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Author:Chabad Intown

Mar 15 2017

Golden Calf – Golden Opportunity

Challenges, Lifestyle, Rebuilding
by Chabad Intown

One of the great mystery's of Jewish history is the sin of the Golden Calf. How is it possible for a People who just experienced the greatest Divine revelation of all time were able to deny the existence of the very G-d who revealed Himself to them by creating and worshiping another G-d?   This question has been discussed by the commentators who explain the events from a different perspective and we have addressed in this column in the past.   I'd like to focus on a different question that presupposes a belief in...

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Mar 08 2017

Empowerment

Uncategorized
by Chabad Intown

Do you feel empowered? Do you feel like you can do anything, achieve any goal, have the rights and ability to climb the highest heights?   Not everybody is so fortunate to feel that kind of empowerment and the history of the world has shown that society often doesn't lend itself to that kind of empowerment.   3329 years ago, Moses empowered the Jewish people for all time. He empowered them through the instruction to build the Mishkan (the portable Temple) and in doing so to make a home for G-d on this earth....

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Mar 01 2017

Tzedakah from the Soul

Lifestyle, Loving-Kindness, Moses
by Chabad Intown

People have so many layers. Our physical layers are complex enough. For example our skin alone has three layers, epidermis, dermis and hypodermis (I cheated, I googled that). From there we navigate all the other layers until we hit the bone and beyond.   When we get into the psychological makeup it becomes even more complex. It's so complex they have a book dedicated to it. It's called the DSM and has 297 entries!   Once we venture into the spiritual realm and Jewish spiritual personal development we enter into an infinite realm...

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Feb 22 2017

Laws for healthy living

Challenges, Lifestyle, Rebuilding
by Chabad Intown

Dieting, exercising, meditation, yoga and other forms of care for the body are all the rage these days. Imagine if you were independently wealthy and spent your entire life every waking moment engaged in these activities. Is that a life?   Of course not!   These activities while very important for the health of ones body are good when they create a healthy environment within which one can live a life of purpose. A life of purpose is being a good spouse, parenting and raising wonderful children and engaging each day in making the...

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Feb 16 2017

Honor Thy Parents

Children, Loving-Kindness, Relationships
by Chabad Intown

In a discussion last week with some Young Adults regarding the critical components to a happy marriage we identified honor, love and admiration.   How does one honor another? For this we have the commandment from this week's Torah portion; Honor they father and mother.   The Talmud asks what is honor? To clothe, bathe and feed. Actions!   Love, while it is important and the spice of any relationship, since however it is an emotion, it is not always present and is not a constant. Honor on the other hand, since it is an action...

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Feb 01 2017

Enlightenment

Healing, leader, Rebbe
by Chabad Intown

To be en-light-ened is to have light in your life where others have darkness.   In this week's Torah portion the Jews were enlightened during the plague of darkness. The verse states "and to all the Children of Israel there was light in their abodes".   King David tells us that there are those that have eyes but don't see, ears that don't hear, etc. We may think the world is filled with light but in reality there are those that live in darkness.   The distinction between living in darkness or light is often associated...

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Jan 26 2017

Lost in a Cemetery

Challenges, Death, Rebuilding
by Chabad Intown

A clearly protective mechanism for the discomfort of loss is black humor. So when leaving a funeral this week and finding myself lost a number of thoughts came to mind.   Why did I just hit three dead ends?! You really don't want to get lost in a cemetery until you are really lost for good. The only way out of here is up.   Anyway, it's been a busy week and I haven't found anything that resonated with me from this week's portion or this weeks escapades until I hit my third dead...

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Jan 18 2017

Moving Forward

Challenges, Healing, Lifestyle, Moses, Relationships
by Chabad Intown

Recently I had a run in with a friend. I suggested that we sit down and talk it out. His response was, "nah, let it sit for some time and it will blow over for both of us". Turns out he was correct. It did blow over.   But it doesn't always. Sometimes, issues from the past linger and the can become consuming, eating us up from within, until it gets resolved.   How does one resolve the issues from the past? There are two approaches: A. face the demons head on...

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Jan 11 2017

Apology Therapy

Challenges, Loving-Kindness, Rebuilding
by Chabad Intown

Not sure if such a thing exists, but we find an amazing example of apology and sensitivity in this week's Torah portion.   Jacob is on his death bed. He asks his son Joseph for a kindness. The kindness is that when he passes, he wants Joseph to bury him in Israel in Hebron in the Cave of Machpelah.   He says to him, (I'm paraphrasing), although I didn't do this for your mother, I'm still asking you to do this. The commentators explain that Jacob was saying, "I know you have...

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