Ep. 495: How Should We Respond to the Rebbe’s Call: “Do Everything You Can to Bring Moshiach”?

<strong>Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:</strong><br /><strong>What does this time-period and Torah portion teach us today?  </strong></p> <ul> <li>How does Pesach continue to empower us as we conclude Nissan? </li> </ul> <ul> <li>How could we have celebrated Pesach with a free heart when our brothers and sisters are being held hostage by our enemies? Any advice on how to address my heavy heart? </li> <li>Why did the liberating energy of Pesach not help the hostages be safely freed from captivity Don't they also deserve to have been free to enjoy the seder with their families?  </li> <li>Is there a prayer with which we can complain to G-d when He hurts us, just as there is the Hallel prayer to praise Him when He is kind to us? </li> <li>Can we refrain from praising Hashem when our families are in danger? </li> <li>What is the significance of praising G-d? </li> <li>How can we say that Chizkiyahu did not say praise when he certainly said Hallel that Pesach? </li> <li>Why was the tribe of Ephraim killed for leaving Egypt 30 years earlier? What did they do wrong? </li> </ul> <ul> <li>What is a synopsis of the Rebbe’s impassioned talk on 28 Nissan 5751? </li> <li>What is the meaning and practical application of “the energies of Tohu in the containers of Tikkun”? </li> <li>What should we be doing in response to the Rebbe’s call: “Do everything you can to bring Moshiach”? </li> </ul> <ul> <li>What is the essential theme of this chapter and its lessons for our times? </li> </ul> <ul> <li>What did Aaron's sons do wrong by going into the Holy Temple that caused them to die?  </li> <li>What is the significance of the lots (gorel) cast on Yom Kippur to determine what to do with the two goats? </li> <li>Is it connected to the lots of Purim? </li> </ul> <ul> <li>Why do we count sefirah every year if we have already rectified any emotional blemishes we had in previous years? </li> <li><strong> </strong>Is there a connection between counting sefirah and the fifty gates of understanding?</li> </ul> <ul> <li>How should we react to these disturbing events?  </li> <li>Do they have anything in common with the 1960’s Viet Nam War protests?  </li> <li>Did the Rebbe make any comments in support of or against the Vietnam War protests? </li> <li>How do we deprogram all the brainwashed college students that hate Jews based on false propaganda and lies? </li> <li>What’s the best way to fight these protests? Physically or spiritually? </li> <li>Is it appropriate to display Moshiach flags at pro-Israel rallies? </li> </ul> </p>

01:10:16

Ep. 494: How Do the Miracles and Redemption of Pesach Empower Us in Facing Our Current Challenges?

<strong>Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:</strong><br /><strong>What does Pesach teach us today? </strong></p> <ul> <li>How do the miracles and redemption of Pesach empower us in dealing with our current challenges? </li> <li>What is the main theme of Pesach? </li> <li>Is it the joy of freedom from slavery or the lessons in humility from eating the matzoh? </li> <li>Why don’t we do a thorough internal cleansing of any chometz left in our bodies before Pesach? </li> <li>What is the best way to run a Seder? </li> <li>Is it better to have an enjoyable experience even if we compromise some of the more stringent details? </li> <li>Why are we constantly reminded that we were slaves in Egypt and idol worshippers when we’re not supposed to remind someone of their past sins?   </li> <li>Is the Egyptian exile a deeper concealment than that of the tzimtzum harishon? </li> <li>Why are we not all wealthy today as the Jews were when they left Egypt? </li> <li>Why are matzos, and Pesach food in general, so expensive? Is there a spiritual reason for this? </li> <li>Is that why we call matzah “the bread of the impoverished”?! </li> <li>Since Pesach and Nissan represent freedom and redemption, why are some of us bogged down with financial and other problems that make us feel like slaves? Where are our miracles?  </li> <li>How can we access the energy of Pesach to resolve our challenges and constraints – financial and otherwise? </li> <li>What do we have to do to earn and deserve the geulah today? What can we learn from Geulas Mitzrayim in this regard? </li> </ul> <ul> <li>Which was a bigger miracle, being saved from genocide at the hands of the Persians on Purim or at the hands of Pharaoh and the Egyptians on Pesach?  </li> <li>What can we learn from the way Moshe dealt with Egypt how we should deal with Hamas and Iran today? </li> <li>What is the best way to thank G-d for the miracles of saving Israel from the Iran attack? </li> <li>When we say Hallel during the seder can we have in mind the miracles of being protected from the Iranian missile attack? </li> <li>Should we avoid celebrating the deaths of our enemies, learning from G-d rebuking the angels for singing when the Egyptians were drowning? </li> <li>What benefit are the prophecies if they're vague and cryptic? </li> <li>Can we give tzedakah on the condition that the hostages be released? </li> <li>Is it possible that our prayers for the hostages are being blocked because of our own inequities? </li> <li>Should we accept teshuva from the Hamas terrorists?  </li> </ul> <ul> <li>Why do we say that the generation that left Egypt had great Emunah? </li> <li>Can Rabbi Jacobson please present a synopsis of a Pesach maamar? </li> </ul> </p>

01:16:08

Ep. 493: How Can We Explain the Attack by Iran in the Month of Miracles and Redemption?

Episode 493: When: Sunday, March 24, 8:00PM ET For recording visit the archive page or your favorite podcast carrier. Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics: • How can we explain the attack by Iran in the month of miracles and redemption? 02:20 • What does this time-period and Torah portion teach us today? 08:13 • What can we learn from the first Nassi, Nachshon ben Aminodov? 08:53 • How should we prepare for Yud Alef Nissan? 15:59 • What is the best gift to give the Rebbe in honor of his birthday? 20:34 • What lessons can we glean from this week’s parsha? 20:40 • Why would a parsha have such a negative name? 21:10 • How does spiritual “leprosy” apply today, and what is its cure? 26:20 • Is tzaraat of the home a punishment or a reward? 27:43 • Pesach • Pesach is all about chinuch. But I'm filled with pain when I think about my inability to find an appropriate Jewish school for my special needs child. 32:04 • How should we react to the latest attack by Iran? • What are the most effective actions we can take and prayers we can say to help protect us and everyone in Israel from Iran's attacks? 37:59 • Should we say Hallel and sing praises to hashem for the open miracles of hundreds of Iranian drones and missiles being launched at Israel and thankfully no serious damage or injuries? 42:10 • Should we learn from Chezkiah’s mistake and sing praise to Hashem to win the war? 42:58 • Would the Rebbe encourage retaliation? 46:54 • Is this attack hinted at in Ezekiel chapters 38-39? 48:10 • What can we learn from the dispute between Yitzchok and Yishmael to help resolve today’s battles? 56:15 </p>

01:04:13

Ep. 492: What Can We Learn From the Upcoming Solar Eclipse and the Recent East Coast Earthquake?

<strong>Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:</strong><br /><strong>What does this time-period and Torah portion teach us today? </strong></p> <ul> <li>How does the transition from Adar to Nissan empower us? </li> <li>Chassidus applied to Rosh Chodesh Nissan </li> <li>What do we learn from the new moon? </li> <li>What's the significance of saying the daily nasi the first twelve days of Nissan? </li> <li>Are the miracles of Nissan within or above the natural order? </li> <li>Can we expect to see open miracles this month, namely victory and the safe return of all the hostages? </li> <li>How do we honor Beis Nissan? </li> <li>What do we learn from Parshas Tazria? </li> <li>Is a leper compared to golus, and its healing to geulah? </li> <li>How do we change the letters of negah, the leprosy of golus, to oneg, the pleasure of geulah? </li> <li>What's the connection between Parshas Shemini and Moshiach? </li> </ul> <ul> <li>Is the eclipse a negative sign? </li> <li>What lessons does it offer us? </li> <li>Are we allowed to leave yeshiva to view the eclipse? </li> <li>What are we to make of the recent earthquake in the tri-state area? </li> <li>Are earthquakes a sign of Moshiach’s imminent arrival? </li> <li>Is there any significance to the number 4.8 (the magnitude of the earthquake and the date of the eclipse)? </li> </ul> <ul> <li>Why are we always on the defense and not on the offense? </li> <li>Do the nations of the world have any free choice regarding Israel? </li> <li>Should we consider their opinions? </li> <li>Should religious people be exempt from fighting the war? </li> <li>How can we recreate today Moshe’s holding up his arms to heaven to pray for the victory against Amalek? </li> </ul> <strong>What can we learn from the upcoming solar eclipse and the recent East Coast earthquake? The Gaza War </strong> </p>

01:08:45

Ep. 491: How Do We Reconcile Today's Difficulties With This Double Month of Joy and Redemption Leading Into Pesach?

<strong>Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:</strong><br /><strong>What does this week’s Torah portion and time period teach us today? </strong></p> <ul> <li>How do you maintain a positive and joyous outlook with all the troubles brewing around us? </li> <li>How do we reconcile the difficulties we are facing today with this double month of joy and the redemption of Purim leading into the redemption of Pesach? </li> <li>What is the main theme of Parshas HaChodesh, and what lessons can we derive from this unique chapter? </li> <li>What is the significance of the four special parshios we read between these weeks – from Adar through Nissan? </li> <li>Do they correlate to the four worlds of Atzilus Beriah Yetzira and Asiya? </li> <li>What is the main theme of Parshas Shemini and what are its lessons for us? </li> <li>What do we learn from the story of Nadav and Avihu? </li> </ul> <ul> <li>What takes precedence: Winning the war or freeing the hostages? </li> <li>How do you respond to those that try to create a moral equivalence between both sides? </li> <li>Should we excommunicate a Jew who attacks Israel? </li> <li> Should we sing Napoleons March every day as a reminder that we will be victorious in the war?</li> </ul> <ul> <li>What can we do differently after Chof Zayin Adar and Gimmel Tammuz to help bring Moshiach? </li> <li>What did the Rebbe say that we should be doing when a Rebbe has a stroke? </li> <li>Is Moshiach here or not here? </li> <li>How are we sure that after Moshiach comes our negative behavior will not reverse the process? </li> <li>Should Moshiach’s imminent coming make us work faster and harder, with a greater sense of urgency, to finish our job? </li> <li>Why is this time right before the Geulah compared to Erev Shabbos? </li> </ul> <strong>The Gaza War Moshiach What can we learn from the bridge collapse in Baltimore? </strong><br /> <br /><strong>Is it wrong for a Rabbi to use an artificial intelligence program to write his weekly Dvar Torah? </strong> </p>

01:03:59

Ep. 490: Should We Allow Jews Siding With Our Enemies Celebrate Purim With Us?

<a href="https://meaningfullife.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e4e9abbc1cc9c50780b957153&id=4d485dc3e0&e=ad8c878189" target="_blank"><strong>Episode 490: Special Purim Edition</strong></a><br /><strong>When: Sunday, March 24, 8:00PM ET</strong><br />For recording visit the <a href="https://meaningfullife.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e4e9abbc1cc9c50780b957153&id=8e59b13db8&e=ad8c878189" target="_blank">archive page</a> or your <a href="https://meaningfullife.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e4e9abbc1cc9c50780b957153&id=099ee0f014&e=ad8c878189" target="_blank">favorite podcast carrier</a>.<br /><strong>Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:</strong><br /><strong>What does Purim teach us today? </strong></p> <ul> <li>What is the main theme of Purim and how can we access its power in our time? </li> <li>How can Purim help us face our enemies today and transform even the greatest threat to total victory? </li> <li>Why is Purim celebrated with so much joy, more than any other day in the year? </li> <li>What is the meaning of “everyone who stretches out his hand, is given” on Purim? </li> <li>What happened Purim 1966 when the Rebbe made this announcement? </li> <li>What were the three different ways the Rebbe reacted to those stretching out their cups, and what fundamental lessons can we learn from them? </li> <li>Can Megillas Esther be translated as the revelation of the concealed?  </li> <li>Why is Purim named after a lottery? </li> <li>If Haman was accessing a level beyond good and evil how could he have channeled that into evil? </li> <li>What is the connection between Purim and Yom Ha'Ki-Purim? </li> <li>Is Haman a representation of the primordial evil of the snake in the Garden of Eden? </li> <li>Why is Shushan Purim celebrated only in cities that had walls since the time of Joshua?  </li> <li>Is there an advantage to living in a walled city? </li> <li>What is the deeper meaning behind the Megillah being read from the eleventh to the fifteenth of the month? </li> <li>How is Purim considered the completion of the giving of the Torah?   </li> <li>Should we gather children together to recite verses to help vanquish our enemies as Mordechai did? </li> <li>Can we explain Moshiach’s imminent arrival with the events as they occurred during the days of Purim? </li> <li>If the Rabbis can alter the laws of reading the Megillah allowing it to be read earlier to accommodate Jews, why can’t they decree the immediate coming of Moshiach? </li> <li>Should we allow Jews siding with our enemies celebrate Purim with us? </li> <li>Did the Rebbe say that whistling is connected to Moshiach?  </li> </ul> </p>

01:10:36

Ep. 489: How Should We React to a Jew Publicly Refuting “His Jewishness Being Hijacked”?

<strong>Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:</strong><br /><strong>What does this week’s Torah portion and time period teach us today? </strong><br /> <strong>7 Adar </strong></p> <ul> <li>What mazal does this day bring us? </li> <li>How does Moshe empower us today? </li> <li>Are there any special customs or observances on this day? </li> <li>How could Haman have made such a big mistake and not know the day of Moshe’s birthday? </li> <li>Is there a connection between Moshe’s name not being mentioned in Tetzaveh with G-d's name not being mentioned on the Megillah? </li> </ul> <ul> <li>What is the primary theme of this parsha and its lessons to us? </li> <li>What is the significance of the small alef in Vayikra? </li> <li>Why offerings? </li> <li>Are we fulfilling the mitzvah of prayer if we just say the words without the intention of offering ourselves to G-d? </li> <li>What is a <em>shelomim </em>(peace) offering? </li> <li> What is today's equivalent of the peace offering that we can do to end wars? </li> </ul> <ul> <li>What is the main theme of Purim and how can we access its power in our time? </li> <li>What does Purim teach us about today’s war? </li> <li>Are any of our enemies today a reincarnation of Haman and his cohorts?  </li> <li>Why is G-d's name not mentioned on the Megillah, and how does that give us a deeper appreciation of G-d's essence? </li> <li>How do the references to “the king” throughout the Megillah reflect on G-d? </li> <li>What do we learn from Mordechai about... </li> <li>Why are Jews referred to as Yehudim in the Megillah? </li> <li>What did the Jews do wrong in attending Achashverosh's party? </li> </ul> </p>

01:08:10

Ep. 488: A Teenager Asks: How Can I Quell My Fear That History May Be Repeating Itself as Our Enemies Attack Us?

<strong>Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:</strong><br /><strong>What does this week’s Torah portion and time period teach us today? </strong></p> <ul> <li><strong>Lessons from Adar II </strong></li> </ul> <ul> <li><strong>Is there significance to moving the clock forward for daylight savings time, which adds an extra hour of light to the day? </strong></li> </ul> <ul> <li><strong>Parshas Pekudei</strong></li> </ul> <ul> <li><strong>Shekalim </strong></li> </ul> <ul> <li><strong>The Gaza War </strong></li> </ul> <ul> <li><strong>Moshiach </strong></li> </ul> <ul> <li><strong>Is it appropriate for women to go on a “mikvah strike” in order to coerce their husbands to put pressure on a get withholder? </strong></li> </ul> </p>

01:12:31

Ep. 487: What Did the Rebbe Mean That "All We Have to Do Is Open Your Eyes”? When I Open My Eyes I See Chaos in the World, Not Moshiach

<strong>Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:</strong><br /><strong>What does this week’s Torah portion and time period teach us today? </strong></p> <ul> <li>Lessons from Adar </li> <li>Parshas Vayakhel: What power is there in gathering together? </li> <li>Parshas Ki Tissa:  </li> </ul> <ul> <li>Should we be doing anything different?   </li> <li>Are there any parallels between the war in Ukraine and in Gaza? </li> <li>Why not return any part of Israel? </li> <li>What can we learn from the demonic passion of our enemies? </li> </ul> <ul> <li>Are we allowed to try to force G-d's hand to bring Moshiach? </li> <li>Why is intensifying Torah and Mitzvos in order to bring Moshiach not an attempt at forcing G-d's hand? </li> <li>Are we prohibited from controlling Israel until Moshiach comes? </li> <li>If there is a question about controlling Israel, why was the Rebbe adamant about holding on to every inch of land?  </li> </ul> <ul> <li>What did the Rebbe mean when he said that the birurim are finished?  </li> <li>What does “open your eyes” mean? When I open my eyes I see chaos in the world, not Moshiach </li> <li>Did anything change after 5750 regarding Moshiach’s imminent arrival?</li> </ul> </p>

01:12:46

Ep. 486: Can You Be a Zionist Without Displaying the Israeli Flag and Singing Its Anthem?

What does this week’s Torah portion and time period teach us today? </p> Lessons from Adar </p> How does joy help us get through difficult challenges? </p> What is the acronym of Adar? </p> Does the joy in Adar have the power to transform true darkness? </p> Is the joy in Adar initiated from above or from our work below? </p> If we defeated Amalek on Purim why are we still facing enemies like Hamas? </p> Why don’t I see blessings in my life as the Rebbe Rashab promised to those who will learn Chassidus? </p> Parshas Ki Tisa </p> What can we learn from Moshe challenging and prevailing over G-d to forgive the people?</p> Is there a connection between the broken tablets and the shattered containers of Tohu? </p> Is the October 7 massacre and subsequent war a punishment for building the Golden Calf?</p> How could the people transgress such a grave sin of idolatry just 39 days after the greatest revelation at Sinai? </p> Why not support a Palestinian state?</p> Why not deport the Arabs and Muslims from Israel?</p> <br /></p> What should be our attitude to Zionism and to displaying the Israeli flag and singing HaTikvah? </p> Can you be a Zionist without displaying the Israeli flag and singing its anthem?</p> Should we allow these displays in our organizations?</p> Should we not participate in events that have these displays? </p>

01:17:20