Advice for Life: Spiritual Heights Earlier this week, I wrote about “Advice for Life”, a course based on the teachings of the leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, also known as the Rebbe (for the story of how I landed in this class, read here). How does one achieve spiritual growth? Many books suggest that when we want to make such changes in life, we begin by looking inward; focusing on ourselves, changing our attitudes so that we will be motivated to make those changes. Rabbi Schneerson had a different perspective. He had a “leap first” mentality. He believed the Torah taught us to “focus on doing good right from the start.” In Likutei Sichot, which feature Rabbi Shneerson’s scholarly essays based on the Torah portion, he wrote: “We could argue that in order for a Jew to begin performing mitzvot and drawing closer to G-d, they [...]

Advice for Life: Family BlissEarlier this week, I wrote about  “Advice for Life”, a course based on the teachings of the Chabad-Lubavitcher, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, also known as the Rebbe (for the story of how I landed in this class, read here).The centrality of the family goes back to the early chapters of the Torah. And yet, interestingly, Rabbi Schneerson wrote that "the focus on the family unit is lacking—somewhat or significantly—even among those who genuinely try to follow a Torah lifestyle. They set aside time for Torah study, fulfill the mitzvot meticulously… Yes, the father, mother and children are walking a single path… nevertheless, they do not walk this path as a family…”Among the recommendations Rabbi Schneerson offers to enhance family relationships is that Jewish families celebrate the Shabbat meal together on Friday nights. More specifically, he wrote, “Parents and children should gather in the same room, around the [...]

Advice for Life: Meaning at Work Yesterday I wrote about “Advice for Life”, a course based on the teachings of the Chabad-Lubavitcher, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, also known as the Rebbe (for the story of how I landed in this class, read here). The first session was titled “Meaning at Work”. What I took from this class is what is described as “the puzzling perspective of the Torah”. On one hand, Jews learn that God chose the Jewish people for a unique spiritual role and that we should be holy. This implies we should spend a great deal of time in sacred pursuits such as studying Torah, performing mitzvot, and in prayer. At the same time, the Torah establishes that most of our time is to be devoted to pursuit of the material. We are to work to make this material world a place where God would dwell. Rabbi Schneerson encouraged [...]

Advice for Life: A Surprise Encounter  The two young men standing on my front porch wore identical clothing: black slacks and white dress shirt. Alerted by the ring of the doorbell, I approached them with a bit of caution. With the exception of UPS, Amazon, etc., it’s rare to have strangers come to our doors. A closer look suggested they were either Mormon or Chabad-Lubavitch representatives. Less than ten seconds into our conversation, it was clear they were Chabad. They were knocking on doors with a mezuzah to share information about a six-session class at the local Chabad. While I have encountered Chabad on a number of occasions, including some discussions with Chabad rabbis, I never seriously studied their ideas. While aware of our differences, I have also appreciated the joy they find in Judaism and that they have inspired many to lead more active Jewish lives. I enrolled. The [...]