Mylife: Chassidus Applied

Addressing the Personal and Emotional Needs of Our Community and Answering the Most Pressing Questions of Our Lives -- from the Perspective of Chassidic Thought. Dedicated by Chava and Ephraim Merovitch In honor of Chava's birthday, Rosh Chodesh Iyar And in loving memory of HaRav HaChosid R' Mordechai Tzvi ben Chaim Yosef a"h Greenwald Yahrzeit, 3 Iyar 5778 TOPICS: • Chassidus Applied to Beis Iyar  • What is the story behind Moshiach’s Sefer Torah -- concluded 50 years ago?  • Lessons from Acharei-Kedoshim  • is there a connection between Iyar and today’s events?  • Does unity make us more immune?  • Revelation: R' Yehuda Leib Hakohen: Tanya is Ketores for all the spiritual epidemics in ikvasa d'meshicha  • Any suggestions on dealing with challenges as we are quarantined together at home?  • More on singles quarantined  • Should we be paying tuition for closed schools amid Covid-19?    • Why doesn’t a name change always protect the individual?  • Why is

Addressing the Personal and Emotional Needs of Our Community and Answering the Most Pressing Questions of Our Lives -- from the Perspective of Chassidic Thought. Dedicated in honor of Aharon Eliyahu Ben Leah And in honor of all the great yidden helping their brethren during these tough times. TOPICS: • Chassidus Applied and lessons for our time from Post-Pesach, Chof Ches Nissan, Tazria-Metzora and Rosh Chodesh Iyar 01:38 Post Pesach 18:38 • Chof Ches Nissan: It’s up to you 07:14 • Iyar: Acronym of Ani Hashem Rofecho. I, G-d, am Your Healer 19:55 • Tazria-Metzora: Birthing of a new paradigm, through the pain of disease; negah/oneg 23:46 • Are there any parallels between our current corona plague and the plague that struck Rabbi Akiva's students? 32:32 • What is the significance of baking a shlissel challah? 38:07  • Please share some of your experiences and memories of Rabbi Leibel Groner, the Rebbe’s longtime secretary 40:32 • How do we address the guilt of the surviving relatives in this pandemic? 45

SPECIAL CHOL HAMOED PESACH EDITION In this special edition, Rabbi Simon Jacobson explains what we can learn from Moshiach’s Seudah regarding the challenges facing us today  TOPICS: • Can you please give us more Torah/Chassidic perspective on the approach we should be taking in dealing with this unprecedented quarantine?  12:55 • As a single, I find the loneliness unbearable. Please share some advice? 13:35 • How can a lockdown in our homes be seen as an opportunity? 27:16 • What possible benefit can the disruption of our routines offer? 35:08 • Chassidus applied to Acharon Shel Pesach especially in this time 41:50 • Why will Moshiach judge with his power of scent? 49:00 • What is the significance of Moshiach’s seudah on the last day of Pesach? 45:53 • Does the coronavirus have any connection with Moshiach? 46:20 • What does Shabbos HaGadol mean today? 55:32 • With a temporary loss of smell do I make the blessing on spices during havdalah? 01:00:30 • Is it permissible to shave one’s beard during cor

Chassidus applied to Yud Alef Nissan 0:24 What does Shabbos HaGadol mean today?  Yud Gimmel Nissan: Lessons from the Tzemech Tzedek about an epidemic 27:30 How is this night different? Lessons from Pesach 03:40 How can we be making Pesach and fulfilling our other obligations when we should be helping others in this time of need? 46:23 What is the significance of reading the nasi? 24:23 Increasing in Torah study in honor of Yud Alef Nissan 26:06 What is the significance of corona meaning crown? Is there something we can do to repair the sefira of kesser on a spiritual level to help stop the virus? 15:18 How to deal with the challenge of being at home with my kids? 52:46 How about those of us who have no family? 50:02 What is the bare minimum of people needed to do a Seder? 49:32 Which Parsha will we read after the quarantine is over? 51:36 Seder related questions 57:23

Addressing the Personal and Emotional Needs of Our Community and Answering the Most Pressing Questions of Our Lives -- from the Perspective of Chassidic Thought. SPECIAL CORONA EDITION PART IV Dedicated in honor of Eliezer ben Sheina Miriam, for a complete and speedy refuah shleimah In this special edition of MyLife, Rabbi Simon Jacobson teaches a powerful and unique text from the Arizal discussing the nature and spiritual roots of an epidemic, and what can be done to counter it.  TOPICS: • How do we address the paradox of the pandemic happening during these redemptive and miraculous days of Nissan? 0:25 • Should we be doing things differently because of the situation? 4:51 • What lessons do we learn from Pesach about the coronavirus? 19:31 • What should our community learn from this disaster? 23:28 • During these times what is the role of teshuva, which brings healing to the world? 38:24 • Please make some suggestions that we individually and as a community can do to stop the virus? 45:26 • Should we

Addressing the Personal and Emotional Needs of Our Community and Answering the Most Pressing Questions of Our Lives -- from the Perspective of Chassidic Thought. SPECIAL CORONAVIRUS EDITION PART III TOPICS: • Chassidus applied to Vayikra and Rosh Chodesh Nissan 01:08:34 • Beis Nissan: 100 Years 23:10 • Letter from Milan: How can we hold on? 16:56 • Where is G-d in all of this? And the Rebbeim?  06:41 • Why is it happening these days – the most joyous and liberating time of the year?  • Who do we turn to today for answers? 24:07 • What is our responsibility when a plague breaks out? 25:37 • How can a chiyuv who is quarantined say kaddish with a minyan? 27:04 • If we follow all the health guidelines and also say Tehillim are we guaranteed not to get the virus? 32:30  • Can matzah heal the virus? 38:06 • How do we balance caution and positivity? 33:40 • How do we think good in face of disease, death and uncertainty? 40:20 • How did our leaders respond to epidemics in the past?  49:00 • Any

Addressing the Personal and Emotional Needs of Our Community and Answering the Most Pressing Questions of Our Lives -- from the Perspective of Chassidic Thought. SPECIAL CORONAVIRUS EDITION TOPICS: • Coronavirus       o How did our ancestors deal with plagues? 03:30       o Has the Rebbe ever made public statements about pandemics and what we can do on a physical and spiritual level to stop them? 16:05       o Are the yeshivas that are closing due to corona virus violating the edict shomer mitzvos lo yeda devar rah? 19:52       o Is it okay to daven at home? 20:55       o Should we add a mitzvah to help stop the pandemic? 17:10       o Should we organize a larger prayer gathering? 18:36       o Can the Coronavirus panic possibly be a sign of Moshiach’s imminent arrival? 27:08  • Chassidus applied

Addressing the Personal and Emotional Needs of Our Community and Answering the Most Pressing Questions of Our Lives -- from the Perspective of Chassidic Thought. SPECIAL PURIM EDITION TOPICS: • Chassidus applied to Purim 1:43 • Why do we keep the Fast of Esther today when there is no decree? 08:32 • Why is there ever a mitzvah to get drunk? 12:34 • How could Mordecahi put all the Jews in danger by not bowing to Haman? 21:35 • Are their allusions in midrash that Esther was married to Mordechai? 27:32 • Why is G-d's name not mentioned in Megilas Esther? 30:57 • What did the Jews do wrong by attending Achashverosh's banquet? 36:02 • Why is Esther credited with saving the Jews by marrying Achashverosh? 42:53 • Why are women obligated to hear the megillah if it’s a mitzvas asei she’ha’zman grammah? 40:03 • Why are the three letters, tof, shin and zayin, purposely written in small letter in the Megillah? 45:16 • What is the significance of the four verses of the megillah that we all read aloud? 47:57 • Why did Es

Addressing the Personal and Emotional Needs of Our Community and Answering the Most Pressing Questions of Our Lives -- from the Perspective of Chassidic Thought. TOPICS: • Chassidus applied to Tes Adar – 80 years 5:34 • Lessons from Zayin Adar, Tetzaveh and Zochor 12:19 • How do we know that Moshe was born on the 7th of Adar when the Jewish months were not organized until long after Moshe lived? 13:03 • Why are Menashe and Ephraim not included in the shoham stones? 29:52 • How is it just for G-d to command us to kill all Amalekite men, women and children? 21:40 • What does it mean to increase in joy in Adar? 37:32 • What attitude should we have to the coronavirus? 43:07 • Questions on Parshas Terumah: a) Acacia wood. b) Space of the ark 50:38 • Chassidus question: How do we have free will if G-d is recreating the world every second in a specific way? 55:01 • My Life 2019 essays:       o Going Beyond, Mendel Marcus, 21, Mission Viejo, CA 01:04:14      &nb

Addressing the Personal and Emotional Needs of Our Community and Answering the Most Pressing Questions of Our Lives -- from the Perspective of Chassidic Thought. TOPICS: • Chassidus applied to Adar and Terumah 0:26 • Is joy inherent or acquired? 01:25 • Why can’t we build the third Temple by ourselves? 11:40 • After witnessing the parting of the sea how could the Jews sin? 17:12 • How do we explain the laws of slavery? 22:07 • Why is mixing meat and milk prohibited when they combine chesed and gevurah? 26:34 • How can people frown on marring a ger (convert) when it’s prohibited to discriminate against geirim?  32:04 • How to deal with discrepancies between Torah and science? 38:08 • Why not study different religious beliefs before determining what is truth? 46:32 • What are the standards for a mechitzah according to the Rebbe? 53:01 • Follow up (episode 291; 296):         o Kasha on Shabbos Shira  58:16       o Secular studies 56:52 •

Addressing the Personal and Emotional Needs of Our Community and Answering the Most Pressing Questions of Our Lives -- from the Perspective of Chassidic Thought. TOPICS: • Chassidus applied to Chof Beis Shevat 3:27 • 6th annual MyLife: Chassidus Applied Contest, with a new artistic track: The power of initiating and presenting Chassidus in written or artistic form 2:40 • What role does the Rebbetzin play in our lives? 16:12 • What did the Rebbetzin say to the Rebbe that convinced him to officially accept the nesiyus? 18:57 • Did people notice a change in the Rebbe after the Rebbetzin passed away? 39:55 • We know about two of the Frierdiker Rebbe’s daughters, but what ever happened to his 3rd daughter, Shaina, who was married to R’ Mendel Hornstein? 42:04 • Did anyone suggest to the Rebbe the idea of delegation as Yisro suggested to Moshe? 45:33 • Why do we have a custom to eat buckwheat on Shabbos Shira? 51:42 • Follow up (episode 293-295):         o Suicide 54:20  &nb

Addressing the Personal and Emotional Needs of Our Community and Answering the Most Pressing Questions of Our Lives -- from the Perspective of Chassidic Thought. TOPICS: • Chassidus applied to Tu B’Shevat and Yisro 7:00 • 6th annual MyLife: Chassidus Applied Contest, with a new artistic track: The power of initiating and presenting Chassidus in written or artistic form 3:58 • What does it mean that Tu B’Shevat is the new year for trees? 7:36 • Did Moshe marry into a non-Jewish family? 21:45 • Yud Shevat follow-up       o Basi L’Gani 27:32      o False humility 40:13      o Bringing Moshiach: Process or event? 44:12      o Shtus D’kedusha 55:02 • What is the story behind the Rebbe assuming leadership on Yud Shevat 5711? What transpired during that year? 58:28 • Why was the Frierdiker Rebbe’s shtreimel not given to the Rebbe?  • Chassidus question: What is the Manna according to Chassidus? 01:02:05 • M

MyLife: Chassidus Applied Episode 294: Special Edition Honoring the 70th Anniversary of the Rebbe’s Vision and Revolution  Yud Shevat 5710-5780 – 1950-2020  Basi L’Gani: I Have Come Into My Garden How do we actualize the calling of our seventh generation?  TOPICS: • Basi L’Gani: The inside story of the world 7:22 • Visionary: What is a Rebbe and why is he vital to our lives? 17:17 • Seventh generation: The Rebbe’s revolution  14:24 • How do we bond with the Rebbe’s vision?  18:55 • How did the Rebbe address the unique challenges of our era?  19:54 • Key themes of Basi L’Gani        o Dealing with concealment 26:35      o Offerings  27:37      o Transforming unhealthy obsession (shtus d’leum hazeh) healthy obsession (shtus d’kedusha) 28:03      o The secret to success: Bittul  29:50      o This years chapter 10: Three meanings in tzovo: army

Addressing the Personal and Emotional Needs of Our Community and Answering the Most Pressing Questions of Our Lives -- from the Perspective of Chassidic Thought. TOPICS: • Chassidus Applied to Rosh Chodesh Shevat and Bo  0:23 • 6th annual MyLife: Chassidus Applied Contest, with a new artistic track: The power of initiating and presenting Chassidus in written or artistic form 1:41 • How to prepare for the approaching 70th anniversary of the Rebbe’s leadership?  2:59 • Was the Rebbe's statement that we are the last generation of galus and the first generation of geulah just a bracha and a wish? 20:26 • Is it okay for a tzaddik to say an untruth? 24:49 • How to address the recent suicides? 34:52 • Follow up (episode 292): Secular studies 45:56 • Chassidus question: Why did G-d harden Pharoah’s heart and then punish him? 58:26 • My Life 2019 essays:      o ככה” זו לא תשובה”, Meir Heber, 20, Kfar Chabad, Israel 01:05:55      o Teenage Rebellion, Chaya Yo

Addressing the Personal and Emotional Needs of Our Community and Answering the Most Pressing Questions of Our Lives -- from the Perspective of Chassidic Thought. TOPICS: • Announcing the 6th annual MyLife: Chassidus Applied Essay Contest, with a new creative track 0:37 • Chassidus Applied to 24 Teves and Vaeira 4:56 • How to prepare for the approaching 70th anniversary of the Rebbe’s leadership?  20:36 • Is there any basis to the idea that the work of the seventh generation is ishapcha (transformation), not iskafya (refrain)? 28:02 • How long is the 7th generation? 33:05 • What was Moshe’s birth name given by his parents, and why is that name not the one we use?    35:43 • Is there anything wrong with secular studies? 41:11 • Why is studying science not like studying Torah, since they both come from G-d? 51:34 • Follow up (episode 284-291):        o Moreh Nevuchim 56:02      o Rational Judaism 01:01:39 • Chassidus question: What do we

Addressing the Personal and Emotional Needs of Our Community and Answering the Most Pressing Questions of Our Lives -- from the Perspective of Chassidic Thought. TOPICS: • Chassidus Applied to 20 Teves and Shemos 0:08 • How to prepare for the approaching 70th anniversary of the Rebbe’s leadership?  11:38 • Why is the story of the Exodus not corroborated by archeological evidence? 20:02 • Were any of the Rebbeim influenced by secular philosophers like the Rambam was by Aristotle? 28:24 • Is any Chassidus based on Moreh Nevuchim? 28:49 • What did the Rebbe Rashab mean when he said that he didn’t even look into Moreh Nevuchim?  29:16 • Is it okay to study secular philosophy? 29:04 • With so many competing ideologies all purporting to tell the truth, is there any way to objectively determine the truth of Judaism? 47:56 • Is there proof that Orthodox Judaism is the correct path for Jews? 48:50 • How was the Rambam able to live in Egypt?  57:23  • Chassidus question: Can we rationalize the enti

Addressing the Personal and Emotional Needs of Our Community and Answering the Most Pressing Questions of Our Lives -- from the Perspective of Chassidic Thought. TOPICS: • Chassidus Applied to 10 Teves and Vayechi 0:09 • How is one supposed to spend a fast day according to chassidus?  8:38 • March against anti-semitism 18:48 • Why doesn’t Judaism focus on self-defense, bearing weapons and other methods of protecting ourselves? 23:44 • What is Chabad’s position on Daf Yomi and the Siyum HaShas? 35:06 • Should a parent let her child eat OU-D? 43:53 • What is the significance of wearing a black hat? 48:56 • Is it ok for a chassidic person to wear jeans? 48:56 • If birth is “G-d saying you matter,” what does death mean? 53:22 • Isn’t it about time that we create powerful programs to teach people about Moshiach? 56:32 • Follow up:  Attacks on Jews 28:08 • Chassidus question: Is it Yehuda or Yosef that brings down the Divine into existence? 01:02:16 • My Life 2019 essays:      o

Addressing the Personal and Emotional Needs of Our Community and Answering the Most Pressing Questions of Our Lives -- from the Perspective of Chassidic Thought. TOPICS: • How should we react to the recent frightful attacks on Jews? 2:12 • Why is it called “Zos Chanukah”? 10:53 • Is Zos Chanukah the end of judgment of Rosh Hashana?  17:32 • What do the Chanukah flames “tell us”? 24:32 • How can we maintain the Chanukah energy after the holiday and not feel down? 27:14 • Lessons from Hei Teves and Vayigash 30:49 • What exactly are we celebrating on Hei Teves? 32:45 • If Hei Teves established that the seforim belong to the Chassidim, why is the library not open to the public? 36:28 • Is it okay to give any relevance to the secular New Year? 40:15 • Why doesn't Judaism have a mechanism to remove corrupt people in power, such as elections, impeachment, or other checks and balances? 43:15 Follow up: • Public Menorah 51:45 • Rochel passing away 59:39 • Chassidus question: What is Zos Chanukah according to Cha

Addressing the Personal and Emotional Needs of Our Community and Answering the Most Pressing Questions of Our Lives -- from the Perspective of Chassidic Thought. TOPICS: • Chassidus Applied to Chanukah 0:45 • What was the dispute between the Jews and the Greeks? 4:41 • How do we explain the victory of Chanukah when in the end Greek secularism seems to have prevailed in modern times? 11:42 • What is the halachik and hashkafic explanation for public menorahs? 17:53 • Lessons from Miketz 25:41 • How do we explain the seemingly unacceptable behavior of the tribes? 28:51 • If you don’t like someone, is it better to be two-faced and speak nicely to the person, or behave like the tribes who couldn’t speak to Yosef?  34:34 • Since the purpose of Chassidus is to apply it to our lives, why was there a “kitrug” to prevent this? 39:51 • Why don’t we follow the Alter Rebbe’s directive to recite psalm 119 weekly? 43:58 • Follow up (episode 284-286):        o Rochel and Leah 46:29  &

Addressing the Personal and Emotional Needs of Our Community and Answering the Most Pressing Questions of Our Lives -- from the Perspective of Chassidic Thought. TOPICS: • Chassidus Applied to Yud Tes Kislev 0:31 • Lessons from Vayeishev 18:20 • How can we compare Tanya to Torah She’Be’Ksav?  25:44 • Why was Chassidus not taught earlier? 36:26 • Why don’t we follow the opinion of the majority regarding Chassidus? 41:48 • Does the body have its own energy besides the life force coming to it from the soul? 46:47 • How do we explain all the deception found in these Torah chapters – Part II 50:42 • Chassidus question: What is the role of Yud Tes Kislev in the development of Chassidus? 59:20 • My Life 2019 essays:      o המיגדר בראי היהדות, Elchanan Weber, 25, Yerushalayim/Tel Aviv, Israel 01:04:32      o “In G-d We Trust” – How to Effectively Overcome Stress, Deena Heidingsfeld, 20, Winnipeg, Canada 01:06:16      o Mind, Heart and Ac