Good Shabbos Email - Chabad of Peachtree City

VAYIGASH-APPROACHING THE LIGHT IN THE CORNER

Friday, December 26, 2014 - 3:40 AM

FOR VAYIGASH

APPROACHING THE LIGHT IN THE CORNER

It was the sixth night of Chanukah one year ago. I had landed at LaGuardia Airport in New York on time, around 2:00 p.m. I needed to get to Newark Airport, from where I would be participating in a Birthright trip to Israel with a group of around forty young adults. I also needed to kindle six lights in my Menorah for that evening.

The plan was simple: to head to Newark Airport in New Jersey, check in my luggage there, and head to my sister’s home. She lives about ten minutes from Newark airport. I figured that I would arrive at her house at four o’clock or so, which would be just in time to kindle the Menorah. I did not need to be in Ne… Read More »

MIKETZ:CHANUKAH-BETWEEN STOMACHS AND HEADS

Friday, December 19, 2014 - 3:42 PM

FOR MIKETZ-CHANUKAH

BETWEEN STOMACHS AND HEADS

Earlier this week, I awoke with my head feeling “heavy.” I could not seem to shake the cobwebs. It was cold outside, which I usually enjoy. I was, instead, on the brink of shivering, which I do not quite enjoy. It soon became obvious that something was amiss.

As soon as I arrived home, I put myself back into bed. That felt really good. In no time, I was fast asleep. The sleep, however, brought no relief. My head was still feeling heavy. It turns out that, after all, it was not my head. It was an issue with some food I had ingested the previous day.

The evening brought relief, but my head did not feel right until the next morning. Thank Heave… Read More »

VAYEISHEV-SECURING CRAZINESS

Friday, December 12, 2014 - 1:20 PM

FOR VAYEISHEV

SECURING CRAZINESS

(From a previous Good Shabbos Email)

In preparation for the upcoming holiday of Chanukah and its festivities, I was in possession of a shopping list while visiting New York recently. In the Big Apple, many Kosher items are readily available, and usually for a lower price than elsewhere.

It soon became obvious that my hand luggage would be insufficient to fit what had become a rather large stash of food and books. I placed all the items in a large cardboard box, and had the taxi come fifteen minutes earlier since I now had luggage to check in.

The taxi driver, though, had other ideas for us. For reasons both my fellow passenger and I still cannot fathom, he slowed do… Read More »

VAYISHLACH-BARING THE BAR AND BAT MITZVAH

Friday, December 5, 2014 - 1:09 PM

FOR VAYISHLACH

BARING THE BAR AND BAT MITZVAH

Thirty-eight years ago, around this time of the year, I was occupied with an assignment, leading me to the most exciting time of my life till then: my Bar-Mitzvah.

For me, this meant studying a deep and complicated Chassidic speech, written by one of the previous Lubavitcher Rebbes. I was studying from a Yiddish copy, making it easy for me, as Yiddish was my first language. The challenge was learning the words by-heart. This was not as easy… In addition, once I completed that assignment, I was apportioned an additional dissertation to study by-heart, in Yiddish of course, dealing with an issue of Talmudic and Jewish law.

Other preparations included stud… Read More »