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Author:Chabad Intown

Aug 07 2019

Divine Insecurity

Challenges, Lifestyle, Rebuilding
by Chabad Intown

In this week's Torah portion, the opening of the 5th book of the Torah, Moses recounts the travails of the Jewish People in the desert.   In recounting the story of the spies and their return from Israel with a negative report he tells us; "You said, God took us out of the land of Egypt because He hates us and wishes to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites and destroy us."   Self perception is the key to our self worth or lack thereof. The Jewish People's perceptions of their own...

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Jul 31 2019

How Much Do You Sacrifice?

Moses
by Chabad Intown

Where do you draw the line? Logic says that we are to sacrifice for the things that are important to us in life. To provide a living for our families we work hard, giving up on potentially enjoyable vacations. We study late into the night to achieve our intellectual goals. We put aside our personal needs for our children. For in the sacrifice we uncover potentials we never knew we had. But, how much sacrifice is enough?   In this week's portion G-d tells Moses to avenge Him through battling the Midianites....

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Jul 24 2019

For the love of Israel

Israel, Lifestyle, Three Weeks
by Chabad Intown

It's that time of year again. The seasons of life just flow. Happy times, sad times, introspective times and time of liberation. This is how the Jewish calendar flows as well.   This past Shabbos we entered into the period known as the three weeks in which we commemorate the events leading up to and the destruction of Jerusalem. Jerusalem of course represents the essence of Israel and all it stood for and continues to stand for. See last years series on Israel here (Israel 2018 – Why Israel?, Israel 2448*, Israel...

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Jul 18 2019

Self Awareness Journey

Change, Lifestyle, Trust
by Chabad Intown

Shame prevents vulnerability. Honest self awareness helps us overcome shame. Lack of vulnerability causes aggressive behavior.   Bilaam was insecure or had shame surrounding his standing with the Balak the King of Moab. When Hashem was standing him up and compelling him to face his own darkness he was unwilling to get vulnerable.   When the donkey refused to budge, Bilaam gets angry and says to the donkey, if I had a sword in hand I'd kill you. Why the aggressiveness towards a donkey? Rashi teaches us that Bilaam was ashamed of how he...

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Jul 10 2019

Red Cow Power!

Challenges, Change, Lifestyle, Moses, Rebuilding, Relationships
by Chabad Intown

We all have one or two of those people in our lives, the ones who we really feel are beyond hope. No matter what we do for them or how we do it, nothing seems to work. Worse, they don't get the message that we can't help them. Is it mental illness? Addiction? Narcissism?   Is all hope lost?   Before I address that question, let me pose another one.   Do you know that person who many years ago you wrote off as hopeless? Never standing a chance at making it. Will probably have a...

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Jul 04 2019

A False World or A Beautiful Garden

Uncategorized
by Chabad Intown

Two brothers, same family, one is a sweetheart the other is a psychopathic rapist and murderer. How does that happen?   In his book “The Boy Who was Raised as a Dog” the author Bruce Perry, explains that the mother of this family was somewhat stunted in her mental development. The older son was raised surrounded by family, uncles and aunts and thus as a baby and child he received nurture that developed all of the healthy brain wiring needed for productive healthy relationships. Although the mother wasn’t able to provide this...

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Jun 26 2019

The Moses Affect

3 Tammuz, leader, Moses, Rebbe, Tammuz
by Chabad Intown

How many things need to go right for us to wake up in the morning? How many things need to go right for us to make it safely to work? How many things need to go right for us to be successful at our endeavors?   Where indeed do we draw the power to navigate life successfully, to live a spiritually purposeful and connect life?   ***   We are introduced to a profound idea from this week's Torah portion. The Jews approach Moses asking to send spies into Israel to see if they will be able to...

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Jun 19 2019

Second Chances

Change, Children, Lifestyle, Moses
by Chabad Intown

One day the light goes on and you suddenly see the world as you never saw it before. Events and struggles from the past suddenly have clarity.   Today with amazing new medical research into the brains neuroplasticity we are able to better understand the development of our world view, our reactions, our strengths and our struggles.   One of the fascinating things that have come to light is that much of what we do is driven by the brains development that we had no choosing in. For example, life events in birth and...

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Jun 12 2019

Ritual Repetitiveness/Rinse Repeat

Change, Lifestyle
by Chabad Intown

No one likes to rinse and repeat anymore. It's almost looked down upon. Boring people are stuck in routines. Exciting progressive people are always doing something different, something new.   Millennials are the "job hopping generation".   While it is definitely understandable not wanting to get bored in your routine, there is something to be said about routine and its amazing positive spiritual and physical benefits.   ***   In this week's Torah portion we read about the gift of the Nesiim, the leaders of the Tribes to the Mishkan, the portable synagogue that accompanied the Jews in...

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Jun 05 2019

Did we leave the Torah in the Desert?

Holidays, Moses
by Chabad Intown

Do you feel like you are in the desert? Thirsty, tired, abandoned?   Usually the desert represents a wasteland, lack of life. However, in an interesting twist, our Torah portion, called "the Desert" and literally the translation of the word Bamidbar - the Hebrew name for the fourth book of the Torah, teaches a different and profound message.   The message is particularly poignant and timely as this portion, The Desert, is always read immediately prior to the festival of Shavous, in which we commemorate the events and revelation at Sinai.   So here it goes; The...

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