ChabadNewOrleans Blog

The Sinai Experience, which we celebrate during the upcoming holiday of Shavuot, has some fascinatingly paradoxical components.

On one hand we became a nation, as it states, “You will be unto Me a kingdom of nobles and a holy nation.”

On the other hand, the Ten Commandments were addressed to each individual, as evidenced by the singular form that G-d uses for all ten of them. (E.g. I am the L-rd your (singular) G-d.)

On the other hand, the covenant was made with the people collectively, as it states, All the people responded together and said, “All that G-d has spoken, we will do.”

On the other hand, the covenant was made with each individual, as evidenced by the notion that every single Jew alive at the time, along with the future souls of Jews, native and convert, were present for the establishment of the covenant at Mt. Sinai.

On the other hand, the mandate for mutual responsibility, Kol Yisrael Areivim Zeh La’zeh, comes from Sinai.

Are we an individualist society or a collectivist society? I would have to say neither, or perhaps a blend of both ideals. Certainly, Hashem desires a relationship with each of us individually. There are certain obligations and privileges that Judaism affords us as individuals. Along with that, we also recognize the value of being part of something bigger, of which the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Take a Minyan for example. The power of communal prayer is more than just 10 times the power of the individual. There is also a qualitative difference between them.

A takeaway from this seeming paradox is that while the right of an individual is highly respected in Judaism, a Jew is encouraged to embrace the strength of the collective, recognizing that it augments his or her own individual value in a most powerful manner. At the same time this power does not blur the value of the individual.

A Torah scroll contains 304,805 letters. If one letter is missing, the entire scroll is unfit for use. Additionally, each of the letters must be ringed by “white space.” Every Jew is a letter in G‑d's scroll. The people of Israel comprise an interdependent entity. The lack of a single Jewish soul, G‑d forbid, would spell a lack in us all. Yet equally important is the inviolable "white space" which distinguishes each of us as an individual. True, the letters spell a single integral message. But this message is comprised of hundreds of thousands of voices, each articulating it in its own manner. To detract from the individuality of one is to detract from the integrity of the collective.

Shabbat Shalom and Happy Shavuot. May we merit to receive the Torah in a deeply meaningful and joyous manner!
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

When we begin to familiarize ourselves with the practices of Judaism called Mitzvot, we realize that each Mitzvah has many details and parameters that define the proper implementation of the Mitzvah. The are time parameters (we don’t observe Shabbat on Tuesday). There are space parameters (a Mezuzah must be placed on the right doorpost, at the bottom of the top third). There are parameters of substance (we don’t cook meat and dairy together). There are parameters of attitude (we must love G-d with all our heart). There are parameters of volume (for a Mikvah to render one pure it must contain a minimum of 40 seah – 120 gallons of rainwater). You get the drift.

The question is, “Why does G-d care?” The truth is that there is a broader question of “Why does G-d care what we do altogether?” Why does the Al-Mighty creator of the universe take interest in the insignificant actions of little me or you? Are we suffering from delusions of grandeur to believe that our choices matter to Hashem?

The answer is love. G-d established a relationship of love with us, not just the collective us, but each and every individual. At Mt. Sinai, when He declared, “I am the L-rd your G-d,” He spoke in singular form, addressing Himself to each one individually. When you love, what your beloved does for you matters.

Let us examine a beautiful passage from the Talmud. Rabbi Chananya ben Akashya said: “The Holy One, blessed be He, wished to make the people of Israel meritorious; therefore He gave them Torah and Mitzvot in abundant measure, as it is written: ‘The L‑rd desired, for the sake of his [Israel’s] righteousness, to make the Torah great and glorious.’”

Hashem wants to give us merit. Therefore, he gives us Mitzvot in abundant measure, filled with detailed parameters. As we pay attention to the details and follow the parameters of the Mitzvot, our merit increases.  The Hebrew verb, L’zacot – to make meritorious, also has another connotation. L’zacot, can also mean to refine or polish. So in fact, with Mitzvot and their details, Hashem is giving us opportunities for self-refinement, the ability to polish ourselves into the finest version that we can be.

That is a lot of love!

The Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe once remarked regarding the requirement to wait six hours after eating meat before one can consume dairy, Hashem watches and waits 5 hours and 59 minutes to see His beloved remain faithful to the parameters of the six-hour wait. That one minute makes a difference to Him as much as the six hours.

Feel the love! Feel the caring! Feel the interest! For Hashem loves you with an infinite love that only He is capable of.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

In the opening words of this week’s Torah portion we read, “Say to the priests, the sons of Aaron—you must say to them (no one may ritually defile himself).” Rashi comments on the redundancy, “say… you must say” and explains that this comes to teach that the adults must be cautioned about the minors (that they too avoid ritual impurity).

This is one of the instances where the Torah encourages education of children. Education is key to continuity, in our case Jewish continuity. Education has always been an integral part of Judaism and the Jewish way of life. Jewish law teaches that as soon as a child has awareness, parents should teach the child verses of Torah and the practice of Judaism.

Education can take various forms, generally broken down into two categories, negative and stern or positive and uplifting. Successful education usually contains a blend of the two, love and discipline. A lot depends on the personality of the educator as well as that of the student.  

As we consider the balance of discipline and love, we take guidance from our sages who tell us “With the left (weaker) hand we push away (discipline), and with the right (stronger) hand we draw near (love).

How do we know if we have been successful in finding the proper balance and blend of love and discipline? For that we explore the beautiful insight that Chassidus offers on Rashi’s comment cited above on our Parsha. The Hebrew word for caution that Rashi uses is “L’hazhir.” The other connotation of L’hazhir, is Zohar – radiance or illumination. You want to know what successful education looks like? If it causes the child to shine and be illuminated. Does it bring out the light of their soul and personality? Does it place them in a space where they are focused on their light rather than their darkness? Then you know you are on the right track.

In truth, this principle applies to the education of adults as much as children.

I am blessed to be surrounded by generations of successful educators. I was raised by educators. I am married to an educator. Together we have raised children who are educators. My life experience confirms this teaching (not that truth needs my confirmation). Successful education equals radiance.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

Last week I heard a radio interview with Dr. Kelsey Johnson, an astrophysicist at the University of Virginia. She was talking about what motivated her to keep probing and researching things that we have not, up until this point in time, been able to wrap our minds around. She did not get into religion, although G-d did come up in the discussion. I suspect, although I could not ascertain, that she is not an atheist. She said something to the effect of this. To our current knowledge, we are the only beings in the universe who are aware of their place in the universe and are aware of what they know and do not yet know. As such we must remain curious and seek to learn and discover as much as we are able. She left G-d out of the equation in that conversation, but a person of faith would come to realize that the more we learn about the universe, the more we appreciate about the Creator.

As I heard her words, it reminded me of a conversation between another scientist who was probing the cosmos, NASA’s Dr. Velvl Greene, and the Rebbe. Dr. Greene was part of the Mars Project. As he became more involved in Judaism and started to live a more observant lifestyle, he was told by some, that searching for intelligent life on other planets was a conflict with the Torah. He brought this dilemma to the Rebbe who assured him the opposite was the case. The Rebbe declared, “You should look for life on Mars, and you should keep looking for life on Mars. If you don’t find it, then keep looking elsewhere, and do not stop looking, because to sit here in this world and say there is no life elsewhere is to put a limit around what G-d can do. And nobody can do that!”

In Psalms there are two verses that are often quoted as the impetus for humans observing “Niflaot Ha’boreh” – the Wonders of the Creator. One is from Psalm 92:6, “How great are Your works, O L-rd.” The other is from Psalm 104:24, “How manifold are Your works, O L-rd!” When we encounter the diversity of species of plans and animals, on land and in the oceans, one declares “How manifold are Your works, O L-rd.” When we learn more about the intricacies of the human body, the profundity of the genome system, the value of every element within every cell, we declare “How manifold are Your works, O L-rd.”

When we become aware of the vastness of the universe, discovering more and more about the cosmos, appreciating how much we don’t know or understand, we declare “How great are Your works, O L-rd.” The more advanced one’s awareness is in the sciences of physics, biology, and astronomy, the more profound one’s sense of humility ought to be before the greatness of the Creator.

What King David is telling us with these two verses is that the universe is our telescope to the Creator. Our discoveries and the awareness that we develop should leave us in awe at the great power of the Creator. This notion should leave us thirsting for more and more.

If this is true about the physical universe, how much more so when we think about the spiritual cosmos and the limitless levels of Divine Manifestation. If this is true about the body, how much more so about the intricacies of the soul. Developing greater awareness in these areas should certainly awaken a sense of awe, leading us to declare, “How great are Your works, O L-rd” and “How manifold are Your works, O L-rd!”  

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

Down here in the South there is an understanding that as long as you preface your statement with “bless your/his/her heart” you can follow it up with whatever you want, no matter how disparaging it may be.

While “bless your heart” has become cliché, and no longer has any real meaning, there is real value behind this concept. If you really love someone, then the criticism should come from a desire to help them. It will then be couched in constructive terms and presented in a loving manner that is designed to have the maximum positive outcome.

We find this idea reflected in the Torah. One of the worst consequences in the Torah is when a person is afflicted with Tzara’at (a leprosy-like skin condition that was brought upon a person because of “lashon hara” - negative speech). A person with Tzara’at was not only designated to be ritually impure, but they were also required to be separated from anyone else in the community, including their family, until the affliction passed. In a society that values community, this separation is particularly painful.

We find something fascinating about the process of Tzara’at designation. The laws are quite complex. The lesions of the skin that are considered Tzara’at are very specific. There are many lesions that are similar but do not render a person ritually impure with Tzara’at. Only an expert can truly identify the criteria for this designation. Yet, even if an expert has positively identified the conditions associated with Tzara’at, only a Kohen can pronounce this designation. The Kohen should (if he is not an expert) accept guidance from the expert, but the power to designate someone as impure due to Tzara’at, is the Kohen’s alone.

Why is this so? Because a Kohen was appointed by G-d to be the source of loving blessings and kindness for the people of Israel. The text of the introductory blessing that is recited before the “Priestly Blessings” given by the Kohen is, “Who commanded us to bless His nation Israel with love.” When love is the underlying motivation, the Kohen will do everything in his power to make sure that the person is really deserving of this designation before actually pronouncing them impure. He will work equally hard to see the process of purification through to the end so that the person can rejoin his family and community.

The lesson for us is obvious. Before we offer criticism or point out the flaws of another, we must make sure that we are motivated by love for the other and not our own internal rot, that requires us to push others down to feel elevated. The best proof will be how our words are received. A heart feels a heart. Words that come from the heart enter the heart of the other in the same manner. Love reflects love.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

The mystics teach us that there is a unique Jewish soul. They elaborate further, that every person born to a Jewish mother, or who undergoes a conversion to Judaism that conforms to Torah law (Halacha), possesses this special soul. However, it is not something that we can just assume for ourselves at whim or choice. This soul is assigned by Hashem; and we must conform to His rules (known as the Torah) to ensure that it has been assigned to us.

Understanding that we are talking about a spiritual (non-tangible) entity, we still have the right to question the mechanics of this dynamic. We can easily accept how an individual born to a Jewish mother receives this soul as a spiritual heritage at birth, similar to a genetic transmission, just in a spiritual parallel. But how does a convert to Judaism, known a Ger-Tzedek – righteous convert, all of sudden acquire a Jewish soul? Obviously, Hashem has His ways, and He could infuse the person with that soul at the time of conversion. Our sages, however, have a different explanation that is far more compelling.

Throughout the Talmud the process of conversion is couched in the following terms, “Ger Shenitgayer – a convert who converts.” It would seem more appropriate to state, “a gentile who converts.” Why call the person a convert, even before they begin the process? The explanation given by the sages of Israel is that a person who converts according to Halacha is someone who was born in possession of a Jewish soul and that propelled them to seek conversion. As such, the individual is already a “convert,” they simply need to complete the process to align with what they had all along.

Throughout our history, there were times when conversion to Judaism was fraught with danger and punishable by death. There were courageous individuals who sought to identify with their core essence and undergo a conversion. In our upcoming course, Colorful Profiles, the opening lesson features the stories of three such individuals and the lessons we can learn from their lives and apply to our lives in the 21^st century.

During the four part course, we will also learn about three special women, three Jews who took on leadership roles in a gentile society, and three sad stories of Jews in captivity. Each of these classes is filled with practical messaging for contemporary living.

We are offering these classes at the New Orleans Chabad beginning on Wednesday, May 7. We are also offering a new daytime option at 10 am on Thursdays, beginning May 8. To register or for more info: www.chabadneworleans.com/jli.

Chabad Metairie (Rabbi Ceitlin) will be offering the classes on Tuesdays (morning and evening), starting this coming Tuesday. To register or for more info: www.jewishlouisiana.com/jli.

This week Chabad of Louisiana mourns the passing of Rabbi Shmuel Spalter, father of Mrs. Chanie Nemes. He was a Holocaust survivor who built up a beautiful Jewish family following the war. He was the epitome of a G-d fearing Chassid who lived his life as a servant of Hashem. He leaves generations of descendants who follow his inspiration. May his memory be for a blessing.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

Next weekend we celebrate Pesach, our Festival of Liberation. We will focus on the idea of freedom. “On this night we became free.” It would be even more meaningful if we also directed some thought to the question “freedom from what?” and “freedom to what?” during the Seder.

Many families, especially those with a family member who went through the Holocaust, the Gulag, a terror attack or hostage situation, will utilize the Seder night to tell their personal story of liberation and survival as a continuation of the Pesach narrative. This is very valuable and important. After all, we declare “In every generation they arise to destroy us and the Holy One saves us from their hands.”

Yet, there must be more to this “freedom thing” than just freedom from persecution. If not, how could Pesach be discretely observed in the Concentration Camps and Gulags? How could our people celebrate their “freedom” in a secret Spanish cellar during the Inquisition? How could the hostages in Gaza speak of freedom on Passover, while in captivity?

The Maharal of Prague writes that on Pesach, Am Yisrael (Jewish people) were given the gift of inherent freedom. When Hashem took us out of Egypt, brought us to Sinai, and gave us the Torah, we became an essentially free people. We were given the soul of freedom that could not be taken away from us by any external force. So, while our enemies could subject our bodies to persecution, they had no power over our souls.

From that point on, the only force capable of enslaving our souls is ourselves. When a Jew places himself or herself in a slavery mindset, in that moment we are not free. When we impose restrictions on our souls’ ability to soar and operate, in that moment we are slaves. However, the gift of freedom is also in our hands. We can snap free of that enslavement with a shift of consciousness.

Let’s use the Israel issue as an example. There are some who insist that using Biblical or “religious” arguments for the Jewish right to Israel is not going to work. Amazingly, millions of non-Jewish people make full throated declarations that Israel is the G-d given homeland of the Jews. But a Jew is uncomfortable advancing that narrative and therefore would rather squirm through arguments about colonialism, the UN, the Holocaust, and other far less compelling points. Why? Because he is uncomfortable with his own inherent freedom and continues to engage in self-imposed slavery.  

This Pesach let us embrace our essential freedom. We are free from anything that tries to keep us from our freedom to serve and have a relationship with Hashem. Freedom… what a concept!

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

Imagine the drama at the moment when the long awaited Mishkan (sanctuary) was completed. Here is how it described in this week’s Parsha (Exodus, 40:33-34), “…Moses completed the work. The cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of G-d filled the Tabernacle.”

After months of contributions and construction, the project was completed. Now the people awaited the fulfilment of Hashem’s assurance, “Make for Me a Sanctuary, and I will dwell within them.” Moses oversaw the final steps of getting everything in place for the inauguration. Suddenly the Cloud of Glory covered the Mishkan and the Glory of G-d filled the Tabernacle.

The surge of emotion must have been overwhelming. Coming from the tragic sin of the golden calf, and now, finally, their efforts were rewarded, and their atonement was accepted.

But how is it possible for a structure made by finite hands to contain the glory of G-d? As Solomon phrased it when he completed the First Holy Temple in Jerusalem (Kings I, 8:27), “But will G-d indeed dwell on the earth? Behold the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You; much less this temple that I have erected.” The mystics explain this verse that the heavens and the heaven of heavens refer to the loftiest spiritual realms, that are inadequate to contain the true Glory of G-d, but somehow a physical building can?

Yet, that is exactly what happened. It happened with the Mishkan. It happened with the Temples. It happens with each of us in the Temple that we construct for Hashem in our hearts and homes. How indeed is this so?

By His own admission, the one thing that Hashem desires more than anything else, is a relationship with us. We cannot say that He needs it, but He does declare that He wants it. For this purpose, Hashem created the universe with all its spiritual and physical dimensions and complexities. For this purpose, Hashem created us people. And for this purpose, Hashem gave us the Torah. So, the heaven and the heaven of heavens, are mere connection points. Just lonely stops on the train ride for Hashem on His way down to earth. The real destination is for Hashem to dwell in our midst. Down here on physical earth, finite humans can utilize the Torah to actualize the relationship with Hashem that He so desires.

We each have a sanctuary in microcosm. We each are a sanctuary in microcosm. Let us maintain our sanctuary so that it can be suffused with the Glory of G-d at every moment.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

A major dilemma facing Jews over the generations was the question of do we focus on community building in our current space, be it geographic or conceptual, or do we focus solely on getting where we want/need to be.

The two holidays that we celebrate during this time of the year, Purim and Pesach, give us great insight as we attempt to navigate this issue.

At the time of the Babylonian conquest of Israel, resulting in the destruction of the First Holy Temple, Jeremiah prophesied that there would be a 70-year exile. The ambiguity of how to calculate the 70 years confounded the gentile rulers as well of their Jewish subjects, leading some to erroneously conclude that the 70 years had passed, and G-d had forsaken them.

The Purim story occurred in the latter part of those 70 years. Facing annihilation under Haman’s threat, Mordechai and Esther focus on Jewish survival. Then the threat is averted through the miracle of Purim. Now what? There were still several years remaining until the prophecy was fulfilled. Hand in hand with reassuring the Jews that “redemption” was ahead, Mordechai threw himself into ensuring that the Jewish community of Persia thrived.

Purim was a great victory. The turnabout was amazing. However, the Talmud utters four terrifying words in Aramaic when analyzing the Purim story, “acati avdi d’Achashverosh anan” – we are still subjects of Achashverosh. Even as we rebuilt the temple, it was only with permission from Daruis II, Achashverosh’s successor. Under David and Solomon, the Jewish people were sovereign in their land. We built the second temple as subjects of the Persian crown. We would ultimately be transferred from Persia to Greece, from Greece to Rome, back to Persia, then Arabia, and then the Ottomans. Ultimately it would be granted to the British as a mandate and, even when we are granted “independence” we are beholden to the Achashverosh types of the world. So, in reality, as the Talmud declares, “acati avdi d’Achashverosh anan” – we are still subjects of Achashverosh.

We are stuck in the same dilemma. Do we make sure that our Jewish communities thrive wherever they may be, in Israel or around the world? Or do we say, “building communities in exile is a waste of time?” We take a page from Mordechai’s playbook. We must make ensure that Jews are not just surviving but thriving. We must build strong, proud, and vibrant Jewish communities around the world.

Yet, that is not enough. Pesach teaches us that we must strive for complete freedom and redemption. When we left Egypt and stood at Sinai to receive the Torah, we were imbued with true and ultimate freedom. We were free of human rule. We were now and forever subjects of Hashem.

So, here is the Purim/Pesach inspired plan.

We survive. We overcome our physical and conceptual enemies.

We thrive. We build the best Jewish life we can for ourselves in our current circumstances.

We strive. We aspire and work towards a time of compete freedom and redemption.

By the time this Pesach comes, may Hashem have blessed us with the ultimate freedom and liberation with the coming of Moshiach and complete redemption, amen!

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

Towards the end of the Purim story we read (Esther 8:17), “And in every province and in every city, wherever the king's order and his edict reached, [there was] joy and gladness for the Jews, a feast and a festive day, and many of the peoples of the land became Jews because the fear of the Jews was upon them.”

A simple reading of this passage indicates that many gentiles in the Persian Empire adopted Judaism because they were afraid of the Jews. This doesn’t seem like a compelling case for sincere conversion. Doing something out of fear of someone else is not a recipe for long-term sustainability. So why is this celebrated in the Megillah as a positive effect of the Jewish salvation from Haman’s decree?

The Rebbe offers an alternative interpretation that changes the entire dynamic. “Fear of the Jews” is not to be understood as being afraid of the Jews. Rather, “Fear of the Jews” is the mindset of the Jewish people, meaning the Jews being in “awe of Hashem.” So now when we read “many of the peoples of the land became Jews because the fear of the Jews was upon them,” we understand this in terms of a spiritual and moral influence resulting from “the peoples of the land” observing the “G-d fearing” life of the Jewish people.

When a Jew models a life of honesty and integrity, with proper priorities in place, a harmonious family life, a caring for others, and a demonstrably meaningful relationship with Hashem, this is the loudest and most powerful influence that he or she can have on their environment. The late Chief Rabbi of the UK, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, put it succinctly, “Non-Jews respect Jews who respect Judaism.” When we live a proudly G-d fearing life, the impact on the “peoples of the land” is immense.

Now more than ever, we need to be mindful of this powerful ability to influence the perspectives and behaviors of those around us. Be a Jewish influencer!

We lost a dear friend of our family and Chabad of Louisiana. Lee Rittvo, formerly of New Orleans, passed away suddenly yesterday. We are heartbroken for her husband Steve, their children Ariel and David, and their families. Lee was a vibrant person, a feisty woman with strong views. She was a passionate Jew, and a highly artistic individual. Though they moved to Colorado after Hurricane Katrina, they remined involved and committed to New Orleans and our Jewish community.

Lee, along with Steve, may he live and be well, were the force behind the beautiful Mikvah at Chabad in New Orleans. The RINGGER Center for Jewish Women’s Enrichment was named for the family matriarchs who influenced their lives. Lee’s vision and execution of the beautiful mikvah is an everlasting treasure for women, locals and tourists alike, and a real foundation of the New Orleans Jewish community.

When Lee’s daughter-in-law used the Mikvah before her wedding, Lee was ecstatic. A young woman, who used to drive to New Orleans from the Florida panhandle shared, that she loved coming to this beautiful Mikvah and it was the highlight of her month. There is no question that Lee’s soul will be greeted in heaven by the multitude of angels, created by each woman’s use of the Mikvah over the past 15 years.

May G-d grant strength to Steve, Ariel, David, and their families as they confront this shattering loss. May the Al-mighty comfort them among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem; and bless them “that only goodness and kindness pursue them all the days of their lives.”

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

Malkie and I thank each of you who reached out to us with Mazel Tov wishes upon our daughter Basy’s engagement to Chaim Meir Bukiet. We look forward to the opportunity to return those good wishes to you at your time of celebration.

This week the Jewish world was filled with love towards the two little lion cubs, Kfir and Ariel Bibas, who together with their mother Shiri, were finally brought to dignity following the horrific kidnapping, murder, mistreatment of their bodies, and the attempted body switch charade perpetrated by those vile Hamas monsters. Our people values children. We love life. The collective Jewish heart aches for these children and their family. We prayed and hoped that they would return alive and well. They became symbols of Jewish consciousness.

In this week’s Parsha we read about the instructions to create an Ark, a Kaporet (cover), and the Keruvim (cherubs).

The greatest commentators, Rashi and Ramban (Nachmanides) differ in their understanding of the roles and purpose of these important elements of the Sanctuary. Ramban argues that they are three parts of the same entity. Collectively they represent Divine Communication to the people of Israel. The ark held the Tablets of the Covenant, and the original Torah scroll, while the Kaporet/Keruvim were the channel through which G-d communicated to Moses throughout the forty years in the Sinai.

Rashi, on the other hand, maintains that the Ark served as the home Divine Communication (Torah), while the Kaporet/Keruvim serve as a Symbol of the Divine Love for the Jewish people. He emphasizes the fact that the Keruvim had childlike faces symbolizing the love a father has for his small child.

(Another commentator, Rabbi Bechaya, puts a different spin on the same idea. He highlights the fact that the two Keruvim looked like a male and a female, symbolizing the love between Hashem and the Jewish people. When the people would come for the pilgrimage festivals to Jerusalem, the priests would pull back the curtain of the Holy of Holies so that the people could see the two Keruvim locked in a loving embrace.)

The Rebbe points out that according to Rashi this explains why the Keruvim were above the Ark. The connection between Hashem and the people of Israel is even more powerful than the connection between Hashem and the Torah. The love of a father towards a small child, even when he does not behave according to “expectation” is incalculable.

May each of us feel that love in the most potent manner and reflect it back to Hashem with great devotion.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

Yesterday a young man in his 20s who immigrated from Ukraine to Israel had a Bris. When asked what Jewish name he wants to take, he replied, Kfir Ariel, named for the two little Bibas boys. The lions sleep tonight… but a roaring lion has been awakened. The heart wrenching Bibas story has moved people in a powerful way. Join a mighty force for good by going to https://onemitzvah.org/bibas and let the world hear the lion roar.

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This week, Adi, one of the two Israelis that was injured in the Bourbon St. terror attack, returned to Israel to continue his rehab at “home.” At a farewell gathering, his father Haggai was overheard commenting to the Israeli medic that was to accompany them home, “When we have time on the flight, I will tell you what a “Kehillah” is. We are very proud of our “Kehillah” – the New Orleans Jewish community for going above and beyond to embrace these two young men and their families during their challenging time in our city.

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Speaking of proud, tonight Chabad at Tulane is hosting 1,800 Jewish students for Shabbat dinner. 1,800 Jewish young people proudly experiencing their Jewish identity. Hundreds of boys putting on Tefillin before sunset. Hundreds of girls lighting Shabbat candles. 1,800 voices declaring Am Yisrael Chai and Shabbat Shalom. To support the event: http://tulanechabad.org/4293008.

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If you heard that a group of people with Tiki torches were marching in Mississippi, you would probably assume that it was a white supremacist rally or something like that. In fact, this past Sunday, a group of Jews marched in Gulfport with torches honoring the dedication of a new Torah scroll, a first for the Gulf coast Jewish community. A very proud moment indeed. Mazel Tov to Rabbi Akiva and Hannah Hall and the entire Congregation Beth Israel community for the special occasion.

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Yesterday, 22 Shevat, was the Yahrtzeit of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson, the Rebbe’s wife, who passed in 1988. While she had no children of her own, she has the unique status of being a Jewish woman whose name is carried by tens of thousands. Since 1988, nearly every Chabad family, and many who were influenced by the Rebbe, have named a daughter after this special woman. I am privileged to have a daughter and a granddaughter who carry that august name. This was something for which the Rebbe expressed much appreciation.

In conjunction with her Yahrtzeit, the International Chabad Shluchos annual gathering is taking place this weekend in New York. Thousands of women, who occupy leadership positions in every state and country around the world, gather to inspire each other and go back to their communities stronger and more committed than ever to push our world over the threshold of Redemption very soon.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

New Orleans recently hosted the Super Bowl. In the months and even years leading up to the big day, significant resources and manpower were invested to ensure that the event itself would go well, and the city would be presented in the best possible manner. Indeed, it appears that the effort paid off. Rave reviews from the participants and organizations involved indicate that it was a huge success. Now what?

The people of Israel left Egypt, crossed the Red Sea and counted 7 weeks in preparation for the event of seismic proportions, Revelation at Sinai. By all accounts the preparation was well worth it. Amid an unprecedented display of sound and light, G-d gave us the Torah, we embraced our role and expressed our devotion to Hashem, and the world received a manual for purposeful living. Now what?

We spend four weeks each year preparing for the High Holidays. There is the Teshuva. Rabbis prepare their inspiring sermons. Congregations prepare for additional participants. Large scale events are planned and carried out throughout the month of holidays. Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah are a smashing success. The Judaism quotient is off the charts. Now what?

A renowned speaker is coming to town. A venue is arranged, and hundreds sign up to hear the message that this speaker conveys. The speaker does not disappoint. The crowd is uplifted and inspired. They walk away feeling energized and transformed by the powerful ideas put forth by the speaker. Now what?

One of life’s challenges is learning how to carry momentum forward following a watershed moment into regular daily life. How do we prevent the gains made by New Orleans in preparation for the Super Bowl from sliding back into the “same old” to which we are accustomed? How do we prevent the “high” of Revelation at Sinai from slipping down the rabbit hole into a Golden Calf? How do we prevent our potent feeling of Jewish identity from crashing after soaring aloft during the High Holidays? How do we prevent the transformative message conveyed by the speaker from becoming a mere memory that has no bearing on our ongoing reality?

If you know the answer, please let me know!

In meantime I will offer a Torah based solution that I still struggle to implement in my personal life.  

The solution is concrete action. The feelings are wonderful. If we want them to have staying power, then we need immediate practical application. We must identify real measures that we can implement right away, which will carry the momentum forward and allow us to grow and develop further. This is one of the reasons why Mitzvot are so central to Judaism. They serve to ground all the lofty ideals inspired by the Torah and our faith in G-d and integrate them into everyday life.

Doing this requires energy and motivation. But if we want the wonderful sensation that we felt at the zenith of our experience to not go to waste, buckle up and start grinding away.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin