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Holidays

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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May 22 2019

Vacation Time!

Holidays, Lifestyle, Rebuilding, Recovery
by Chabad Intown

Tis the season for vacation. School is closing up, graduations are wrapping up, summer trips are starting, kids are beginning camp, and the beaches, mountains and other destinations are calling.   Like most things in life, vacations can be anxiety inducing. Nuf said? (BTW with kids it's called "a break", without kids it's called a "vacation") And like most things in life, besides the cognitive therapy methods there is a core faith-based solution.   I speak specifically of the stress that many (men?) have justifying taking off work and being present for their spouses or children...

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Mar 19 2019

G-d, wake up!

Holidays
by Chabad Intown

This Wednesday night and Thursday day we'll celebrate Purim! Yay!   Hopefully you'll be attending a service where you'll be hearing the Megillah reading. When the reader gets to Chapter 6, the reader will raise his voice as he begins the chapter. The words he reads are "on that night". That night referring to the night in which the miracle really began to occur, when the balance shifted towards to the Jews and ultimately led to the victory.   On that night, the king couldn't sleep. He asked for some bedtime stories (the book...

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Mar 13 2019

Give it all you’ve got!

Holidays, Lifestyle
by Chabad Intown

How much is enough? How much is too much? How much is not enough?   At the very opening of the Megillah - (yup it's next week! chabadintown.org/purim) - we read a lengthy description of the royal feast that the King threw. The Megillah tells us that the party lasted 180 days (you think you know how to party!) and "there were hangings of white, green and blue, held by cords of linen and purple wool to silver rods and marble pillars. There were divans of gold and silver on a floor...

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Sep 27 2018

What’s With All the Dancing?!

Holidays, New Year
by Chabad Intown

Tis the season to be dancing! It's Simchas Torah. Sunday night in Israel they'll be dancing. In the Diaspora we dance on Sunday night in solidarity with Israel. Monday night we'll dance again for Simchas Torah and in Israel they'll dance Hakafot Shniyot (post holiday in solidarity with us). Then on Tuesday we'll close it out with day time dancing and closing out the reading of the Torah.   Lots of dancing.   In Chabad with the Rebbe, the dancing of the solidarity wasn't symbolic, it was full on. Dancing hours on end. Simchas...

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Sep 21 2018

The Divine Embrace

Children, Holidays, Loving-Kindness, New Year
by Chabad Intown

From this week's Torah Portion. [Moses said that G-d would say,] "They are children who [act] uneducated."   By referring to us as his children, G-d let it be known that he would never sever his relationship with us, and that we can never sever our relationship with Him – just as parents can ever separate themselves from their children, and children can ever separate themselves from their parents. The relationship between parents and their children is so essential, so strong, that no matter how seriously it may be tested, in the final...

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Sep 12 2018

A forgiving Shabbos

Holidays, Inspiration, New Year
by Chabad Intown

Some people are passive, others are aggressive. Yet others are passive aggressive. Some people are hard on themselves, easy on others. Hard on others, easy on themselves. The hard on themselves people are pushing themselves constantly and are very unforgiving for their shortcomings. The easy people seem to float through life. They don't seem to internalize any of it.   In just a few days the holy day of Atonement, the day of Yom Kippur will be upon us. Each year between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur we have a Shabbos. Shabbos possess a...

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Sep 06 2018

A Rosh Hashanah Suggestion

Holidays, Lifestyle, New Year
by Chabad Intown

Next week we'll celebrate Rosh Hashanah. Rosh Hashanah commemorates the creation of mankind. Beginning with Adam and Eve and setting in motion all of world history.   The opening verses of the Torah comprise what our Sages call "The Ten Utterances". These are the ten sayings with which G-d created the world.   Even though we can't literally create worlds with our speech, but the fact that G-d's speech has that power, indicates to us the importance of speech.   This is even more powerful on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur when we offer words of...

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Aug 29 2018

Tradition, Tradition!

Holidays, Prayer
by Chabad Intown

The traditions that stand out most on Rosh Hashanah include the sound of the Shofar and the Apples in Honey. Another well known but perhaps not as popular is eating a new fruit on the second evening of Rosh Hashanah. What is the meaning behind these traditions? Today I'll focus on the new fruit.   New Fruit - The technical. It is a tradition on the second evening of Rosh Hashanah after the Kiddush is recited to make a blessing of Shechiyanu (renewal) on a fruit that one hasn't eaten in 12...

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Aug 23 2018

Apples n’ Honey

Holidays
by Chabad Intown

www.applesnhoney.com   Rosh Hashanah touches on the various senses. For some it is the taste of Apples and Honey. For others it is the smell of the Rosh Hashanah Brisket. For others it is the touch of the Machzor, the High Holiday prayer book. For some it is the sound of the Rabbi’s sermon or the sounds of Shofar.   This week I’m going to focus on some prayers and traditions leading up to Rosh Hashanah. In the remaining weeks until Rosh Hashanah, I’ll share some insight into the foods we eat, the Shofar...

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