Was the Rebbe Loving? How Powerful is Unity? What Exactly Is the Torah and What Happened at Mattan Torah? When Was the Torah Written? Can There Be Mistakes in the Oral Torah? Why Do We Need Two Separate Commandments, One to Believe In Hashem, and Another Not to Believe In False Gods?
MyLife: Chassidus Applied Episode 450, with Rabbi Simon Jacobson
Sunday, May 21, 2023 / Rosh Chodesh Sivan 5783 – 8:00-9:00PM ET
>> Special Pre-Shavuot Edition <<
Podcast YouTube Chassidusapplied.com
The topics in this week’s 450th episode of the highly acclaimed MyLife: Chassidus Applied series, with Rabbi Simon Jacobson, will include:
- Chassidus Applied to Shavuos
o What happened on Rosh Chodesh Sivan?
o What is the power of unity?
Torah
o What exactly is the Torah and what happened at Mattan Torah?
o When was the Torah written? Did it always exist just as G-d always existed, or did G-d write the Torah when He decided to create the world?
o Does the Torah contain all of G-d’s knowledge, or just the parts that relate to creation and to us?
o If we were able to travel to a distant planet, would we be responsible to observe Torah and mitzvos there, or was the Torah only given on Planet Earth?
o Was the Torah written all at one time or did it evolve and grow as a document and get edited into what it is today?
o What exactly was given at Sinai – the written or the oral Torah?
o Why is there a written and an oral Torah?
o Why was it okay for the rabbis to write down the oral torah when it was prohibited to do so?
o Why then can’t we change other prohibitions?
o Can there be mistakes in the oral Torah?
o Since rabbinic Judaism in the oral Torah is filled with disputes, can we say that those that did not hold by it were on a higher state of Ahavas Yisroel, devoid of arguments?
o Why don’t the disputes indicate that there are mistakes in the oral Torah?
o Since we ignore certain opinions in the Talmud could it be that we are mistaken in our practice?
o How did the Avos do the mitzvos before they were given at Sinai?
o How did they know Torah before it was given?
o If Abraham performed all the mitzvos, why did he wait until age 99 to do a bris?
Mattan Torah
o How could the Jews sleep and need to be awoken for the giving of the Torah?
o Why is it considered special that the Jews said naaseh v’nishmah?
o Did they say naaseh v’nishmah out of their own free will, or were they compelled to do so?
o Why don’t we count the 50th day of the Omer?
o Why do we sing and dance on Simchas Torah and not on Shavuos when the Torah was given?
o Why do we need two separate commandments, one to believe in Hashem, and another not to believe in false gods?
o Why does G-d get so angry about idolatry, if other gods don’t even exist?
- Was the Rebbe loving?
o Can one be loving and demanding?
o Do you mind sharing how you felt when you worked for the Rebbe?
o Is it true that the Frierdiker Rebbe was chesed on the outside and gevura on the inside, and the Rebbe was the opposite?
MyLife: Chassidus Applied is a weekly video webcast candidly answering questions from the public about all life matters and challenges, covering the entire spectrum of human experience.
This hour-long dose of insights, broadcast live every Sunday night 8-9PM ET, is meant to provide people with inspired guidance and direction, empowering them to deal with any issue they may face.
In what has become a staple in so many people’s lives, MyLife: Chassidus Applied 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?
MyLife demonstrates how Chassidus provides us with a comprehensive blueprint of the human psyche as a microcosm of the cosmos, and offers us all the guidance we need to live the healthiest possible life and build nurturing homes and families, bringing up the healthiest possible children, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. MyLife is brought to you by the Meaningful Life Center as a public service, free of charge.
Questions may be submitted anonymously at chassidusapplied.com/ask.
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As always, Rabbi Jacobson, clarifies this topic in a fair and balanced way. His refreshing in these times of confusion. I’m not surprised, but it’s good to acknowledge.