ChabadNewOrleans Blog

A waiter approaches a table in a Kosher restaurant where three Jewish ladies are having lunch. With a smile on his face he asks, “is anything ok over here? He knew that their motto was “Born to Kvetch.”

In this week’s Parsha the Torah lists the species of birds that are not Kosher. One of them is called Ra’ah. It is a bird of prey like a kite or a falcon. It is called Ra’ah because of its excellent vision, sighting its prey from a great distance. To convey this idea the Talmud states that a Ra’ah has such good vision that it can be “situated in Bavel - Babylon and see a carcass in Eretz Yisrael.”

The Baal Shem Tov points out that this is why (spiritually) the Ra’ah is a non-kosher bird. It looks at Eretz Yisrael, a place that is saturated with holiness and positivity, and all it sees is a carcass.

Some refer to this a the “missing tile syndrome.” This is the tendency to focus only on the negative or what is missing rather than to consider the overwhelming presence of positives.

We would be well served to train ourselves to see people and situations in a more positive light. It allows to experience more joy and gladness of heart. It is a gateway to a greater degree of gratitude in our lives, which leads to fulfillment and satisfaction.

The Baal Shem Tov adds a nuance to his teaching. Bavel in Hebrew comes from the same root as the word for confusion or chaos. When we are in Bavel, meaning that we are confused about priorities in life and in a state of spiritual chaos, we tend to see positive things or people, indicated by the term Eretz Yisrael, as lowly carcasses.

In fact, this is because we are seeing ourselves in that person or situation. We confuse the tranquility of holiness for the chaos of prioritizing materialism. If all we see is a carcass, that is most likely because we are living carcass-like lives.

In order to have “Kosher vision,” we must train ourselves to have a more positive perspective on life and everything that we encounter. Our lives will be richer, more meaningful, and more G-dly.

As we are just a month away from Rosh Hashanah, this might be a good lead on a New Year’s resolution that can be kept!

Shabbat Shalom and may we all be inscribed and sealed for a good and sweet year filled with good health, prosperity, meaningful spiritual growth, peace and security, and the complete and final redemption.

Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

33 years ago, on Shabbat Eikev, 1991 the Rebbe spoke with enthusiasm about a unique edition of Tanya that had been published that week. It was a Tanya in Braille, making the Tanya’s teachings accessible to those with sight impairment. Tanya is the foundational work of Chabad Chassidic thought whose teachings demonstrate a path for people toward a more meaningful and sustained relationship with Hashem.

The Baal Shem Tov shared a vision in which he was told by Mashiach that the Redemption would come when “the wellsprings of your teachings are spread outward.” Ever since then, the mandate of the Chassidic movement became to spread the teachings to the furthest reaches. These teachings are transformational insights into meaningful living, which is the ultimate prerequisite for the final redemption.

Over hundreds of years, Chassidic wellsprings have been brought to the furthest reaches, literally and conceptually. Chassidim brought Chassidus to locales that had no previous exposure to these teachings. Populations that would otherwise have no opportunity to engage with these teachings, were touched by means of translations into a wide range of foreign languages, simplified explanation of profound ideas, and mentors who were willing to expend the time and effort to share and inspire others.

Up until 1991, a sight impaired person did not have firsthand exposure to Tanya. Of course, they could hear the voice of a teacher, but they could not read on their own. This is why the Rebbe was so enthusiastic about the braille edition. It was a new frontier that had not previously been reached, allowing those whose eyes were darkened by their condition to be illuminated by the bright light of Tanya.

Recently, a new edition of Tanya was published with the intent of reaching a population that until now had to rely on others to teach them. I refer to children. While there are several works that adapt ideas of Tanya for children, they were not comprehensive. Some years ago, Tzivos Hashem, the organization the Rebbe established for children, launched a project to create a Tanya that would be accessible to children of many ages. A team of researchers, writers, editors, illustrators, graphic designers, and project managers was assembled (my son-in-law, Rabbi Yossi Cohen was one of the researchers) to implement the goal. The result is the recently published Living Lessons from Tanya – Weiss Edition.

The book is masterfully designed, filled with stories, practical insights and lessons, great artwork, and has something relevant for children of many ages. It is styled after the rest of the Living Lessons series. More info at www.hachai.com/productcat/living-lessons-publications.

It is our fervent hope that this will be the last frontier needed in preparation for the complete and final Redemption through the coming of Mashiach.

I am sure that you will all join me in wishing my father well on the occasion of a milestone birthday this weekend. May Hashem bless him and my mother with good health, prosperity, nachas from their family and community, success in everything that they do, especially with the work of Chabad of Louisiana. May we all merit together to greet Mashiach speedily!

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

On Wednesday night we had the privilege of hosting Holocaust Survivor, Saul Dreier at the JPAC. He shared his story, his music, and his infectious positive approach to life with the hundreds in the audience. Kudos to Rabbi Mendel and Chaya Mushka Ceitlin for being the driving force behind this event. Photos will be shared when they are made available to us. Many audience members enthusiastically shared video clips and photos on social media.

I would like to share with you my words of introduction at the event. The message is a both powerful and relevant.

By Divine Providence tonight’s event comes on the heels of Tisha B’av, the National Day of Mourning for the Jewish people, most prominently for the destruction of the first and second Holy Temples in Jerusalem, 2,500 and 2,000 years ago. Yesterday we mourned for all the tragedies that have befallen our people over our nearly 3,500-year history, among them by the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Crusaders, the Spanish Inquisition, the Pogroms of Eastern Europe and the Middle East, the Holocaust, and of course the recent October 7 attack in Israel.

As we read the Biblical Book of Lamentations and a series of haunting elegies describing the tragedies of our people, two things struck me. The first was how eerily similar the descriptions of those tragedies were to the experiences of the victims on October 7. The cruelty towards and dehumanization of our people was repeated over and over in each successive tragic episode of persecution.

The second was how the Book of Lamentations and each of the mournful elegies ends with a message of hope and optimism for the future. This attitude is reflected in the life of our honored guest Saul Dreier, who refused to allow dehumanization to steal his zest for life. From where do we draw this strength? I answer by way of a story.

Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, author and Nobel laureate was approached by an audience member following a talk. “I was wondering if perhaps you might have known or met my father who happened to in Buchenwald at the same time as you?”

When the woman mentioned her father’s name, tears came to the Wiesel’s eyes. “Did I know your father? Not only were we in the same camp, but we were also in the same barracks. Now let me tell you about your father.

When I was at Buchenwald, like many, I contemplated suicide. The difference between me and the others, was that I had managed to get hold of some poison and had the wherewithal to bring my suffering to an end. One day I came into the barracks with a plan to ingest the ‘magic potion’ that would finally bring me peace.

When I entered, your father was there, and do you know what he was doing? What he always did. He was singing! He had such a sweet voice, and he loved to sing. On that day, he was singing a song I remembered from back home — a different place, a different world. Even in those putrid barracks, his voice was so piercing — so moving, so rich, so alive. I challenged him, ‘how can you sing in a miserable place like this?’ Your father then turned to me and said, ‘Eli, all I have is my song and this they cannot take away from me. These animals can take away our limbs and our bodies, but they cannot take away our song.

Do you hear? They cannot take away our song — unless we let them.’ He then resumed his singing, in his beautiful voice. His song was his resistance, his small act of defiance and strength. And so, I made it my own. I am alive today because of your father’s resistance.”

Friends, the song is an expression of the soul, a spirit that is inherently free. It is that spirit that imbues us with the strength to look towards the hope of an illuminated future – a time when the world will know only peace and harmony, the time of which our prophets spoke and yearned, the time of Redemption. May our world experience this very soon.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin 

Do we live in the twilight zone? How is it possible that two of the individuals responsible for much of the world’s terrorism were eliminated, and the world reacts with criticism and concern for “escalation of violence” and the diminishing chance for a ceasefire? You would think that any country whose citizens and sovereignty have been directly or indirectly threatened by Hezbollah or Hamas, would be lining up to pat Israel on the back and declare a hearty “Yasher Koach.” (The US had a 5-million-dollar bounty on the guy Israel took out in Beirut due to the hundreds of American military personnel he was responsible for killing.)

Yet, all we hear is kvetching at best, and outright hostility at worst. What is going on here? We are worried about “escalation of violence?” It seemed pretty escalated to me already. The lives of 12 kids killed this week while playing soccer are worthless? 1,200 victims of Hamas barbarism on Oct. 7 (not to mention the thousands of previous victims of Hamas terror) and the lives of the remaining hostages are meaningless? 300 missiles from Iran in April is a “deescalated violence?”

We are worried about the diminishing chances of a ceasefire so desperately needed for a political gain in the USA and elsewhere? It appears that the conflict is a mere nuisance, a pesky fly, that just needs to go away and stop bothering us so we can get back to other important business, especially with an election looming.  

Jonathan Tobin of JNS has a good analysis of this at www.jns.org/in-praise-of-targeted-killings-of-terrorists.  

As I think more about it, I am starting to understand the disconnect. Let me explain by way of a parable. A pig and a chicken were passing a diner with a sign in the window that read, “Breakfast special – bacon and eggs.” The pig started to cry. The chicken asked, “Why are you crying? After all, I too am involved, and I am not crying.” To which the pig replies, “For you it is a contribution, for me it is a matter of life and death.”

For Israel, and for Jews around the world that are dialed in, we are not just dealing with another issue to consider; this is a matter of literal survival. Every Jewish life lost in this conflict is one too many. For that matter, every life that we are forced to take in defense of Jewish life, is also one too many. We cannot afford to get this to a “manageable state” and shift it to the back burner. That costs way too many lives. Terrorists, and the regimes that support them, need to be rendered impotent in their capacity to continue their murderous ways. May Hashem protect each and every one of us, and all of the good people around the world!

I encourage you to join an important seminar that we will be presenting this Sunday on this vital issue for the Jewish people and our friends everywhere. How Israel Wins, Sunday August 4. For more info or to register, www.chabadneworleans.com/israel. A fish fry lunch will be served at 12:30, and the multimedia seminar begins at 1:30.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

One of the most challenging states is the state of confusion or chaos. A lack of clarity and direction can be one of the most destabilizing feelings in a person's life. What do we, as Jewish people, do when we are facing this sort of destabilization?

We are living in a time in which confusion reigns supreme. Of course, Hashem runs the world, but we are meant to live in it. We think about issues that are near and dear to us such as Israel, and there is a deafening cacophony of messages being screamed at us from all sides. Some are insidious. Some are clueless. Some are well-intentioned. Some sound thoughtful and convincing. Some are infuriating. Some are guilt inducing. Some come from enemies. Some come from friends. Some come from “experts.” How do we know which message is correct? How do we sift through the confusion on Israel?

We turn to the Torah, which King David (Psalms 119:105) describes as, “a lamp for my foot, and light for my path.” As mentioned many times, the Rebbe emphasizes that the Torah is Torah of light, Torah of life, and Torah of truth. The Torah’s message about a particular issue is meant to be an illuminated guide for life infused with truth.

The Israel issue is no different. It would be foolish to think that G-d would leave an issue as important as Jewish lives in the land of Israel for us to feel around in the dark until we figure out the correct answer. When it comes to Israel the Torah is “a lamp for my foot, and light for my path.” We are given clarity and direction that is meant to shape the outcome in a manner that is positive and lifesaving for involved parties. After all, we are all created in G-d’s image, and He values the lives and contributions of each one of us.

So what does the Torah say about Israel and the conflict? The truth is that you don’t have to look far. There are a number of key principles, that when followed, light, life, and truth emerge. What are they, you ask?

I invite you to join me for an important seminar during which we will lay out these principles. How Israel Wins? Sunday, August 4. The seminar will run for two hours beginning at 1:30 pm and is preceded by a Fish-Fry lunch at 12:30 pm. For more information or to register, go to www.chabadneworleans.com/israel.

Become informed. Knowledge is power. Torah is light, life, and truth. You will come away from this seminar with a feeling of greater clarity on this issue that is so critical in our time.

Speaking of issues that are critical for our time, I encourage you also to sign up for Survival Through Song – An Evening with Holocaust Survivor Saul Dreier on August 14 at the JPAC. For more information or to register, go to www.jewishlouisiana.com/saul.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

Regular readers of these musings know that I firmly believe that Judaism must not be distilled down to Holocaust remembrance/fighting antisemitism and support for Israel. A meaningful Judaism needs to be a broader, richer, deeper, and more uplifting Jewish experience.

At the same time Holocaust and Israel are very important components of that broader Jewish experience. Since the attacks on October 7, these components of our Jewish experience have become even more acute.

Composer, Abie Rotenberg wrote a song called Memories. It is conversation between a Holocaust survivor and his grandson who is inquisitive about the numbers on his arm and frequent tears. (For the full lyrics – www.jyrics.com/lyrics/memories.) Here is the refrain:

“What will become of all the memories, are they to scatter with the dust in the breeze? Who will stand before the world, knowing what to say, when the very last survivor fades away?”

We are living in a time when even the youngest survivors of the Holocaust are in their mid to late 80s. Holocaust denial is rampant and is often intertwined with Israel/Jew hatred. With just over 42,000 survivors remaining in the US (out of 245,000 worldwide), and we are sadly losing more each day, leaving us with fewer and fewer that can bear firsthand witness to the Nazi atrocities, which are being denied with more ferocity and less impunity.   

This is why the opportunity to hear a first-hand account from a Holocaust survivor should not be missed. Our New Orleans Jewish community will have the great privilege of hosting survivor, Saul Dreier, founder of the Holocaust Survivor Band. Chabad of Louisiana is partnering with Chabad of Metairie to bring Mr. Dreier to speak at the Jefferson Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, August 14. He survived Auschwitz, Mauthausen, Linz, and several labor camps, including a stint in the Schindler factory. Saul tells his story using the medium of music as well as speech.

We need to fill that space to capacity. It is critical that as many people as possible hear his story so that we will have the capacity to stand up for truth. We need our Jewish community and our non-Jewish allies to come out in full force. Every person that hears these stories can be a partner in the struggle against lies and falsehood and an advocate for love and light.

To register for the event: www.jewishlouisiana.com/saul. If you would like to be a VIP sponsor or patron of the event, please contact me directly at [email protected]. I look forward to greeting you at the JPAC on August 14.

On a similar note, our multi-media Seminar – How Israel Wins - is approaching on August 4. It is a comprehensive fresh look at dealing with the Israel issue through the lens of the Rebbe’s perspective. To register for the seminar and fish fry, www.chabadneworleans.com/israel. I look forward to sharing that experience with you as well.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

The opening theme of this week’s Parsha is the subject of an interesting Talmudic comment on the book of Genesis. As Avraham is engaged in a dialogue with G-d about the destruction of Sodom, he declares before G-d “I am but dust and ashes.” The sage Rava comments, “In the merit of Avraham declaring “I am but dust and ashes” his children were given two Mitzvot, the ashes of the Red Heifer and the dust of the Sotah water.”

The Rebbe argues that the association between the deed and the reward goes beyond the “ashes and dust” component with each, but rather there is a deeper thematic connection.

Avraham exhibited a willingness to help others even at his own expense, physically and spiritually. He risked his life fighting against four mighty kings to save Lot. He was generous to others even at a time when he had no means with which to do so. He was hospitable to wayfarers who he perceived as idolators, even at the expense of cutting short his time with the Divine Presence. He challenged G-d to save even the wicked population of Sodom.

The reward is two Mitzvot that embody that selflessness. The Mitzvah of the Parah Adumah – Red Heifer is a total paradox. On one hand it brings purity to one who has been in contact with a corpse, representing the ultimate disconnect from the Source of Life. On the other hand, each Kohen involved in the preparation of the Red Heifer mixture became ritually impure. The demonstrates that one must be so devoted to the wellbeing of others, even someone who appears to be unworthy, and even at the expense of their own detriment.

Similarly, regarding the Mitzvah of the Sotah waters, Hashem allows for the ink containing His name to be erased, generally a severe transgression, for the sake of potentially restoring peace between husband and wife. With this Mitzvah, Hashem is demonstrating the same devotion to the wellbeing of others who may be regarded as unworthy, even when there is a spiritual “cost” to that devotion.

This worldview is something the Rebbe modeled and encouraged others to live by. One must be ready to risk something of their own to help another. In fact, this is so fundamental to the Rebbe’s approach, that he understands it to be a gift from G-d when one finds it within himself to act selflessly for others, even at a cost to oneself. Rather than seeing this as a “necessary compromise,” it is to be embraced as a loving gift from Hashem.

I am grateful to have been touched by the Rebbe’s encouragement to embrace the gift of meaningful living for the sake of helping someone else. To quote Hayom Yom of Sivan 28, “You only need the main thing - to help another wholeheartedly, with sensitivity, to take pleasure in doing a kindness for another.”

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

My blood type is B-Negative. My natural inclination is to follow my blood type and “B-Negative” about life. However, I try hard to adapt to my wife’s blood type and “B-Positive.” Why? For starters, it is a much better mindset to live with. What is the point of being mired in misery when you can be positive and optimistic? Beyond that, positivity is also a powerful engine of productivity. But there is an even deeper truth about positivity as we will soon demonstrate.

What motivates me to stay focused on positivity? The Rebbe, his message, and the example he displayed with his approach to everything in the universe, from people to events to history to philosophy. A book called Positivity Bias articulates the Rebbe’s optimism. (More on the book at www.chabadneworleans.com/4382048.)

In a recent email exchange with a member of our community, we were discussing an article that conveyed the Rebbe’s analysis of how events in history reflect anecdotes in the Torah, and the same mistakes are made over again. My friend pointed out that all the historical facts adduced in the article, point to a pessimistic view, that we will continue to struggle with the same problems over and over, and that only by getting to the deeper layer and the spiritual values will any real progress be made.

I added that while there can be pessimism when considering the "rinse, lather, repeat" nature of history and our repeated failure to learn from it, the Rebbe refused to resign himself to that and continued to press for a reversal with real hope that it was achievable. This is one of the reasons that I am honored to be associated with Chabad and the Rebbe's work. The sheer force of his contagious optimism is very powerful and motivating.  

The question is, is this positivity a pipe dream? Is it just a gimmick to keep us motivated? Is there a realistic element to positivity or is it just “offering hope?” The deeper truth that the Rebbe conveys is that “Positivity” is the lens through which G-d sees us and the rest of the world He created. As such, there is nothing more true or pragmatic than a positive and optimistic perspective.

It has been thirty years since we last saw the Rebbe. A full generation has been born and raised. Those kids are having kids of their own. Yet these young people are aflame with their devotion to the Rebbe, his message, and his call for each of us to play a role in revealing the inherent goodness and G-dliness in our world. Indeed, the Rebbe’s “Positivity Bias” has been victorious. We are about to cross over into the era that the Rebbe envisioned. He spent a lifetime communicating to us the integral role we play in bringing our world to a state of Redemption. That moment is within reach. May we experience the coming of Moshiach very soon.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin    

When you hear the word Kedusha - holiness, what come to mind? Kadosh Kadosh Kadosh – Holy Holy Holy, L-rd of Hosts? The Aron Hakodesh - Holy Ark? The Beit Hamikdash - Holy Temple? Shabbat Kodesh – The Holy Sabbath? Ir Hakodesh – The holy city of Jerusalem. Kedoshim - Holy souls who gave their lives to sanctify G-d’s name? A holy Rabbi? An other-worldly meditation that makes a person’s spirit soar beyond the doldrums of daily life?

These are accurate. Etymologically, Kadosh means something set aside from the ordinary, generally used in an exalted context. Yet, we find something fascinating in the Torah, which is even more amplified by Maimonides.

The Rambam wrote a 14-volume code of Jewish Law entitled, Mishna Torah. Each volume has a unique name. The volumes that we are currently studying is titled Kedusha – Holiness. Based on the above assertions about holiness, one would presume that this volume deals with the loftiest areas of Jewish life, foundational beliefs and practices. In actuality, it covers two areas of Jewish law, eating and marital intimacy. The same is true for Parshat Kedoshim in the book of Leviticus that deals a lot with everyday life as directed by Torah. Tangentially, this caused ignorant foes of the Jewish people to describe Judaism as a religion obsessed with the kitchen and the bedroom.

Why does a holiness doctrine spill so much ink about what we eat and who we sleep with?

The answer to this lies in the mystery of G-d’s purpose for creating the universe. G-d desired that humans transform this world of concealment into a dwelling for Him. This cannot be done solely through lofty pursuits that pull us away from everyday life. Instead, we must also infuse the mundane, the corporeal, with holiness. It is not enough to be holy when wrapped in a Talis praying in the Synagogue. It is not enough to be holy when delving into the Wisdom of G-d’s Torah. It is not enough to be holy on Yom Kippur, Shabbat, and other Holy Days of the year.

We know holiness is real when it defines how we behave in the kitchen and the bedroom. We know holiness is real when it shapes our business practices and social lives. G-d declared, “Make for Me a Sanctuary, and I will dwell within them. G-d wishes to dwell within each of us, and in every element of our lives. Of course, our Synagogues and Study Halls are a sanctuary for G-d. We know the Sanctuary of our lives is real when that holiness spills over into the rest of life. The kitchen is a Beit Hamikdash. The bedroom is a Beit Hamikdash. The office is a Beit Hamikdash.

How does this fit with the etymology of Kadosh? It is about “setting aside” and elevating the ordinary and rendering it extraordinary. This is one of the reasons that the Rebbe objected to term used for non-observant Jews in Israel – Chiloni. The literal meaning is mundane or absent of holiness. There is no such Jew. We are all inherently holy and living on a trajectory of injecting that holiness into wherever we are found.

Shabbat Shalom my holy brothers and sisters! Best of luck in our shared quest for discovering and infusing holiness into every aspect of our lives.

Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

Louisiana’s mandate to place a Ten Commandments placard in state funded school classrooms is at the top of the news cycle right now. I am by no means a legal expert or a constitutional scholar, so any comments I offer are strictly in the context of the Torah angle on this question, primarily as elucidated by the Rebbe’s insights on related matters.

I do not believe that the first amendment intended to remove G-d from public discourse. We must certainly protect against the encroachment of one religion on the rights of others. Yet, that doesn’t mean G-d is a dirty word, or that G-d centered morality should be taboo. For a broader treatment of this issue, please see an article I wrote two years ago on a related matter: https://www.chabadneworleans.com/templates/blog/post.asp?aid=1203266&PostID=108996&p=1

Regarding the Ten Commandments issue, there are several points to consider. Firstly, while we Jews are in possession of the original iteration of the passage known as the Ten Commandments, other faith traditions have a different way of listing them than we do. This is primarily due to the fact that we consider, “I am the L‑rd your G‑d, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” to be commandment number one, while it is not regarded as its own passage in most or all of the Christian versions. (Not surprising seeing that they were not slaves in Egypt…) They end up splitting up one of two later passages to compensate for the lost first passage. So, any standard issue placard would end up having to choose one version over another, and that is problematic.

(As an aside, in Hebrew they not referred to as “Mitzvot” - commandments but rather as “Dibrot”, meaning passages or statements. Technically there are more than ten commandments in the Ten Commandments… but that is for another discussion.)

Beyond this, there is also a theological question of whether all the Ten Commandments are universally applicable. It is safe to argue that according to Jewish law at least one of them (Sanctify the Sabbath) was given exclusively to the Jewish people. While the message of Shabbat as affirming a belief in creation has universal application, the practice of Shabbat is a uniquely Jewish heritage. In fact, we say in our prayers on Shabbat “You have not given the Sabbath to the nations of the world... You have given it in love to Your people Israel, the descendants of Jacob…”  

The alternative might be a placard displaying the Seven Universal Noahide Laws. After the flood G-d issued a universal moral code to Noah and his children that would be forever incumbent upon all of humanity. These seven principles are the true bedrock for all future moral and lawful societies.

For a comprehensive explanation of these principles, see Seven Laws for a Beautiful Planet: www.chabadneworleans.com/4157474.

In brief they are: 1. Rejection of idolatry. 2. Prohibition of blasphemy. 3. Respect for human life - prohibition of murder. 4. Respect for marriage - prohibition of sexual immorality. 5. Respect for property rights – prohibition against theft and dishonesty. 6. Respect for resources – prohibition against cruelty to animals by eating of an animal while it is still alive. 7. The obligation to establish a moral justice system.

Yet, in an instructive letter to President Ronald Reagan in 1982, the Rebbe did connect the Seven Noahide Laws to the “universal moral code of the Ten Commandments.” Here is an excerpt of that letter.

“By focusing attention on "the ancient ethical principles and moral values which are the foundation of our character as a nation," and on the time-honored truth that "education must be more than factual enlightenment - it must enrich the character as well as the mind, while reaffirming the eternal validity of the G-d-given Seven Noahide Laws (with all their ramifications) for people of all faiths - you have expressed most forcefully the real spirit of the American nation.

More than ever before the civilized world of today will look up to the United States of America for guidance as behooves the world's foremost Super Power - not merely in the ordinary sense of this term but even more importantly, as a moral and spiritual Super Power, whose real strength must ultimately derive from an unalterable commitment to the universal moral code of the Ten Commandments. Indeed, it is this commitment to the same Divine truths and values that, more than anything else, unites all Americans in the true sense of E Pluribus Unum.”

So, while technically the Ten Commandments may not be universally relevant, and it may be problematic to display them due to the discrepancy in how they are listed according to various faith traditions, nevertheless it is valuable for Americans to otherwise recognize that our moral foundation is the commitment to Divine Truths articulated in the passages we call the Ten Commandments.

We yearn for the time, the era of Redemption described by Maimonides when, “The one preoccupation of the entire world will be solely to know G‑d… as it is said: “The earth shall be full with the knowledge of G‑d as the waters cover the sea!”

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin    

It was a day or two after Shavuot during the lifetime of the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak. He was approached by an aide with a question concerning the administrative affairs of the Chabad movement that he led. The Previous Rebbe replied, “I have not yet descended from Mt. Sinai; I cannot deal with this issue right now.”

Most of us didn’t necessarily feel like we climbed Mt. Sinai to begin with over Shavuot; and we certainly don’t feel like we are still “up there” now that the holiday has ended. Yet, the story can give us some things to contemplate as we transition from the holiday to “everyday life.”

Do we sufficiently appreciate the greatest contract that was ever made between Al-mighty G-d and humanity?

Do we sufficiently appreciate having been addressed directly and individually by G-d, Who declared Anochi, I am the L-rd your (individual) G-d?

Do we sufficiently appreciate that the term Anochi implies that Hashem inscribed himself into the Torah, and by learning we can connect directly to Him?

Do we sufficiently appreciate the empowerment with which the Torah imbues us vis-à-vis our impact on our universe?

Do we sufficiently appreciate the power of a Mitzvah post Sinai, and the connectivity that it affords us with Hashem?

Do we sufficiently appreciate the moral clarity offered by the Torah, the word of the Creator?

Do we sufficiently appreciate the sheer breadth of wisdom contained within the Torah, from Scripture to Talmud, Midrash, Kabbala, Legal Codes, Ethics and Philosophy, Chassidic thought, all accessible to us if we just commit the time to study?

Do we sufficiently appreciate this most wonderful gift that Hashem gave us on Shavuot, and continues to give us each and every day?

Maybe just thinking about these ideas can propel us back up that mountain for a moment. As we make our way down and look towards the horizon of life, we walk with an uplifted heart, a lighter step, and resoluteness of purpose knowing that tools for success are securely in our hands.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

This week the Chabad movement and the Jewish world suffered a major loss, with the passing of Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky. To read more about him www.chabadneworleans.com/6463934.

His official title was vice chairman of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch, the educational arm of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. But he was much more than that. In 1970 the Rebbe identified Rabbi Kotlarsky as a person that can serve in a capacity of trustworthiness and responsibility. His remarkable people skills, his ability to assess a situation, his expertise in developing partnerships with philanthropists, and his absolute devotion to the Rebbe’s cause, put him in position to serve as the Rebbe’s liaison to communities around the world. He was the advance scout for the Chabad movement, forging connections that would enable a Chabad center to be established in a particular location. His interest in each Chabad center and the Shluchim couples who staffed them continued long after those initial years of development. When the Kinus Hashluchim (annual Shluchim conference) started in the 1980s, he was the driving force behind it. Today it has become one of the premier Jewish events of the year, drawing 6,000 attendees. Rabbi Kotlarsky is synonymous with the event.

He was a master fundraiser, who used his skills to create partnerships that would bring in hundreds of millions of dollars for Chabad institutions and initiatives. Organizations such as Chabad on Campus, Chabad Young Professionals, CTeens and CKids, Chabad on Call, Chabad in the Former Soviet Union, Chabad in the Far East, Chabad in Africa, are all the beneficiaries of his vision and organizational skills, not to mention the access to the funds needed to launch each of them. His caring for the Shluchim families led him to establish funds to help them in their personal lives, with their simchas and their times of need.  

He was a person who simply cared for others. While globetrotting on behalf of the Rebbe, he was able to maintain personal relationships with innumerable people. He truly rejoiced at the good fortune of his fellow; and was sincerely pained by their suffering or loss. Over the last 50 years he was personally involved in helping individuals with a wide variety of issues, ranging from conflict resolution to financial crisis to family health challenges. His home was wide open to guests. His son-in-law shared that he once observed a visitor to their Sukkah, one of dozens present at the table, who had no idea who his host was, ask Reb Moshe to move because he was sitting in his place!

Rabbi Kotlarsky was my father’s childhood friend. He was the person who traveled with my father to New Orleans in advance of the establishment of Chabad of Louisiana in 1975. He introduced my father to the initial supporters of Chabad, whom he had met on an earlier visit to NOLA, people like Rabbi Jeffrey Bienenfeld, Maurice Handleman, Joe Nelkin, Sam Katz, and Israel Goldberg, just to name a few. He would reconnect with them on subsequent visits to New Orleans. Amazingly, although he did the same for hundreds of communities around the world, he had a knack for remembering names and faces. He would often inquire about their wellbeing when he saw one of us in New York. He returned to New Orleans many times for our family Simchas, a bris, a bar mitzvah, a wedding. When New Orleans hosted the Southeast Regional Conference of Chabad Shluchim, he participated in the conference. He would come to every family simcha in New York without fail, even when he was battling the illness that would ultimately take his life.

Rabbi Kotlarsky facilitated the connection between the Rohr Family and Chabad at Tulane, resulting in the Rohr Family Chabad Student Center.

After Hurricane Katrina, he facilitated major grants to Chabad of Louisiana, enabling us to help the many people that we did following the storm.

Following Hurricane Ida, when the Shluchim of Louisiana were fully immersed in hurricane relief efforts, he saw to it that each of us would be assisted in dealing with the damage we confronted in our homes. I wrote him an email on behalf of our group thanking him for taking an interest in our personal lives. I was in New York a short while later and met him at a wedding. He thanked me for what he called “the appreciated, though unnecessary, note of thanks that I wrote to him.

This is just his connection with Chabad in Louisiana. The amazing thing is that there are hundreds of other communities that shared similar experiences with him.

I can declare with confidence that in the last 30 years, there is not a single individual who done more to advance the Rebbe’s vision and mission than Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky. His passing leaves a great void. His friendship and caring will be missed. His family and colleagues have undertaken to continue his legacy of devotion to the Rebbe’s cause and the Rebbe’s Shluchim. These efforts will be headed by his son, Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky. May Hashem grant them unimaginable success. May we soon experience the realization of that vision with the coming of Mashiach speedily.

If you would like to be a partner in the campaign to continue his work, www.rebmosheslegacy.com.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

How do you view your Jewish identity? Is it like clothing that you can remove and change at will? Today you wear the blue shirt, tomorrow it is the green one. Or is it an inseparable part of you, like your skin, or perhaps even a vital organ such as the heart or the brain?

Is our Jewishness an aspect of who we are, among many? We have our professions, our social affiliations, our alma maters, our family dynamics; and we also have our religious/ethnic/cultural identities as Jews. Or is our Jewishness the definition of our identities, upon which all other aspects of ourselves are overlaid?

Our sages employ the metaphor of a letter of the Torah to describe the identity of each Jew. That can go two ways. When a letter is inked onto parchment, the two entities fuse together. However, the ink and parchment are essentially distinct from each other, and can even be separated. The ink may fade or be scratched off, leaving the parchment unaffected by what was once there but is now missing. The other option is to engrave a letter onto stone. When that happens the letter and the stone are inseparable. One cannot erase the letter without impacting the stone.

Chassidus maintains that our Jewish identities are like the engraved letter. We can never lose our identity. It cannot even fade. All that can happen is that some dirt gets caught in the grooves of the engraved letter and must be removed, thereby revealing what was intact beneath it the entire time.

Now the question becomes, can we live our lives in such a way that our Judaism is engraved within us as well? This is the meaning of the opening verse of this week’s Parsha – “Im Bechukotai Teileichu.” Bechukotai is translated as my suprarational commands, the Mitzvot for which we have no compelling explanation beyond obedience to G-d. However, at its root, Bechukotai is related to the Hebrew word for engraved, “Chakuk.” This means that Hashem is imploring us to view our commitment to the Torah and Mitzvot as engraved within us, something which is immutable. When we experience our relationship to Torah and Mitzvot as “engraved,” there is nothing that supersedes that commitment, nor is there a space or time in our lives that is not shaped by Torah.

This is a life that is not conflicted or compartmentalized. All aspects of the person’s life are in harmony because they are defined by the underlying identity and commitment that is at the core of everything we do and experience.

This commitment brings the promise of blessings from Hashem stated in the parsha. “I will walk among you and be your G-d, and you will be My people.” “I will turn towards you, and I will make you fruitful and increase you, and I will set up My covenant with you.” “I will give your rains in their time, the Land will yield its produce, and the tree of the field will give forth its fruit.” “I will grant peace in the Land.”

May it take place speedily, Amen.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin