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Chabad of Port Washington � Email: rabbi@chabadpw.org � Voice: 516-767-8672 � www.ChabadPW.org
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Greetings!
When tragedy strikes and we begin to feel confused and weak at the knees, we look for inspiration and guidance. My inspiration is the Rebbe, Rabbi Schneerson of righteous memory; my mentor, teacher and guide.
The Rebbe taught that the response to evil and hate - is goodness and love. And that the response must be proportionate: the response to senseless hate is senseless love. We need to be as dedicated and "obsessed" with goodness as these evildoers are with hatred.
Here's, than, what I think we should be doing:
- Seeking out opportunities to help total strangers, impacting their lives in a significant way.
- Sparing no effort, planning, expense, even some risk to accomplish this.
- Seeking to take no credit for what we've done; all that matters is that other people's lives have been changed for the better.
The Rebbe also emphasized time and again that goodness is far stronger than evil, much as a tiny flame dispels a room filled with darkness. And that the collective good deeds throughout history would ultimately get us across the "finish line" and usher in a time of Redemption for all of humanity, the time of Moshiach, when "the spirit of evil will vanish from the earth... G-d will wipe away the tears form every face" (from The Prophets).
When will that happen? The Rebbe strongly believed we're very close to the finish line... and that it's precisely at that point that evildoers will push back real hard.
Click here to see what the Rebbe told a CNN reporter about this.
I know what you're thinking... it's been so long and we're still not there; history seems like a marathon of tragedy and human suffering, it seems like we'll never get there. To be honest, often times I feel the same way. But our wise and beloved Rebbe encouraged us to keep on forging ahead, promising us we're only a few short steps away from crossing the finish line.
We want Moshiach NOW!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Shalom M. Paltiel
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Chabad mentioned prominently in COMMENTARY article on Jewish outreach
The Outreach Revolution
By: Jack Wertheimer
A chasm separates the Orthodox from other American Jews-or so we are told. Orthodox Jews marry younger, have considerably larger families, and provide their children with far more intensive Jewish educational and socialization experiences. They also depart from the left-of-center political positions held by the rest of the community. Mitt Romney is thought to have won in the past presidential election more than 90 percent of the vote in heavily Orthodox neighborhoods, while Barack Obama won landslides in districts with heavy concentrations of other Jews. And when it comes to Israel's security, Orthodox Jews tend to favor hawkish policies and express unqualified support for West Bank settlers in a way that makes many of their co-religionists uneasy. Hence the supposedly growing gulf between them...
Click here to read full article.
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We Salute Brian Steinwurtzel on being Guest of Honor for NEDA
Mazel tov to Brian and his dedicated wife Shelly and her parents Lenny and Susan Lebovitch on this worthy honor. Keep up your amazing charitable work that helps thousands!
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Shalom:
As the national airline of Israel, we are privileged to partner with JLI and Chabad as the official airline of "The Land and the Spirit: Israel Experience." All of us at EL AL take great pride in serving the community and supporters of Israel by having your journey to the land of our heritage begin with EL AL.
Every effort is made to accommodate your travel needs to ensure a pleasant and memorable flight. We value our partnership and friendship with Chabad and look forward to serving you on board your EL AL flights next March in 2014, if not sooner. Thank you and Behatzlaha!
Danny Saadon, Vice President
EL AL Israel Airlines, North and Central America
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JLI course | Curious Tales of the Talmud:
Finding Personal Meaning in the Legends of our Sages
Everyone loves a good story. Knowing this, the sages of the Talmud used stories to encode messages about life that are far too deep and profound to communicate directly. This course decodes some of these extraordinary Talmudic mysteries to uncover layer within layer of insight into the nature of life, the universe, G-d, and man.
6 Sundays, Beginning Sunday, April 21
10-11:30am | at Chabad of Port Washington
Click here for more info and to register.
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Lag B'Omer event | Sunday, April 28, 2013
A Celebration of Jewish Children and an incredible performance by The Rope Warrior!
Click here for more info. |
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Annual Dinner | Monday, June 3, 2013
Stay tuned for details...
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Camp Gan Israel 2013
Registration now open!
Click here for more info and to register.
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Are Humans and Animals Equal?
By: Rabbi Aron Moss | Sydney, Australia
Question: I have been looking into the Seven Noahide Laws. I understand these are the biblical commands to all humanity - the children of Noah - and they provide the basis for ethical living. But looking at the list, there seems to be an odd one out:
1. Do not worship idols - agreed, we have to believe in G-d
2. Do not curse G-d - have respect for Him, I can dig that
3. Do not murder - obvious
4. Do not steal - ok
5. Do not commit adultery - fine
6. Set up courts of justice - needed to ensure the other laws are kept, but:
7. Do not eat the limb of a living animal - what?????????????
Why of all things, include that one? While I have no intention of tearing off any animal limbs, I can't see how that would be in the top seven most important things for all humanity to observe...
Thank you for any help in enlightening this Noahide!
ANSWER>>
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B"H
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Shabbat Times |
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| Shabbat Candle Lighting: |
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Friday, Apr 19
7:20 pm
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| Shabbat Ends: |
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Shabbat, Apr 20
8:22 pm
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Daily Thought |
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Mentors
Every person needs a mentor. And that mentor needs a mentor. And that mentor as well-you can't pull yourself up by tugging at your own hair.
Go out and find yourself someone you can rely on for advice and counsel, someone who understands you and whom you can trust and respect. If that person turns you down, insist and persist.
Don't wait to be made a student. Be proactive and make someone into your teacher.
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| Parshah |
 Love and Hate
Understanding two different approaches to a single verse: the social vs. the interpersonal.
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| Spirituality |
 Do Jews Believe in Nature?
Instead of asking whether there's such a thing as a miracle, let's ask if there's such a thing as nature. Who is this Mother Nature anyways?
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| Contemporary Living |
 At Marathon and Hospitals, Rabbis Offer Some 'Sense of Serenity'
After some calm returns at the scene, rabbi rushes off to hospital where many wounded were taken.
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| Video |
 The Month of Iyar
The name of this month, Iyar, spells an acronym for the phrase "I am the L-rd your healer." What does the unique nature of this month teach us about illness as well as healing? What role do we play in blocking or facilitating our own healing?
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Parshat Acharei-Kedoshim
Following the deaths of Nadav and Avihu, G-d warns against unauthorized entry "into the holy." Only one person, the kohen gadol ("high priest"), may-but once a year, on Yom Kippur-enter the innermost chamber in the Sanctuary to offer the sacred ketoret to G-d.
Another feature of the Day of Atonement service is the casting of lots over two goats, to determine which should be offered to G-d and which should be dispatched to carry off the sins of Israel to the wilderness.
The Parshah of Acharei also warns against bringing korbanot (animal or meal offerings) anywhere but in the Holy Temple, forbids the consumption of blood, and details the laws prohibiting incest and other deviant sexual relations.
The Parshah of Kedoshim begins with the statement: "You shall be holy, for I, the L-rd your G-d, am holy." This is followed by dozens of mitzvot (divine commandments) through which the Jew sanctifies him- or herself and relates to the holiness of G-d.
These include: the prohibition against idolatry, the mitzvah of charity, the principle of equality before the law, Shabbat, sexual morality, honesty in business, honor and awe of one's parents, and the sacredness of life.
Also in Kedoshim is the dictum which the great sage Rabbi Akiva called a cardinal principle of Torah, and of which Hillel said, "This is the entire Torah, the rest is commentary"- "Love your fellow as yourself."
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