MyLife: Chassidus Applied Episode 63
Refining one’s character – birur ha’midos – seems to be a prominent theme in Chassidus. Why then is it not emphasized in our homes and schools?
This question is especially timely during this period of Sefirat HaOmer, when the focus is precisely on character refinement – examining and improving each of the emotional faculties from chesed she’be’chesed to malchus she’be’malchus. How can we make these days between Pesach and Shavuot count (no pun intended)? How can we personalize this daily Mitzvah?
Serving as a rabbi and community leader is fraught with unique challenges. Answering a halachic question is pretty straightforward. But how do we respond to personal matters, especially sensitive ones. How does a rabbi serve as a “soul doctor”? What do you say to someone who shares with you a delicate issue like infidelity, mental and emotional health, intermarriage or homosexuality? This question is not just relevant to community leaders, but to anyone who is entrusted with a confidential matter. How do you respond to someone confiding their darkest secret to you?
Other topics to be addressed in this week’s episode are: “My wife doesn’t daven. My mashpia told me to leave her alone about it, but it really bothers me.” “I can’t understand and apply Chassidus to my personal life. Can I seek spiritual guidance outside of Judaism, which I find far more accessible and practical?”
In addition, Rabbi Jacobson will continue the new segment in each MyLife episode – discussing essays submitted in the MyLife: Chassidus Applied contest. Each week he will present key ideas of selected essays, and also analyze the elements and criteria that made the essay stand out, while also providing guidance in how to improve your capacity in applying Chassidus, helping you become next year’s winner! In this week’s episode he will be discussing the next top essays about coping when life throws the unexpected at you, hope in the face of challenge, power of speech and ADHD.
This hour-long dose of insights is meant to inform, inspire and empower us by applying the teachings of Chassidus to help us face practical and emotional challenges and difficulties in our personal lives and relationships. To have your question addressed, please submit it at www.meaningfullife.com/mylifelive.
The topics in this Sunday’s hour-long broadcast will include:
· Chassidus Applied to Post-Passover and Omer counting
· Reviewing Chassidus Applied top contest essays about coping when life throws the unexpected at you, hope in the face of challenge, power of speech and ADHD.
· Advice: My wife is not davening
· How to respond and advise on sensitive matters
· Where is the emphasis in our education system on character refinement?
· Seeking spirituality outside of Judaism
MyLife: Chassidus Applied addresses questions that many people are afraid to ask and others are afraid to answer. When asked about the sensitive topics he has been addressing, Rabbi Simon Jacobson commented, “I understand that the stakes are high, but the silence and lack of clarity on matters plaguing the community can no longer go unaddressed. The stakes of not providing answers are even higher.”
The on-going series has provoked a significant reaction from the community, with thousands of people viewing each live broadcast and hundreds of questions pouring in. At the root of every question and personal challenge tackled by the series is the overarching question: Does Judaism have the answers to my personal dilemmas?
In inimitable “Jacobson-fashion”, the broadcast answers people’s questions in simple, clear language while being heavily sourced. Each episode is jam-packed with eye-opening advice from the Rebbeim, gleaned from uncovering surprising gems in their letters, sichos and maamorim that address our personal issues with disarming relevance. Simultaneously, Rabbi Jacobson is able to crystallize a concept quickly, succinctly, and poignantly for any level of listener.
All episodes are immediately available for viewing in the MLC’s archive and can be downloaded as MP3’s for listening on the go.
Questions may be submitted anonymously at www.meaningfullife.com/mylifelive.
Live Video:
last I heard the class was given at chabad of midtown on wednesdays at 8:15 PM and could be viewed later on youtube
May indeed need to work on refining his midos. Such an aggressive response to a civil query (such as #1’s comment) reminds me of the phrase that wise words are only heeded when they are said b’nachas. Remember that the Jewish religion does allow a person to question (politely).
Rabbi Jacobson spoke of his Wednesday night classes at a class in Massachusetts during Yom Tov.
How do I connect with these classes? SH
You are 100 per cent correct. I have been witness and received really nasty cruel behaviour of people and their awful ways. Most of them not observant people. However, maybe I can put this down to their animal souls. But I have also received harshness, and my kids have had bullying from people and kids sour rounded by frum legit, they come from families that walk and talk it. Some of these people are real gossip mongers, love to get into your home to size the place, ask so many rude questions, and their kids do so much damage by… Read more »
Firstly, from your tone it looks like you still have work to do on your chessed of gevruah… I disagreed respectfully and in a moderated note with the Rabbi, so I am somewhat surprised at your response. I will judge you to the side of merit (tiferes of gevurah?) that you are rising up for the honor of the Torah (gevurah of gevurah?), of the esteemed Talmid Chochom, HaRav Simon. Having moved out my bruised ego from the way, i can now thank you for your footnotes that you provided. i will go and look over them and get back… Read more »
all we need is for the parents and teachers to model menchlich behaviour for the kids….not just to model it, but to refine themselves so that the kids see and feel it. Its all in the deepest part, and then comes out from that deepest part.
Can’t teach what one does not know. First define the term. Many people do not know please and thank you.
I thought you were going to publish more essays out of the 500. There must have been some very interesting ones and I would love to read them!!
So you suggest we just skip the chesed she’bechesed and the other midos of each day, or just say them like lip service?! And that we do nothing to refine ourselves in prepapration of Mattan Torah?! And that all the words of the Rebbeim that sefirat ha’omer is abut birur ha’midos should not be implemented?! And that the Alter Rebbe’s words that kol inyan hachassidus hu l’shanos tevah midosov (cited in the beginning of Inyono shel Toras HaChassidus) is not, G- forbid, literal?! And on and on and on… The mere fact that you can suggest what you are suggesting… Read more »
Dear Rabbi, I respect you a lot but I disagree. I am all for people becoming a mentch. But, I never saw in any sicha that the Rebbeim said to focus on the individual sefirah as a tool of self improvement. My fear is that by focusing on this “chodosh which is assur min hatorah” some people might get the impression that this is the main thing of the mitzvah. When in fact, the mitzvah is to say: “Today is x days, which are x weeks and x days to the omer.” I would further venture out to day: “You… Read more »