MyLife: Chassidus Applied Episode 564, with Rabbi Simon Jacobson
Sunday, October 19, 2025 / 27 Tishrei 5786 – 8:00-9:00PM ET
The topics in this week’s 564th episode of the highly acclaimed MyLife: Chassidus Applied series, with Rabbi Simon Jacobson, will include
Post Holidays
· What should be the focus of our work during these last days of Tishrei?
· What is the meaning of the V’Yaakov holach l’darko announcement after the Tishrei holidays?
· Why is this next month called MarCheshvan, mar meaning “bitter”?
· Can mar be interpreted as “master”?
· What are your thoughts on the over-consumption of alcohol on Simchas Torah in our communities? Why should drinking be allowed at all?
Bereishis
· What is the meaning of the Chassidic aphorism that “the way you establish yourself on Shabbos Bereishis is how your year will go”?
· Why does the Torah begin with the letter beis and not alef? If it’s because beis is the acronym for blessing (brocha), then why does the Hebrew alphabet and the Ten Commandments begin with an alef?
· What is the meaning of Tohu in the second verse of this week’s parsha?
· What is its connection to Kabbalistic concept of Tohu?
· Did Tohu have free choice to prevent the containers from shattering?
· What is the meaning of man being created in the Divine image?
· Were Adam and Eve commanded to follow any laws besides not eating from the Tree of Knowledge?
· Did they have access to the Torah?
· Were they considered Jewish?
· If Adam and Eve had not eaten from the tree of knowledge, would Moshiach have come right away? If so, how would all the divine sparks have been elevated, and what have we achieved over the last 5786 years?
· Was the Garden of Eden a physical place on Earth? Where is its location?
· Did Cain ever repent for killing Abel?
· Why did the Chabad Gabbai wear a shtreimel when he “sold” the mitzvos on Shabbos Bereishis?
· Why don’t Chabad chassidim wear shtreimels?”
Hostages Freed
· How should we react to the recent release of the hostages and the peace proposal advanced by President Trump?
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.
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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.
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Thank you for your answer on this topic. The drinking went over board during Hakafos and someone almost had a concussion. Everyone should listen to this answer and enjoy Simchas Torah the right way.
Even yememite goyim call it marheswan. The shortest is that Ruach Elo-kim (Ruach hamoshiach) is marheshet hovering / meditating all over the water. P.s. To see the 4 rivers that emanate from Aiden, refer to the government’s maps of the Earth’s tectonic plates, which converge directly south of the city of Aden. 1 surrounds THE WHOLE Africa, etc
This makes sense to call cheshvan Mar cheshvan as moshiach cheshvan. Thanks for the inspiring words.