Faith in Times of Anxiety - Address to Chabad of Montclair

Been Down so Long, How Do I Get Up From Here?

Lecture for Mental Health Initiative Chabad NJ

Faith in Times of Anxiety

This weekly women&#39;s class was&nbsp;presented on Tuesday, Parshas Behaaloscha, 14 Sivan, 5781, May 25, 2021, live from Rabbi YY Jacobson&#39;s home in Monsey, NY.

An Enigmatic Law in the Talmud Helps Us Alleviate Anxiety

Women's Class Behaaloscha

Cuddled in My Mother's Arms

Rabbi YY Jacobson during a&nbsp;Zoom conversation with Chabad of Naples, Florida, on Sunday, 24 Elul, 5780, September 13, 2020

YY Moment: Meditating With the Jewish Community of Naples

Meditation for the New Year: Transcend Fear

This special program for children was&nbsp;presented on Thursday, Parshas Vayakhel-Pekudei, 23&nbsp;Adar, 5780, March 19, 2020. Rabbi YY Jacobson shared three stories and responded to questions of children during this coronavirus pandemic.

3 Stories & Words of Inspiration for a Virus Out of Control

Coronavirus: Children's Program #1

Rabbi Jacobson Responds to Children's Questions

The opening of the thirtieth chapter of Genesis relates a small but disturbing scene. The infertile Rachel tells her husband: &quot;Give me children, and if not, I am dead.&quot; And Jacob became angry with Rachel, and he said, &quot;Am I instead of God, Who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?&quot;

Jacob&rsquo;s response seems painfully insensitive and uncharacteristic of their affectionate bond. He is in love with Rachel. Any experienced and loving husband knows that even in a good day when your wife conveys an emotion about something eating up on her, the last think you do is get angry at her! What she wants from you is an attentive ear and a receptive heart. That itself makes her feel better. Certainly if she is expressing her pain over a real and deep wound. Jacob&rsquo;s response is baffling and disturbing.

Today we will present four approaches&mdash;one from the Midrash, the second from a medieval Jewish philosopher, the third from the Munkatcher Rebbe, and the fourth from the Ramban and the world of Chassidus.

The Midrash opens up its commentary on the portion of Vayeitzei by attributing Psalm 121 to Jacob on his journey to Haran. Psalms 121 begins with a description of a distraught narrator, who wonders &ldquo;from where will my salvation come?&rdquo; Jacob despaired. The Midrash says: Jacob said to himself: &ldquo;What?! I will give up hope from my Creator? I will never give up hope! My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!&rdquo;

But what does this mean? Did Jacob really give up hope? Just because he was destitute and penniless, he fell into such despair? This is the man who would carry on the covenant of Abraham and Isaac&mdash;did he really forget about G-d? Also, his words seem repetitious: &ldquo;What? I will give up hope from my Creator? I will never give up hope!&rdquo; He should have just said: &ldquo;I will never give up hope!&rdquo; Why the question and the answer?

It was the great Chassidic master, the Chidushei Harim (Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Alter, the first Gerer Rebbe, (1799 - 1866)), who gave a stunning explanation. I would venture to add that knowing the life story of this man makes the explanation far more poignant.

This women&#39;s class was presented on Tuesday, Parshas Vayetzei, 5 Kislev, 5780, December 3, 2019 at the Ohr Chaim Shul, Monsey, NY

How the Cracks In Your Life Can Become the Gate of Heaven

Women's Vayetzei Class

Why Did Yaakov Get Angry at his Beloved Wife Rachel? 4 Perspectives

This women&#39;s class was presented on&nbsp;Tuesday Parshas Eikev, 19&nbsp;Av, 5779, August 20, 2019 at the Ohr Chaim Shul, Monsey, NY.

The Jewish people are standing at the Eastern side of the Jordan river. They are poised to enter the Promised Land. Their faithful leader, Moshe, speaks to them. These are his words: &quot;Hear, O Israel! Today, you are crossing the Jordan to come in to possess nations greater and stronger than you, great cities, fortified up to the heavens. A colossal and towering nation, the children of the giants, whom you know and of whom you have heard said, &quot;Who can stand against the children of the giants?!&quot;

This is mind-staggering. Moshe is repeating, almost verbatim, the words the Ten Spies uttered 39 years earlier which caused an unparalleled catastrophe, and derailed Jewish history from its course.

Is this for real? After everything they have been through, Moses repeats&mdash;as we said, almost verbatim&mdash;the terrifying and destructively-impactful words of the spies which sowed terror and dread in all of their brethren hearts!&nbsp;

It is here that we discover the truth of Torah. Judaism&nbsp;does not deny reality; it does not sell us the Brooklyn Bridge. It acknowledged the real fears internal and external hardships, but it also says: Hashem is with you; you can confront every fear.&nbsp;Life is difficult, but if you can accept that, then life can be a lot of fun!&nbsp;

CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) is a powerful tool, but sometimes it can fail you. It is then that you need another, very different tool -- articulated in this story of Eikev.

The lecture is based on an address by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Shabbos Parshas Eikev, 23 Av, 5731, August 14, 1971.

Moshe, Churchill and Begin: How to Prepare Your People for War

Women's Eikev Class

Life Is Difficult. Once You Accept This, Life Can Be Fun

This women&#39;s class was presented on Tuesday Parshas Shlach, 22&nbsp;Sivan, 5779, June 25, 2019 at the Ohr Chaim Shul, Monsey, NY

A Different Reading on the Story of the Spies

Women's Shlach Class

Don't Be Afraid of Success

This women&#39;s class was presented on Tuesday&nbsp;Parshas Metzorah, 4&nbsp;Nissan, 5779, April 9, 2019 at the Ohr Chaim Shul, Monsey, NY

Why Do We Begin Our Seder With a Declaration That We Are Slaves?!

Women's Pesach Class

I Am a Thief

Excerpt from the Yud Tes Kislev Farbrengen with Rabbi YY Jacobson - &nbsp;Tuesday, November 27, 2018, 19 Kislev, 5779 at 20 Forshay Road, Monsey, NY.

Only When You Can Touch The Texture of Darkness, Can You Transform It

Vayeishev/19 Kislev/Psychology

Never Ever Fear Your Emotions

This lecture by Rabbi YY Jacobson was presented on Sunday, 3 Av, 5778, July 15, 2018, for the Chazaq organization, in Queens, NY.

The Incredible Story of How Child Bed Fever Stopped Killing Mothers

Lecture Chazaq Queens

The Destructive Power Of Fear

Q &amp;A: 
Therapy, Mental Illness, Anxiety &amp; Faith 
Child Molestation 
When Rabbis Disappoint 
Why Not Get Rid of Religion? 
Why Do My Ancestors Obligate Me? 
Individuality &amp; Chassidic Dress 
Talent for Acting 
When to Divorce 
What Was the Opposition to Chassidus?

When Rabbis Disappoint; Why Not Get Rid of Religion? Why Do My Ancestors Obligate Me? When to Divorce?

The Emunah Series

Basics of Emunah #29: Therapy, Mental Illness, Anxiety, Molestation

Former President Obama was blasted by former President Trump over suspicions that he is not a &ldquo;homegrown potato.&rdquo; It is one of the greatest questions of the Jewish narrative. Why did Providence have it that our first and greatest leader should be raised among non-Jews, and even worse, in the home of one of the greatest anti-Semites in history? Why did G-d want Moses to be deprived of a Jewish upbringing?

The Ibn Ezra grants us two answers which cut to the heart of what it means to be a true visionary leader. It contains a powerful lesson for our individual lives, as well as our collective destiny as Jews.&nbsp;

The story of the US President who slept through his presidency.

Why Our First and Greatest Leader Never Ate Schmaltz Herring

Essay Parshas Shemos

We Need to Get Rid Of the Inferiority Complex

<span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">Rabbi YY Jacobson presents the keynote lecture at the event for the Mashadi Community of Great Neck, NY, at Shaare Shalom Synagogue on Tuesday, 14 Teves, 5785, Jan 14th, 2025.

Yes! We Are Suffering From Anxiety — And We Can Talk About It

When Religion Is Used to Cover Up for Fear, Trauma and Ego — It’s Time to Smash the Idols

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