Mylife: Chassidus Applied

MyLife Chassidus Applied: Where YOUR questions are answeredDonate now: https://mylife500.comFor recording visit the archive page or your favorite podcast carrier.Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics: Shluchim conference • Why did the Rebbe institute the annual Kinus HaShluchim? • What can we all learn from it? • What is the meaning of shlichus? • How did the Rebbe connect the shluchim to the weekly Torah portion? • Who was the first shliach in the Torah? Toldos • What lessons do we learn from living with the times, with this week’s Torah parsha? • How could – and why did – Jacob behave deceptively? • Was there anything redeeming about Esau? • Is tiferes an attribute of its own, or is it an outgrowth of chesed and gevurah? Rebbe Rashab – follow-up • Can you begin teaching a new series of classes in the Rebbe Rashab's chassidus? • Is there a way to figure out what the conclusion of Hemshech Ayin Beis may have been? • How about the answers to the questions in the

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics: Chof Cheshvan What is the unique energy of this time period? Who was the Rebbe Rashab named after? What is the significance of this name, and how does it reflect the work of the Rebbe Rashab? What lessons do we learn from the Rebbe Rashab for our times? Did the Rebbe Rashab pick the souls of all the students of Tomchei Tmimim? Why did he refer to these students as soldiers going “out to a battle of the House of David”? What are practical ways to honor Chof Cheshvan? Studying the Rebbe Rashab’s Chassidus Rabbi Jacobson’s daily Chassidus classes What lessons do we learn from living with the times, with this week’s Torah parsha? Why is the chapter that discusses Sarah’s passing named “the life of Sarah”? How do we define true life? What personified Sarah’s life and legacy? How can we see the evolution of Judaism through the stories of the patriarchs and matriarchs? How old was Rivka when she married Yitzchak? Why did G-d consider concealing His plan to destroy So

MyLife Chassidus Applied: Where YOUR questions are answeredDonate now: https://mylife500.comFor recording visit the archive page or your favorite podcast carrier.Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics: Vayeira • What lessons do we learn from living with the times, with this week’s Torah parsha? 05:25 • Can you explain the story of the Rebbe Rashab crying as a child why Hashem doesn’t appear to him as He did to Abraham, and the Tzemach Tzedek’s response? 11:20 • Why is a bris such an important mitzvah that it was commanded to Abraham before the Torah was formally given? 13:48 • Why then are women not obligated to perform this mitzvah? 18:20 • What did the Tzemach Tzedek say that “Rashab” is the same letters as “basar” (reish, shin, beis)? • Why did Abraham turn away from G-d to greet the guests? 20:18 • How is that different than Melchizedek blessing Abraham before G-d? 22:48 • Why doesn’t G-d bless us to be wealthy like Abraham? 26:07 • Why did Sarah laugh when she heard that she would giv

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics: Post Holidays Follow-Up What should be the focus of our work during these first days of Cheshvan? Why do the revelations of Tishrei, specifically on Shemini Atzeres, give birth only on Pesach? And if that’s the case, what does our avodah entail during these months? Can MarCheshvan also mean Gmar Cheshvan? Why the need for Tohu? Why does G-d elaborate on the place of Abraham’s departure (lech lecha m’artzecha, um’moladetecha um’beis avicha) and is vague about his destination (el ha’aretz asher er’echa)? Why was it important for Abraham to leave his land, birthplace, and parents' home? What are the three types of subjectivity that impede your ability to discover your true self and move forward in life?  Is “G-d speaking to Abraham” literal or metaphorical? Was Terach an abusive father? Was Abraham the first Jew? How do we explain “those that bless you shall be blessed”? Who was Melchizedek King of Salem? Why was the priesthood taken from him due to his bless

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics: Post Holidays What should be the focus of our work during these last days of Tishrei? What is the meaning of the V’Yaakov holach l’darko announcement after the Tishrei holidays? Why is this next month called MarCheshvan, mar meaning “bitter”? Can mar be interpreted as “master”? What are your thoughts on the over-consumption of alcohol on Simchas Torah in our communities? Why should drinking be allowed at all? What is the meaning of the Chassidic aphorism that “the way you establish yourself on Shabbos Bereishis is how your year will go”? Why does the Torah begin with the letter beis and not alef? If it’s because beis is the acronym for blessing (brocha), then why does the Hebrew alphabet and the Ten Commandments begin with an alef? What is the meaning of Tohu in the second verse of this week’s parsha? What is its connection to Kabbalistic concept of Tohu? Did Tohu have free choice to prevent the containers from shattering? What is the meaning of man being crea

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics: Yud Gimmel Tishrei What was unique about the Rebbe Maharash? How did the Rebbe explain (on 13 Tishrei 5740) the words of the Baal HaHilula: “Now we have to go visit my father and hear what is happening? What practical lessons can we learn from the Rebbe Maharash? Does a Rebbe ever "leave" us?How could such an atrocity happen on the day when G-d’s essence is revealed? Why should we go to shul if that makes us targets? What would the Rebbe say to these congregants and to the broader Jewish community to strengthen them? What is the origin of the Sukkos holiday? What is the personal significance of this holiday? Is Sukkos a continuation of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur? How does it help us internalize the light and energy of Yom Kippur? What do we learn from the fact that the sukkah is the only mitzvah that surrounds our entire body? Why doesn’t Chabad sleep in the Sukkah? Since Sukkot foreshadows the Messianic era, why do we focus on temporary dwellings r

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics: Vav Tishrei Any recollections of Vav Tishrei 5725? Why did the Rebbe honor his mother by explaining Rashi’s commentary on the parsha? Can you tell a story about the Rebbe’s mother to inspire us as we head into Yom Kippur? Why is this the holiest day of the year? What is the personal significance of this day? Does G-d need to “atone” for suffering He has caused us? Why lekach? Is Yom Kippur a joyous day? Why do we fast? Why is Yom Haki-purim compared to Purim? What is the connection to a lottery? Why two goats? Should we fight our enemies or transform them? What are some suggestions the Rebbe made to help win the Yom Kippur war? Can we do some of those things this Yom Kippur to win today’s war? Kaporos Kol Nidrei Ki Hinei KaChomer Why do we say in Avinu Malkeinu that “we have no accomplishments”? Why were the ten martyrs killed? V’tiher Rabbi Yishmael How should we react to the embarrassing conflicts in our own shul? Chassidus Applied to Yom Kippur  Yom Kippur

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics: Why does Rosh Hashana offer us new opportunities and possibilities? Erev Rosh Hashana • Why is it customary to visit the gravesite of the righteous before Rosh Hashana? • Please describe how to write a letter to the Rebbe at the Ohel. Or do you write to G-d in merit of the Rebbe? • What is the connection to the Tzemach Tzedek’s birthday on Erev Rosh Hashana? Chassidus Applied to Rosh Hashana • What is the personal significance of this day? • What is the connection between Rosh Hashana being the birthday of the human race and it being the Day of Judgment? • What does Judgment mean? • What does it mean to be written in the Book of Life? • Why don’t we always see the fulfillment of our prayers? • How can we create the proper containers for G-d's blessings? • Are we allowed to ask for physical success and wealth? • Is there one prayer to focus on? • Why do we read on Rosh Hashana the story of Chana praying for a child?

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics: Preparing for the New Year • What should be our focus during these last days of Elul? • What do we learn from the creation of the universe on the 25th of Elul? • Looking back at 5785 can we say it was a good year? • How can we prepare for the New Year if we feel empty and alone due to family separations? • Can a person prepare for the New Year while remaining emotionally unhealthy? • How can I prepare properly for Rosh Hashana when I am struggling financially and it's taking a toll on my shalom bayis? • Just as we need time to prepare for the coronation of the king, can we say that the 31 years since Gimmel Tammuz was needed to prepare for the coronation of Moshiach? Netzavim • Why do we always read this Parsha before Rosh Hashana? • What lessons can we learn from this week’s Parsha? • Unity • Redemption • Torah’s personal relevance • Choose life • What did this covenant add to the Sinai covenant? • How does Tanya expl

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics: What should be our focus as we begin the third week of Elul?  What is unique about the month of Elul? Why is the entire month of Elul not a holiday due to the revelation of the Divine compassion during this month? Why does Elul include V’Dodi Li (from above), which seems to be primarily during the holidays in Tishrei? Why am I not seeing the blessings that I asked for from the “king in the field”? What else can I do to help reveal these blessings?Did the Rebbe say that the parable of the “king in the field” teaches us that influential people need to go into the fields to greet regular people and make sure they have everything they need physically and spiritually? Is there a correlation between the king leaving his palace and going into the field to the concept of dira b'tachtonim, the king leaving the higher worlds and dwelling in the lower worlds? If we are meeting the “king in the field” why do we wait an entire month to coronate Him? Is there a connecti

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics: What should be our focus as we begin the second week of Elul?  How can Elul practically help us in our daily struggles? Since we can do teshuva in the “blink of an eye” why do we need thirty days of Elul and ten days of teshuva? How do we apply the Alter Rebbe’s example of the “king in the field” in our daily lives? What did the Rebbe add to this example? Is there value in just wanting to be better, even if no action is taken? How can we ensure that we are creating the proper containers in Elul to receive the Divine blessings? Can we tap into Elul’s energy all year round? How does sof maaseh b'machshava techila relate to the month of Elul as the last month of the year leading into the new year? What personal and global lessons can we learn from this week’s Parsha in how to fight our life battles? How do we explain the Torah allowing taking a “beautiful woman” captive during war? What are the practical applications of remembering what Amalek did to us? Can

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics: What should be our focus as we begin the month of Elul?  What is unique about this month? What journey did Moshe take on Rosh Chodesh Elul? How do we recreate that journey in our lives? Why does the name Elul, adopted from Babylonian, carry so much weight?  Is there a connection between Elul and hilula? What are the thirteen divine attributes of mercy, how are they more revealed in this month and how can we benefit from them? Why do we blow shofar during this month? Why don’t we begin on the 15th of Av? What did the Rebbe suggest we do during Elul to ensure we have a sweet and successful new year? What personal and global lessons can we learn from the judges and law enforcers we appoint at our gates? What are these gates referring to? Why did the kohen speak to the troops before they went to war? Why is sorcery prohibited? What can we learn from eglah arufah? Can it be applied to the responsibility of those that allowed October 7th to happen? How can we learn

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics: What should be our focus as we move from the month of Av into the month of Elul?  How does the Jewish calendar mirror our life cycles? How does it help us navigate the ups and downs of our lives?  How do we apply the acronym of Elul in our personal lives? What is the significance of the rose in the verse I am to my beloved and my beloved is to me, he who grazes among the roses? Why is the path of the opposite of blessing considered a gift? What is the message of Re’eh – vision? What personal and global lessons can we learn from this week’s Parsha? If the weekly Torah portion captures the energy of the corresponding time period, can the Parsha in which I was born tell me about my life mission? If prayer replaced the temple offerings, and they were only allowed to be brought in the temple, then why are we allowed to pray at home? Are there people whose personalities and characters have been refined and transformed by Chassidus? Why is Chassidus not inspiring man

MyLife Chassidus Applied: Where YOUR questions are answeredDonate now: https://mylife500.comFor recording visit the archive page or your favorite podcast carrier.Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics: What should be our focus as we go forward from the 15th of Av? • What is the significance and the virtue of the nights getting longer? 02:02 • What do we learn from the full moon – when it reflects the sun in its entirety? 04:43 • What is the meaning of yichud shimsha v’sihera, the union of sun and moon? • How is this connected to increasing in Torah study? 08:46 • What are its lessons to our personal lives? Chof Av • What is the relevance of this day to us all? • Is there a connection between this day to the coming New Year? • What is a timely teaching from Reb Levi Yitzchak that we can all learn from? • How does a mezuzah reflect peace at home between husband and wife? • Why do we begin wishing each other a happy new year starting on the 15th of Av? • Why is Yom Kippur considered

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics: Chassidus applied to Tisha B’Av How does this day capture the paradox of a Jew? Why are we still grieving? What is the healthy way of mourning over loss while not being defined by it? Should the main focus of this day be the sadness and grief over the destruction of the Holy Temple, or should it be the joy and happiness that the third Temple will be revealed and be greater than the first two? Why was Moshiach born in the darkest moments of this saddest day of the year? Why did the other sages not laugh like Rabbi Akiva; were they not aware of the future prophecy? Is there a custom to do a “prank” on Tisha B’av as in the story with Reb Yisroel Ruzhiner? Are we supposed to continue the mourning on the 10th of Av? How important is unity in repairing the wounds of Tisha B’Av? And how does that apply today to winning the battles with our enemies? Can we apply Tisha B’av to healing from all forms of illness? What is a balanced Torah approach to healing and medicine?

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics: Why are we still mourning? The inside story of the Nine Days: A Chassidic perspective  Rosh Chodesh Av What lessons do we learn from Aaron’s yahrzeit? What is the significance of him passing away on Har HaHar? What lessons do we learn from the Arzial’s yahrzeit?  Chassidus Applied: What are the spiritual roots of pain, dissonance and unhappiness? How does this relate to the tzimtzum harishon, (cosmic concealment) sheviras ha’keilim (shattering of the containers) and the reshimu (cosmic trace)? Can we connect the “big bang” theory with sheviras ha’keilim? How can there be evil in the world created by a good G-d? What psychological lessons do we learn from this period in dealing with our own challenges? What can I do about my insecurities, self-consciousness and self-centeredness? What is the Chassidic perspective on pain and suffering?Is the Rebbe angry with me? 5 Av Nine Days How should we respond to questions about the recently publicized photo of the Rebbe a

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics: Three Weeks and Moshiach What powerful psychological lessons do we learn from this period in dealing with our own setbacks and difficulties? How do we look at today’s events in the Middle East through the lens of the Three Weeks? Are they a sign of the imminent redemption? After all the signs and promises that Moshiach is about to come, how do we avoid being skeptical that it will happen now? What did the Rebbe mean when he said that the birurim were completed? How do we receive and greet Moshiach? How to achieve geulah consciousness? Will the Third Temple be a physical structure or a spiritual state of consciousness? What does it mean that we are not “obligated to finish the job, but we are not free to abandon it” either? The Rebbe said: “do all you can.” What more can we do? Should we be trying any “trick” methods to bring the geulah? Should we be quitting our jobs and just be focusing on the work to prepare ourselves and the world for Moshiach? Does the geu

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics: 17 Tammuz Why is breaching the walls surrounding Jerusalem a tragedy marked by a fast day? How is this day relevant to our lives? What can we learn from its tragedies to help motivate us during these turbulent times? What does this period teach us about current events? Why will these days be transformed into joyous holidays? What actions should we take during this time? What are both positive and negative signs of the imminent redemption? Does G-d protect each one of us? Are Jews more susceptible to suffering? Why do we grieve during the Three Weeks and don’t just accept that this was G-d's will? What is the central theme and lesson from this week’s Torah portion? How do we determine when we must take initiative like Pinchas and not ask our leaders? Should we seek out a modern-day Pinchas to zealously protect us against our enemies? What are we to think about Jews marching with our enemies? Do you know who this musician is?  Why do people accuse Israel of

Ep. 550: How Does the Frierdiker Rebbe’s Liberation Impact Us Today?

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:Gimmel Tammuz How can we describe and explain this day? How do we honor this day? Why do we say that the presence of a tzaddik is stronger after they pass away?  What was the Rebbe’s last major teaching before Chof Zayin Adar and Gimmel Tammuz? What maamar of the Rebbe would you recommend we study on this day? How is Gimmel Tammuz this year, 31 years later, different from previous years? Are there guidelines on how to pray at the Ohel to realize the best results? Why do some people see their prayers fulfilled more than others? Is there a connection between Korach challenging Moshe’s leadership and Gimmel Tammuz? Is there a connection with the theme of Parshas Chukas, about purification from the toxins of death? What can we do to not feel depressed and threatened by today’s world events? What did the Rebbe say about wars waged in Persia? Can we say that the Rebbe is Moshiach after Gimmel Tammuz? Will everyone in the world immediately know that Moshiach has arriv