Rabbi's Blog - Chabad of the Bay Area

From Exile to Redemption

Friday, July 25, 2014 - 1:07 PM

Increasing Jewish knowledge about our heritage in general, and about the land of Israel in particular, is one of the best ways of changing the 'status quo' of Exile.

The Rebbe's approach to the three-week mourning period (leading up to Tisha B'Av) was to not only focus on the destruction that had happened, but also on the future, the rebuilding and Redemption.

I invite you to join us this week for a class along those very lines. Hope to see you Wednesday for The Mystery of the Temple.

May we hear good news of complete victory and true peace in Israel.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Yitzi Schmukler

In this week’s Torah portion, the tribes of Reuven and Gad approach Moses with a request to settle in the land already conquered on the eastern side of the Jordan River. Moses replies expressing his concern: “Your brothers will go to war and you will stay here?!” The two tribes reply with a firm commitment to fight alongside their brothers until the conquest of the entire land is completed – and indeed, this is just what they did.

Today, when our brothers and sisters have been forced to go to war to protect their families from murderous missile attack, we, too, feel the obligation to help out. We can participate by speaking up for Israel in the media and among our friends and acquaintances, contributing material support, and praying, giving Tzedakah and doing an extra Mitzvah on their behalf.

May G-d bless the People of Israel, keep them safe and grant them success!

Israel in our hearts

Friday, July 11, 2014 - 9:50 AM

In this week's Torah portion we learn how the daughter's of Tzelafchad requested and received their (deceased) father's portion in the Land of Israel. Their request is highly admired in the Torah because it stemmed not from a desire for material possessions but from a love of Israel and a desire to be fully connected with it both physically and spiritually.

Every Jew has a portion in the Land of Israel and similarly the souls of the Jewish People are all connected to each other. This is a large part of the reason why we are naturally so concerned by events that happen in Israel, its security and the well-being of her inhabitants.

May the Al-mighty continue to protect Israel from those who wish to cause her harm and continue to bless and grant success to those who valiantly put themselves on the front lines to protect her people. May we very soon see the time when true peace (as opposed to trojan horse 'peace solutions' which only weaken Israel, bringing in their wake only more war) comes to Israel and the entire world.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Yitzchok Schmukler

We will prevail

Friday, July 4, 2014 - 10:30 AM

Arab terrorists abducted and murdered three teenage students for one crime only: they were Jews.

This visceral hatred on the part of these evildoers is nothing new.

As we read in this week's Torah portion, 3,300 years ago the prophet Bilaam set out to curse the People of Israel with an aim to put an end, G-d Forbid, to their Divinely guided role in history.

But the Al-mighty thought differently and turned Bilaam's curses into wonderful blessings.

From the days of Bilaam until today, there were those who sought to harm our people. Now, as then, we know that ultimately their schemes will not succeed, and the vision of a good and G-dly world will prevail.

From Exile to Redemption

In it together

Israel in our hearts

We will prevail