Ep. 527: Why Do We Celebrate Hei Teves?

MyLife: Chassidus Applied

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:

Chassidus Applied to Hei Teves

What do we commemorate and celebrate on this day?

What was the spiritual trial and victory connected to this day?

Why were the stolen books considered a challenge to the Rebbe’s leadership?

Why did the Rebbe take such offense to the statement by the opposition that Chabad is not “active”?

How does Hei Teves express a deeper victory than the miraculous victory of Chanukah?

What did the Rebbe mean that the stolen books were like live bombs?

Why was the Rebbe so upset on Beis Kislev about the people hanging out in the streets?

Why were criminal charges of theft not filed against the accused?

If G-d infused His “soul” in the Torah, why is the Torah finite?

10 Teves

What lessons does this day offer us?

What is the significance of the fast day being on Friday?

What does it teach us about fighting our battles in Israel today?

Vayechi

What is the central theme of this Torah chapter?

What personal and global lessons does it offer us?

Why did Jacob live his best years in Egypt?

Why then was he so adamant to be buried in Israel?

Why did Jacob initially want to tell his family when Moshiach would come and why did G-d prevent him from doing so?

Why does Yaakov bless some of the 12 tribes with non-kosher animal representation: the lion of Yehuda, the viper of Dan, the ass of Yissachar, and the wolf of Binyamin?

Who gathered the lost objects that the tribe of Dan dropped?

Miketz

Is it significant that Parshas Miketz, which alludes to the final geulah, has exactly 2,025 words?

President Jimmy Carter

What are we to make of the fact that Jimmy Carter, the first president to light a public menorah, passed away on Chanukah? Is that justified?

Chanukah (follow-up)

Why don’t we light Chanukah candles according to Beis Shammai?

How should I deal with people not dressed modestly without being rude?