ChabadNewOrleans Blog

These days being a social media influencer is all the rage. But the notion of an influencer is certainly older than social media. Parents are influencers. Teachers are influencers. Leaders in any field are influencers. Friends can be influencers. You get the idea.

Next weekend, a gathering of the largest group of Jewish influencers is taking place in New York, the annual Shluchim Conference (Chabad Rabbis). What is the secret of the success that Chabad Shluchim have in being Jewish influencers?

This week I read a pair of letters that the Rebbe wrote to Jewish educators in 1944 in which he articulates a perspective on Jewish education/influencing that is very instructive (pun intended).

He cites a passage in the Talmud that identifies three cases from which the Torah derives the obligation of adults to influence children with respect to Jewish observance. The first is the prohibition against the consumption of insects. The second is the prohibition against the consumption of blood. The third are the laws of ritual impurity.

Conceptually, age need not only be measured by one’s passport or birth certificate, but also by extent of awareness. Education is not just for children, but rather for anyone that has room to grow in awareness that leads to practice.

Hashem specifically chooses these three cases to teach us the obligation of influencing the “youth,” because in each case there is an argument against the success of that effort.

An influencer looks at a person or society that has become so corrupted that matters which are obliviously grotesque have become acceptable (similar to the consumption of insects), might conclude that it is a lost cause. Yet the Torah instructs us to get involved and influence.

Regarding the consumption of blood, the Torah says, “strengthen yourself against the consumption of blood.” Rashi tells us that this is because the people were steeped in blood consumption. When a negative practice becomes pervasive, it loses the perception of it being negative. An influencer might conclude that trying to impact in an area of life that has become so pervasively distant from observance is a lost cause. Yet the Torah instructs us to get involved and influence.

The laws of ritual impurity are entirely suprarational. A leap of faith is required to adapt them into one’s life. An influencer might say “why would I bother trying to influence people about the suprarational when they identify as agnostic?” Yet the Torah instructs us to get involved and influence.

How indeed can the Torah expect an influencer to be successful despite the strong arguments to the contrary? Here the Rebbe quotes a passage from the Rambam, one of his favorite quotes. “Every Jew wants to be part of the Jewish people, and he wants to perform all the mitzvot and eschew all the transgressions; it is only his evil inclination that presses him.”

You have to know who you are dealing with. Deep down even the self-proclaimed agnostic has a soul that wishes nothing more than a relationship with Hashem based on Torah and Mitzvot. Once you are aware of that, you simply must learn how to awaken that Neshama and get past the mirage that obstructs it.

Happy influencing!
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

One of the more frustrating elements of this past year following the October 7 attacks and subsequent war is the campus protest movement and the impotent response to those protests on the part of most university administrations. Countless words have been written lamenting the antisemitic sentiments on many college campuses. Much has been opined on how challenging it has been for Jewish students at those universities. Many have felt threatened, or at the very least, marginalized, by the anti-Israel protests and the blatant antisemitism that emerged from them.

The need for engaging Jewish students on college campuses has come into stark focus. Students on their own have sought to become more engaged as the look for a space where they can comfortably connect with their Jewish identities. They want to associate with fellow Jewish students, find support during this time of challenge, and experience Jewish life as it is available during their college years. Among the organizations dedicated to Jewish college students, Chabad is currently serving Jewish students at 950 college campuses, including locally at Tulane University. The uptick of students looking for Jewish engagement over the past year is very much in evidence at the Tulane Chabad.

One of the highlights on the Chabad on Campus calendar is Pegisha weekend. For decades Chabad on Campus has invited students to spend a Shabbat in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York for a Shabbaton, called the Pegisha. Students from campuses all around the world come together to celebrate their Jewishness.

This weekend over 2,000 students will participate in this year’s Pegisha, including a nice Tulane Chabad delegation. This is a college student gathering that we can all get behind. You can rest assured that students will return from the Pegisha with a reinvigorated pride in their Jewish identities, and the resolve to share that pride with their fellow Jewish students. This, my friends, is Am Yisrael Chai in real time!

On a different note, this week we launched our new JLI adult education course, Nurturing Relationships. While Lesson One is in the books, it is not too late to jump on board and join the course.

While preparing for this course I realized that it has something to offer everyone. It really does not matter if you have little to no background in Torah learning. It really does not matter if you have been studying Torah your entire life. The Torah and Chassidus based tools for enhancing relationships that this course offers are extremely valuable and informative for anyone on the Jewish knowledge continuum. This can help you in any relationship you might have in your life, marital, familial, friendship, professional, workplace, neighbor, and anything in between. I hope that you will take advantage of these gems that are being offered.

Reach out for more information or sign up for the course at www.chabadneworleans.com/jli. I look forward to sharing this journey with you.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

There are times when we look at an image and it conveys a particular message. Then we zoom out and see it in a broader context and it tells an expanded story.

When we read narratives in the Torah this same phenomenon applies. We can examine it at a “zoomed in” level, and it leaves us with a wonderful message or lesson. Then we take a deeper dive which gives us a “zoomed out” and broader perspective, and suddenly, we are exposed to an idea that is more profound and far-reaching.

An example from this week’s Parsha. The Torah relates that Avraham’s nephew Lot moved to Sodom. After his move, Sodom and its four neighboring cities were invaded by the armies of the “Four Kings.” Lot is taken captive, and Avraham takes up arms to rescue him. In the process, Avraham vanquishes the armies of the Four Kings, frees Lot along with the Kings and citizens of Sodom and its environs.

On the surface this is a simple story. Your relative is under duress, you do what you can to help him. Lot is captured by the Four Kings; Avraham battles them and rescues him. The story is significant because Avraham had a small band of warriors that helped him conquer the mighty armies or Four Kings, who had previously managed to conquer the five armies of Sodom and the neighboring cities. It was by Divine Intervention that Avraham was successful. End of story.

When we zoom out and peel away the surface layer, we begin to see a fascinating narrative unfold. Psalms (89:20) states, “I have found David My servant and anointed him with My holy oil.” Where did G-d find him? Who knew that David was lost?

The Midrash explains that G-d “found” David in Sodom. How is that even possible; David was born a millennium after Sodom became the Dead Sea? David is descended of Ruth, the righteous convert who began life as a Moabite princess. The Moabite nation is descended from Lot (as we will see in next week’s Parsha). So the special soul of King David, the ancestor of Mashiach, was lost in Sodom, completely out of its element.

One of the four kings, Amrafel of Shinar, is identified by our sages as Nimrod, the nemesis of Avraham, who was the main instigator behind the Tower of Babel. Nimrod senses that the unique soul of Mashiach, who will make the name of G-d known to all mankind, was “wandering” in Sodom. To prevent this soul from achieving its purpose, he attacks Sodom and captures Lot with the intention of not allowing him to sire Moab, the ancestor of Ruth, the grandmother of David, who was the forerunner of Mashiach.

Avraham senses the great threat to G-d’s very purpose of creation (the future redemption through the coming of Mashaich), and he jumps in to ensure that the process will play out as intended.

Seeing it from this vantage point, the narrative becomes pivotal to the development of world history. It also teaches on a micro level, that we cannot truly appreciate the far-reaching impact of a simple act of kindness to another.

This is just an example. Every word in the Torah tells a multi-layered story. Go and learn.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

“Am Yisrael Chai” is a phrase that has become enmeshed with Jewish identity and Jewish thriving. Its poignancy has risen to a fever pitch since the attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023. The original phrase is “Am Yisrael Chai L’olmai Ad.” The People of Israel Live. The People of Israel Thrive. The People of Israel are Eternal. The People of Israel are the Jewish people.

What does Am Yisrael Chai look like. I would like to demonstrate this in the context of Chabad’s activities over the holiday month that culminated with Simchat Torah last weekend. I am using an example of what took place around Uptown New Orleans. Similar activities were occurring simultaneously in Metairie, other places in the region, around the country, and worldwide.

Am Yisrael Chai looks like hundreds of Jews hearing the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah both in Shul, and because volunteers spread throughout the neighborhood offering to sound the Shofar on the spot for people on the go, visiting homebound folks or the elderly at retirement homes with a Shofar.

Am Yisrael Chai looks like dozens of families and individuals gathered at the lagoon in Audubon Park to hear the Shofar, perform Tashlich, while singing Avinu Malkeinu and Am Yisrael Chai together.

Am Yisrael Chai looks like a Rabbi walking for 45 minutes each way to sound the Shofar for a Jew lying unaware in a hospital bed surrounded by his family. When the man awoke the next day, he cried upon hearing that the Shofar was sounded at his bedside.

Am Yisrael Chai looks like the tender moment of when Yizkor was recited by the congregation for those who were killed on October 7 and in the war that followed.

Am Yisrael Chai looks like a congregation thundering the words of Shema at the closing of Yom Kippur, followed by the joyous singing of a victory march and exuberant dancing.

Am Yisreal Chai looks like the thousands who were given the opportunity to make the blessing over the Lulav and Etrog on Sukkot this year, at Shul, at home, on the streets, in stores, on campus, at senior homes and hospitals, including tourists, who would otherwise have no chance to do so in New Orleans.

Am Yisrael Chai looks like the hundreds that attended Sukkah-Fest to openly celebrate their Jewishness and the joy of the Sukkot holiday.

Am Yisrael Chai looks like the men, women, and children who full-throatedly sang and danced their hearts out on Simchat Torah, knowing that this was our response to the enemies who wish to destroy us.

Am Yisrael Chai looks like the children who danced holding their Torahs and flags aloft proclaiming that our future is robust and strong.

Am Yisrael Chai looks like the Torahs being brought out to the streets of New Orleans and joining with the Tulane Chabad students for Simchat Torah in dancing and the singing of, you guessed it, Am Yisrael Chai.  

Am Yisrael Chai looks like all the little boys standing under a Tallis canopy in front of the Torah scroll, while the adults sing with tears in their eyes the song of “Hamalach Hagoel,” asking G-d to bless and watch over our children.

Am Yisrael Chai looks like the sanitation workers doing their weekly trash pickup in front of Chabad following Simchat Torah, while laughingly declaring “y’all wore us out.” (On that note, I’d vote for Sidney Torres IV.)

Thank you to our incredible staff and volunteers for your tireless efforts.

Thank you to our supporters for your incredible generosity and partnership.

Thank you to our generous Tishrei kiddush sponsors.

Thank you to all who participated and made this holiday so incredible!

May the energy of these celebrations keep us uplifted throughout the year.

Am Yisrael Chai!
Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

We are poised to enter the final phase of this holiday month with the two days of Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah that begin tonight. This will also be the first Yahrtzeit (on the Jewish calendar) of all of those who were killed in the October 7 attacks last year. Yet, Simchat Torah is a joyous day, a day to celebrate our connection to Hashem, to the Torah, and to each other. Dare we celebrate on a day that commemorates the cruel murder of 1,200 of our brothers and sisters?

I believe the answer is a resounding yes. First of all, we do so because that is what Hashem commands us to do. Diving deeper into the question, I believe that we have an obligation to celebrate on behalf of the 1,200 who were murdered on that day, the 720 IDF soldiers who were killed in the subsequent conflict, the hostages who were killed, the hostages who are still in captivity, and the members of the IDF who are in combat and cannot participate in person.

Beyond that, celebrating and dancing is our way of showing that we will not allow the terrorists to win. We will proudly continue to live our Jewish lives.

Every single Jew who is able to celebrate and dance this Simchat Torah, has to do so for themselves and to fill the void of the thousands who cannot. Imagine the joy that they would have added to this Season of Rejoicing. We need to make up for the missing joy by increasing our own.

Our theme is “We Will Dance For Them!”

Come to Chabad, Uptown or Metairie, and Dance For Them! Those sacred souls who are looking at us from Gan Eden, those special souls who are still suffering in captivity, those holy souls who risk their lives to protect their fellow Jews, they need us to Dance For Them!

Thursday night, October 24. See below for details of both celebrations.

Chag Sameach
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

A wonderful Sukkot memory for many is decorating the Sukkah. For some it was hanging fruit, for some the paper chains, while others preferred more elaborate tapestries and artwork. If you go to a Sukkah that is associated with Chabad, you will notice the glaring absence of decorations.

There are various explanations for this custom. The Rebbe was asked about this, and he shared the following idea. The Succah is meant to imbue us with certain essential lessons… We should be impressed by the essential character of the Succah without recourse to the 'artificial' make-up; that the frail covering of the Succah and its bare walls, not adorned by external ornaments, should more directly impress upon us the lessons it is meant to convey.

Obviously, this does not negate those whose custom is to decorate, especially as this brings a lot of enthusiasm to the children involved in the decorating.

Recently I saw a video clip of the Rebbe addressing this from another angle that I found to be very powerful and uplifting. He argued that the most beautiful manner of adorning the Sukkah is by bringing as many fellow Jews as possible into your Sukkah. This conveys a sense of unity, and it also gives other Jews who may not otherwise have an opportunity, to fulfill the Mitzvah of Sukkah.

In Isaiah (43:10) G-d declares, “You are My witnesses.” The Hebrew for “My witnesses” is “Edai.” “Eidai” also means my adornments. Here G-d is declaring to the Jewish people, “You are My adornments.” Every Jew is a piece of jewelry that Hashem wears proudly. As Isaiah states (60:21), And your people, all of them righteous, shall inherit the land forever, a scion of My planting, the work of My hands in which I will glory.  

So if you want to decorate your Sukkah, what better adornment could there be than decorating with Hashem’s jewelry? This year we are looking forward to hosting many of Hashem’s beautiful pieces of jewelry in our Sukkah and at Sukkah-Fest next Sunday.

I wish you all a very happy and meaningful Sukkot – the season of our rejoicing. May Hashem give us more and more reasons to celebrate and rejoice with good news coming from Israel and the whole world.

Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

We are getting ready to observe Yom Kippur in a few days. Yom Kippur is the most intense day on the Jewish calendar. It is experienced variably depending on our emotional state and our mindset or perspective. I would like to share some analogies that might help us appreciate the various mindsets that shape our Yom Kippur experience. This list is by no means exclusive, nor will everyone share the feelings of each/any of these analogies. I am trying to get an experiential conversation going for us as we approach this holy and unique day.

·       A bride on her wedding day. – Her heart overflows with love and fullness as she eagerly anticipates connecting with her soulmate, while nervously praying that everything will go well.

·       A child who has been separated from his parents, now on a flight home. – He keenly awaits the feeling of his parents’ embrace, hoping that there will be no delays or travel mishaps.

·       A defendant on the final day of the trial, knowing that his defense team presented masterful arguments in his favor. – He earnestly looks towards the judge’s positive verdict, with deep hope for a smooth process.

·       An employee at the end of a strong promotion application process. – She excitedly waits for her employer’s decision to grant her a promotion, while humbly expecting that she will not encounter any obstacles.

·       A friend who is reconciling with a previously estranged friend after many years. – She longingly anticipates reconnecting, while tinged with feelings of sadness over the lost years of detachment and worry on how that will affect the reconciliation.

·       A commander of a military platoon on that last day of a battle facing a decisive victory. – He enthusiastically looks forward to the triumph of victory, while reflecting on how much the battle took from him and his soldiers.

·       A cancer survivor on the day of her last appointment on which she will be declared cancer free. – She anxiously awaits the doctor pronouncing those fateful words, while thinking about the long journey behind her, and hoping and praying that it is behind her forever.

I welcome your feedback as well as your own feelings and analogies that you might contemplate that shape your Yom Kippur experience.  

If you are still looking for a place to observe Yom Kippur, the doors at Chabad are open to you. Please see below for our schedules in New Orleans and Metairie.

Wishing each of you a meaningful Yom Kippur, filled with your prayers, hopes, and resolve for a better future. May we experience this individually and collectively, Amen.

Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

Our family recently took a road trip to New York for a simcha. Thank G-d the trip was smooth and there were no mishaps. On the way back to New Orleans we stopped off to visit our daughter and her family in Pittsburgh. The route from Pittsburgh to New Orleans is different than the one we usually take from New York, enabling us to have an experience that we have not yet encountered. I refer to a stop at Buc-ee’s.

Buc-ee’s is a travel center that features more fuel pumps than the eye can see, amazingly clean restrooms, a massive car wash, and a convenience store that is the size of a supermarket. When you walk into Buc-ee’s you can spend a long time perusing the aisles and various sections of the store. It really is a one-stop shop where you can find anything you need for your trip. They have little signs featuring whimsical messages for sale. They sell art, gadgets, knickknacks, and a bunch of other stuff. A visit to Buc-ee’s would be termed in Hebrew as a “chavayah.”

As I sat in the car waiting for the rest of my family to return, I watched as hundreds of people came and went, each having gotten what they needed/wanted from Buc-ee’s. Then it occurred to me that there is a parallel between Buc-ee’s and the upcoming Jewish month of Tishrei that contains all the holidays.

Tishrei is a month which is sated with everything good. We are given enough “merchandise” to support ourselves for a whole year. As we browse the “aisles” of Tishrei, we go from “section to section” and select the merchandise that we need for the year.

We pick up some devotion and introspection on the Rosh Hashanah aisle. On the Yom Kippur aisle we select atonement and connection. In the Sukkot section we find unity and joy. Finally, some love of Torah and more joy in the Simchat Torah section. We might come across an endcap featuring Teshuvah. Don’t forget your apples and honey and the blessings for the new year. Give your soul a good cleansing at the car wash and pump some clean divine energy into your tank for the road ahead.

Everyone who takes advantage of the Tishrei experience comes away with something that will fill the rest of the year’s journey with meaning and an uplifted spirit.

Unlike Buc-ee’s, Tishrei can presently be experienced in Louisiana at a Shul near you and in your homes over the next month. Chabad of Louisiana and our affiliates throughout the region would love to be a part of your Tishrei holidays. Please see below for a sampling of our many offerings and come be a part of some or all as you please.

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

Last Friday morning, after two nights with no electricity following Hurricane Francine, I was sitting on the porch of Chabad House chatting with a member of the community. A woman walked by holding a fresh cup of coffee and was heading to her air-conditioned Tulane office. She smiled, inquiring how we fared with the storm. I replied wearily, “we have no power.” She looked up at me and declared resolutely, “You have power.” We smiled back and she went on her way. We looked at each other and said, “wow, that was a profound message.” Then he grinned and said to me, “I can see this making it into one of your weekly email messages.” So here we are!

Sometimes we hear something that may be more profound than was intended by the person who spoke it. She meant to be encouraging, which she was. But as I thought more about it, there is a very deep message. We do have power. From where is that power drawn?

The collective name of the Jewish people is Yisrael (Israel), the name given by the Angel of Esau to Jacob. Genesis 32:29 states, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, because you have commanding power with [an angel of] G-d and with men, and you have prevailed."

If we break down the Hebrew, Yisrael is composed of two words and a prefix. Sar means prince, minister, or ruler. E-l is one of the names of G-d. The yud is the prefix which denotes a constancy. Rabbi Schneur Zalman, the first Chabad Rebbe, explains that Yisrael means that E-l (Divinity) is the Sar, the ruler or dominant force within us. Everything in the world has a spark of divinity. For Yisrael, that spark is not just present, but dominant.

When we live with the awareness of what Yisrael means, we draw on great reservoirs of power, enabling us to accomplish amazing things. We can then live up to the other application of Yisrael, which is that we are nobility, we are a Sar of E-l, a prince of Hashem.

So, I thank woman whose name I do not know, who just “chanced” to walk by Chabad when I was on the porch. She was a mouthpiece for G-d in that moment, leaving me with an uplifting message of strength at a time that I really needed to hear it.  

The High Holidays are coming. Remember we are royalty. We have the power of the dominant divine spark within us. Tap into that power and change the world for the better.

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

The consensus is that on October 7 Hamas and its terrorist allies took approximately 250 hostages during their attack on Israel. In reality Hamas and its terrorist allies have taken over 8 billion hostages. They have made psychological hostages of nearly every human being on earth. What other explanation could there be for what we are seeing play out in front of us?

In which world are the victims of an attack demonized almost immediately?

In which world is the right to defend oneself against an ongoing assault not recognized?

In which world can militants embed themselves amongst civilians with impunity, while those who fight back are accused of indiscriminate killing of innocents?

In which world can terrorists openly declare their desire for their own people to be killed so that their deaths can be abused for PR, and then the public buys the narrative hook, line, and sinker?

In which world does the “family of nations” repeatedly condemn the victims, while the aggressors are given carte blanche to do whatever they want?

In which world is a ceasefire, where one side has demonstrated ad nauseum, through words and actions, that it does not respect the ceasefire, the solution to a conflict?

In which world do we watch a terrorist, who was released in a lopsided “prisoner swap,” oversee the killing of 1,200 people, and then we call for an identical swap again and again?

In which world does a group of terrorists brutally murder hostages in anticipation of their impending rescue, and then their deaths are laid at the feet of the negotiator who refused to knuckle under to absurd deals?

In which world are citizens brutally murdered in captivity, only to have their own country targeted by arms embargoes lest they respond to those murders?

In which world? Sadly, it is our world.

The emperor has no clothes, and everyone is afraid to admit that they have noticed. 8 billion people have been conned into believing that the emperor is majestically attired, when, in reality, he is stark naked.

What are we to do? How do we survive in a world that has gone crazy?

Luckily we have the Torah that gives us clear guidance. Sadly, for too long the Torah’s guidance has been ignored by the very people for whom it is intended.

The Torah guides us on hostage negotiations. The Torah guides us on self-defense and security. The Torah guides us on PR and “hasbara.” For some reason, the people in charge are willing to try everything but what the Torah says to do.

We have now entered Elul, the month of mercy. May we merit to be the beneficiaries of Hashem’s infinite compassion. May we see the fulfillment of Psalm 29, “The L-rd will give strength to His people; the L-rd will bless His people with peace” through the coming of Mashiach and the complete Redemption.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

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