Chassidus Applied to Shavuos; If our Forefathers Kept the Torah, What Was the Purpose of Mattan Torah? What is the Torah View on the US Embassy Relocation to Jerusalem? Is There a Difference Between Sadness and Emptiness?
MyLife: Chassidus Applied Episode 164, with Rabbi Simon Jacobson
MyLife MP3s are available to download from the Meaningful Life Center Shop. Become a free member today and receive unlimited Mylife MP3 downloads.
What practical lessons does Shavuos have for us today? Is there any special Shavuot message related to the 50th anniversary of the Six-Day-War?
Our Sages tell us, that the Torah was known and kept by our Patriarchs Avrohom, Yitzchok and Yaakov many generations prior to Mattan Torah at Sinai, and that a Yeshiva was maintained even through the period of bondage in Egypt. What then was the unique contribution of the giving of the Torah, and why was it only then that our people became a unique and holy nation among all the nations of the world?
What is the Torah view on the current debate raging about the US Embassy relocation to Jerusalem? Is the relocation a necessary stance, demonstrating that the Western world is not intimidated by the Arab world? Or is it an unnecessary provocation, putting Jews in possible danger of retaliation?
Is it normal for people to have occasional feelings of emptiness? Psychologists might even diagnose such moods as depression. People are multi-faceted though, so aren’t random feelings of emptiness normal? Or should it be a cause of concern?
Rabbi Jacobson will also review the following essays submitted in the last MyLife: Chassidus Applied essay contest: “All Fun and No Joy: The Paradox of Life in the Postmodern Era” by Yossi Grossbaum; “To Find Meaning One Must Make Meaning” by Bentzi Avtzon; and “Love: The Basis of the Torah” by Rochel Cohen. These and other essays can be read online at meaningfullife.com/essays.
And finally, the Chassidus question of the week: As we near the end of the final week of Sefiras Haomer, when we refine the midah of Malchus, can you please shed light on its practical application to our lives?
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 meaningfullife.com/mylife.
The topics in this Sunday’s hour-long broadcast will include:
· Chassidus Applied to Shavuos
· What was the purpose of Mattan Torah?
· Is there any special Shavuot message related to the 50th anniversary of the Six-Day-War?
· What is the Torah view on the US Embassy relocation to Jerusalem?
· Is there a difference between sadness and emptiness?
· Follow-up:
o The Rashbi
o Superiority in Torah
o Schools strike
o Enjoying G-d’s world
o When to give
o Understanding narcissism
· Chassidus Question: What is the practical application of Malchus in our lives?
· MyLife Essays: All Fun and No Joy: The Paradox of Life in the Postmodern Era; To Find Meaning One Must Make Meaning; Love: The Basis of the Torah
In what has now become a staple in many people’s lives, 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 and great care has to be taken when speaking openly, 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 week after week. 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 MP3s for listening on the go.
Questions may be submitted anonymously at meaningfullife.com/mylife
If you value MyLife: Chassidus Applied, please subscribe to our youtube channel of the same name, to help keep these videos coming and to share them with others!
Live Video:
