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Author:Chabad Intown

Jun 01 2016

Man thinks and G-d laughs

Relationships
by Chabad Intown

This old Yiddish saying (it's translated from Mentsch Tracht uhn Gut Lacht) is a safe comeback from a rough day, perhaps a cynical escape of a small and faithless mind or a light'ish statement on a fundamental of Jewish faith.   How often do we plan out the outcome of a business endeavor, a human interaction or even the very realities of day to day life; good health, raising fine children or something as simple as your daily schedule, only to have things turn out completely different then we expected?   We often react...

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May 25 2016

How to make a day shine

Inspiration
by Chabad Intown

One day you wake up and the sun is shining in a way that it has never shined before!   You see the world not just somewhat differently than before, but entirely different.  You always thought of the world in one particular way and now it is illuminated in a way that shows you that the world  you were always living in was a dark world.  The lights have come on!  You are humbled!   What you do with the inspiration will determine whether the inspiration is real or yet another one...

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May 18 2016

Celebrating Death

Death
by Chabad Intown

Next Thursday we will celebrate the passing of a great man, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. Why is it that a People who celebrate life and value it so greatly would celebrate the passing of this individual.   What is even more profound is that RASHBI (Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai) was the author of the Zohar, the Bible of the mystical teachings of the Torah. Furthermore, the instruction to celebrate his passing was his very own instruction delivered on his death bed.   The answer reveals to us the real purpose of life and in...

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May 11 2016

Priorities

Loving-Kindness, Relationships
by Chabad Intown

Love thy neighbor as thyself. This Biblical commandment comes from this weeks Torah portion. Perhaps the hardest of all the commandments, hence Hillel’s statement, “this is the entire Torah and the rest is commentary”.   But how indeed does one achieve this very difficult Mitzvah?   Like all other Mitzvos and like life itself it’s a journey with the journey itself the purpose not necessarily the destination.   Loving another can only happen when one appreciates the essential and eternal dimensions of the other person. The external things that generally attract us to love and friendship...

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May 04 2016

My Matzah Hangover

Passover
by Chabad Intown

You’ve got to feel bad for the Matzah. After all it’s the only food we eat that is actually a Biblical Mitzvah we can fulfill today and yet we kvetch and complain about it starting about a month before Purim and it last for about as long as the Matzah Hangover lasts.   Which brings me to my current situation – my Matzah Hangover. I actually think I gained back my entire loss of 15 post Israel – pre-Pesach pounds and I believe about all of it came from Matzah. After all,...

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Apr 28 2016

Chabad’s obsession with Moshiach (Messiah)

Freedom, Holidays, Moshiach, Passover
by Chabad Intown

We want Moshiach now! May it be speedily in our days, amen!   If you’ve spent a few minutes with a Chabad’nik, listened to a class, sermon or lecture from a Chabad Rabbi or spent a few minutes in a Chabad home you surely encountered some expression associated with Moshiach. A prayer, a wish, a hope.   The final days of Pesach are upon us and this holiday has a particular association with Moshiach. The verse states, “as it was in the days that you left Egypt, I will show you wonders (in the final...

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Apr 21 2016

Passover Safety Information Card

Freedom, Holidays, Passover
by Chabad Intown

In honor of Passover I produced this wonderful video on my very own website https://www.schusterman.org/passover2016.  Ok. Totally kidding, that's not our Schusterman and we're not even related, although maybe one day we will be (or at least they'll support the Chabad efforts of this Atlanta Schusterman :-).  It's a cute video though, and I did write this Safety card to accompany the video (although I wrote it a few years ago, it's message is timeless or at least still relevant).   Enjoy! And Please read Dena and my blessings to you for Passover...

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Apr 13 2016

Escape from Egypt

Freedom, Holidays, Passover
by Chabad Intown

  It’s amazing what capitalism will produce! The newest franchise is called “Escape Games”. Each Escape Game is a real‑life escape room adventure for a small group. You solve puzzles, crack codes, find clues, and more in order to escape. You have one goal: escape the room.   The Baal Shem Tov taught us that everything that occurs around us is to serve as lesson in our service of Hashem. Surely, this novel idea has profound insight for us and in particular now prior to the holiday of Pesach which is Zman Cherusaynu...

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Apr 06 2016

Hasidic Exodus

Freedom, Passover
by Chabad Intown

The Seder and Passover is around the corner.  So, here are some unleavened food for thought.   We all carry around packages of the past.  A rough childhood, a traumatic relationship, a chance negative encounter, an illness that took away a portion of our youth, or perhaps just a bad teacher who gave us a negative way to look at the world.   How does one relieve themselves of this burden? How does one prevent that event from tethering them to the past and hindering their real potential for future growth? How does one...

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Mar 30 2016

Bring down the fire!

leader, Moses, Prayer
by Chabad Intown

The moment has arrived! Months of construction, the walls, the Ark, the Menorah, the garments of the Kohen have come and gone. The seven days of consecration have passed with Moses having served as High Priest. Aaron is waiting for the Divine Presence to descend on the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and nothing happens. He wonders whether the Divine Presence is not descending because of his part in sin of the Golden Calf .   So Moses joins Aaron in prayer; Vayehi Noam Hashem Elokeinu Alaynu – may it be pleasing before G-d Almighty...

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