This class was presented on Sunday Shlach, 16 Sivan 5777, June 11, 2017, at Ohr Chaim, Monsey, New York

In the Divine Space, We Are Indivisible, Even As We Are Distinct

Sunday Morning Shlach/Tzafnas Paanach

Are Jews a Spiritual Mixture Or a Chemical Compound?

This class was presented at Ohr Chaim, Monsey, NY, on Sunday Parshas Vayakhel Pekudei, 21 Adar, 5777, March 19, 2017.

It is a strange story. Moses seemingly distorted what G-d told him, telling the craftsman of the Sanctuary to first build the furniture and only afterward the outer structure. It was Betzalel who reminded him of the simple truth that you first build a house before you furnish it. Upon deeper reflection, this incident captures the story of our lives.

Many great thinkers, writers, and artist, produced extraordinary works. Their content was great, their message potent, and their talent exceptional. What they lacked was the exterior structure for their souls lavish output. Sadly, in our world &ldquo;art&rdquo; needs a proper &ldquo;frame.&rdquo; Lacking the frame, the art may remain in its corner and melt into oblivion.

The great argument between Moses and Betzalel was which came first&mdash;the energy or the container, the vision or the structure? Moses was a visionary; Betzalel was a man of action. In conclusion, we discover, they were both right: In the world of thought and strategy, art precedes the frame; in the world of action and implementation, the frame precedes the art. In the world of light, vision takes precedence. In the world of shadows, your dreams must follow your actions, not the other way around.

The class continues to explore another perspective by Reb Tzadok of Lublin. Judaism consists of two components&mdash;what G-d gives us and what we give G-d. The Written Torah and the Oral Torah. One is Divine; the other is filtered through human creativity. But are they really different? Depends from whose perspective.

What Comes First, the Frame or the Art? The Debate between Moshe and Betzalel

How Do I Know When to Trust a Rabbi?

Thic class was presented on Sunday, Rosh Chodesh Adar 5777, Feb. 26, 2017, at Ohr Chaim, Monsey, NY.

How did Mordechai persuade Esther to sacrifice her life? At first blush, the rationale he offers seems to digress from strong to weak. Mordechai&rsquo;s argument consists of three points. We would expect the third point to offer the greatest motivation for her to go into the king. Yet his third point seems weak relative to the former two points.

At this incredibly dramatic, fateful point in the Purim story, Mordechai seems to waver. &ldquo;Who knows?&rdquo; he says. Mi Yodea? Maybe this is the reason you became queen, but maybe not. These aren&rsquo;t really the words you&rsquo;d want to hear before marching off into the jaws of death. It isn&rsquo;t quite Patrick Henry&rsquo;s &ldquo;Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death.&rdquo; Couldn&rsquo;t Mordechai have come up with anything a little more rousing?

Do you see a pattern in your life? Do you recognize a rhythm? Can you perceive a plan, a plot, a story line? Can you answer what is the ultimate mission of your life? Why did your soul descend on earth? What are you meant to accomplish? Should you even try to answer the question? If you had a chance to ask G-d this question, what do you think He would answer you?

Was Esther a tragic figure? At the end of the story, the Jews are saved, but she remains stuck in the palace, married to a drunk, spineless tyrant. How did Esther see her live? How should we see ours?

This class is based on an address (a Sicha) by the Lubavitcher Rebbe presented on Purim 5722-1962. It explores a medieval dispute over the rationale behind Mitzvos, and understanding G-d&rsquo;s motives for creating the world. With these ideas, we unlock the meaning of a key exchange between Mordechai and Esther, and thereby discover a new approach to understanding and making peace with the story of our lives. We gain insight into the reason this holiday is called Purim, representing the casting of lots, where there is a mitzvah to drink till &ldquo;you do not know,&rdquo; why we cast lots on Yom Kippur on two twin goats ending up in opposite places, and why the Prophet Elijah cast lots on two bulls to send one to the idols and one to G-d.

At the End of the Story, Is Esther a Tragic Figure?

Can You Make Sense of Your Life? How Mordechai Transformed Esther

This class, presented on Sunday Parshas Bo, 2 Shevat 5777, January 29, 5777, at Ohr Chaim, Monsey, NY, explores the structure of the Jewish calendar.

Given the inherent challenges of a lunar based calendar (including the fact that it needs to be synchronized with the solar seasons), why did the Torah choose set up the calendar and base Jewish life around the moon? Also, what is the significance of the fact that for the first half of Jewish history we established our Rosh Chodesh based on live witnesses who observed the moon; yet, for its second half, the system was altered to follow a pre-set calendar. And if the calendar is a fair way of navigating time, why did the Torah demand that the optimal way of establishing the first day of the month is through the tedious and complex process of witnesses traveling to the court and being cross examined there? Why not always use the calendar?

Third, why is the mitzvah of sanctifying the new moon told to Moses as a prelude to the redemption of the Jews from Egyptian bondage? What connection is there between the moon&rsquo;s renewal and the Egyptian Exodus? And why right now? It is strange that with so much going on, G-d decides at this precise moment to discuss the Jewish calendar! The end is near; liberation is about to happen. Why are we now concerned with the calendar?

Fifth, why was this the first mitzvah given to the Jewish people, days before they were to become a free nation?&nbsp;

In a deeply moving address in 1959, the Lubavitcher Rebbe offered a majestic and heart stirring explanation.

&nbsp;

The Two Phases of Jewish History in Responding to Crisis

Understanding the Jewish Calendar: The Math & the Psychology

​Leilu Nishmas Reb&nbsp;Eliyahu Tzion&nbsp;ben Reb&nbsp;Chananya Niasoff&nbsp;ז״ל 
And in the merit of our partner in Torah,&nbsp;Yigal Yisroel&nbsp;ben&nbsp;Sofia,&nbsp;שיחי׳​

Like Children Running Away From School: The Rogatchover's Perspective

As the World Broke, I Can’t See in One Letter the Whole Truth

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