Good Shabbos Email - Chabad of Peachtree City

NASO-OILING ONE’S DEEDS

Friday, May 29, 2015 - 7:23 AM

FOR NASO

OILING ONE’S DEEDS

The sign outside the one-story structure occupies a most prominent place on the edifice. It takes up more space than the façade from which it is hanging. It advertises an oil change for $21.00. With my car needing an oil change, I figured that this price is not too bad.

I pulled into the shadowy area behind this structure, as one normally does for an oil change. There, a man came to greet me with a clipboard in his hands. After confirming the purpose of my visit, the guy said, “What kind of oil are you looking for, synthetic or synthetic blend?”

When it comes to oils permitted for the kindling of the Menorah on Chanukah, I have done my homework on those… Read More »

SHAVUOS-A HEAVENLY EARTH

Friday, May 22, 2015 - 7:25 AM

FOR SHAVUOS

A HEAVENLY EARTH

It is somewhat unclear what the Pope actually said earlier this week regarding a certain Palestinian leader. Whatever he said, though, the setting was not in favor of Israel. That is very clear. When the said Palestinian leader consistently promotes the destruction of Israel and its citizens in words and deeds, only the boorish ignorant would consider him a partner for peace with Israel. That should be obvious to anyone who cares about peace.

Without getting into the details of the story, it is abundantly clear that Israel is held to a unique standard by the rest of the world. Israel’s very existence is not merely threatened by its bitter sworn enemies, but actions of countries t… Read More »

B'HAR B'CHUKOSAI-WORKING WHILE RESTING

Friday, May 15, 2015 - 7:48 AM

FOR B'HAR B'CHUKOSAI

WORKING WHILE RESTING

Earlier this year, back in January, I had the great privilege of spending a couple of weeks in the Holy Land of Israel. I was the Rabbi on a “Mayanot-Birthright” trip for young adults, and we spent two unforgettable and beautifully memorable weeks together, bonding into a family. We are still in touch with one another.

This was not my first such trip, and I do not believe it was my last, either. These trips are highly charged with energy and discovery. Traveling through the Land of Jewish history, where the patriarchs and prophets lived and where the history of Judaism and the Jewish people were shaped, is inspiring. Climbing the rock of Masada, swimming in th… Read More »

EMOR-SANCTITY OF COMPASSION

Friday, May 8, 2015 - 7:31 PM

FOR EMOR

SANCTITY OF COMPASSION

Earlier this week, I was engaged in a conversation with several chaplains who serve in the prison system. Unlike the full-time chaplains in the prisons, the majority of my clergy duties are not focused on the incarcerated. It is only every now and then, when the need arises, that I visit a particular Jewish inmate.

As such, I am not entirely familiar with the system and the inmates. The chaplains with whom I was meeting, on the other hand, have spent years (and even decades) working exclusively in the prisons. They are familiar with the system and its ins and outs.

At one stage in the conversation, one of the chaplains related that some of the inmates are completely evil. T… Read More »

ACHAREI-KEDOSHIM-BEYOND MEASURE

Friday, May 1, 2015 - 7:42 AM

FOR ACHAREI-KEDOSHIM

BEYOND MEASURE

A family was once hosting a party, but they had misplaced a spoon from their cutlery set. Down the road, the neighbor possessed a similar set of cutlery, and he loaned them a silver spoon for the night. The next morning, the borrower returned with an extra ten spoons. “Hey,” said the neighbor, “I only lent you one spoon. What is all this?” The guy replied, “Oh, don’t you know? The spoon you lent me was pregnant. Last night, in my house of all places, it gave birth to all these spoons. They rightfully belong to you.”

When the neighbor closed his door, he looked down at his new spoons with a chuckle. “What a nut!” he thought ab… Read More »