torah-texts/6089286/The-Souls-Cry From Siddur Im Dach, this discourse was given by the Alter Rebbe and transcribed by the Miteler Rebbe. Wed, 13 Sep 2023 12:00:00 EST