יום שלישי, י״ח תשרי תשפ״זTuesday, September 29, 2026
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Those looking to find the source of antisemitism often miss the massively disproportionate representation of Jews in almost every index of human achievement. Instead of learning and benefitting from the great success of a contributing minority, many choose a path of envy and jealousy, which leads to hatred.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
The disciples of Hillel hold that at a wedding you should sing that the bride is beautiful, whether she is or not.
The Seder night serves as an opportunity to pass over our mesorah, our tradition and legacy, to the next generation. It's a night when we speak about emunah, the meaning of being a Jew, and our purpose in this world. In order to teach these lessons to our children and ourselves in a deep and lasting way, we must encourage the Seder participants to ask questions, no matter the age or knowledge-level.
I didn’t let go of what I correctly perceived was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and accompanied Rav Elyashiv all the way home – again just the two of us.
His reply was quick in coming. I’ve heard of a segula if the Pesach wine used for the makkos is poured on the doorstep of irritating neighbors they might move out, he informed him. Of course, Asher and Malkie were very excited to hear about this unusual segula and couldn’t wait for the seder to end so they could implement it.
Every participant will receive this matbei’a shel eish, a coin of fire, representing the fire of the Rambam and the fire of the Rebbe. Ure’isem oso uz’chartem – whenever one sees the coin, he or she will remember what the coin stands for; the daily learning of Rambam.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
The most compelling illustration of what the tradition is speaking about when it talks of the gravity of motsi shem ra, slander, and lashon hara, evil speech, is Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello.
There is a fundamentally deeper understanding of a challenge – one that reveals the very core spiritual purpose and effect of a test.
They tried to explain he had Alzheimer’s and they implored upon them to try one more time to check that David was safe. Reluctantly they finally agreed and told them to return in two days.
This presents a grave challenge, which should command our attention long before Passover and the Seder night. For no Jewish child should be forgotten and given up.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
Why then was spontaneity wrong for Nadav and Avihu yet right for Moshe Rabbeinu? The answer is that Nadav and Avihu were Kohanim, Priests. Moses was a Navi, a Prophet.
Most spiritual schools of thought are focused wholly on the spiritual; they view the physical world as lowly and dangerous. They therefore claim that the physical should be avoided to the greatest extent possible.
The fallen tree damaged the car’s roof and broke a window. My husband covered the window with plastic in the meantime. Accompanied by a car-knowledgeable friend, Menachem went to file his claim against the city a short time later.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
Jews did not abandon the past. We still refer constantly to the sacrifices in our prayers. But they did not cling to the past. Nor did they take refuge in irrationality.
A policeman noticed the crowd gathered around the Rebbe and listening to him, so he came over and asked the Rebbe, Haben Sie eine erlobinish? (Do you have a permit?) When the Rebbe did not produce a permit, the officer arrested him.
By Rabbi Dr. Nathan Lopes Cardozo
The repeated commandment for the Cohanim to keep the fire burning seems to undermine the purpose of the Heavenly fire: the open manifestation of God’s miraculous providence.
The carpenter was shocked! If only he had known he was building his own house, he would have invested so much more effort.
By Risa Rotman
My good friend knew all the above already, as a good friend does, but she listened anyway.
Even when he was already advanced in years, Reb Zalman himself, with his flowing beard and joyful, shining face, would rush around the fields like a young man, with scythe in hand. His simcha carried him.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
Regardless of guilt and responsibility, if we commit a sin we have transgressed a boundary.
Amalek rejects Hashem’s connection to this world or any connection between the spiritual and the physical. Essentially, Amalek denies Hashem’s control of this world and the ability for man to uplift himself to the level of the spiritual.
We lived through those COVID-19 years in a state of flux. Things were changing all the time... The only thing that didn’t change was the necessity to change many facets of our daily life.
Though we dress up in holiday finery, Purim doesn’t feature holiday work restrictions. Nonetheless, all the better if you can take the day off from work and focus on the holiday and its four special mitzvos.
Although the haggadah is the essential tool to convey historical occurrences, the development of our People, and Jewish self-awareness, frequently the new releases have so many sideshows and kitschy illustrations that the message gets lost in the sauce.
Torah is not simply a guide to living a life of truth; it is the blueprint and DNA of this physical world. In other words, our physical world is a projection and emanation of the deep spiritual reality described in the Torah.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
Aaron, according to the most favored explanation, realized that he could not stop the people directly by refusing their request, so he adopted a stalling maneuver.
When the askan heard this, he was devastated. After more than two and a half years of waiting for a kidney, the rabbi missed this opportunity because his 'helper' decided to go to sleep and call later. How would he break this to Rabbi Kerelenstein?!
Things are not always as they seem. Each and every person in this world has a story, one much deeper than a surface glance reveals. Similarly, every object and occurrence in the physical world is laced with layers of depth and meaning. We must choose to peer beyond the surface in order to discover these layers.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
Art in Hebrew – omanut – has a semantic connection with emunah, faith or faithfulness. A true artist is faithful both to his materials and to the task...
By Naama Klein
For the two-plus years that I headed our block’s Vaad HaBayit, I was responsible to collect dues from the residents of my street and pay Avraham his monthly salary. I also brought him a drink every week when he swept our block, and I regularly purchased a modest gift for him, at my own expense, in advance of each of the Jewish holidays.
Even though it is a custom, we recite a bracha on the communal lighting just like we make a bracha for the custom of reciting Hallel on Rosh Chodesh. The Rivosh adds that one does not fulfills his obligation with the menorah lighting in shul but that everyone must light again at home.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
Moses’s motto was: Let the law pierce the mountain. Aaron, however, loved peace and pursued peace and made peace between man and man.
It seems strange, even ironic, to derive a source for marriage from a case in which a man’s wife dies. However, this is not ironic, nor is it a coincidence; it reflects the deep truth that marriage is eternal.
‘Uncle’ Morris had told us that when he died he wanted our eldest daughter Rachel to have his wife’s candlesticks, but we brushed it off hoping he would use them for many more years as although not young, he was healthy and active.
Although the Rebbe does not have to explain the reason for his directives, on Shabbos, the Rebbe spoke about it and explained it in a way that even we can understand.
If the events in this world emanate from the mazalos, how can we reconcile the fact that they foretold that Avraham would not have children? Chazal do not claim that the mazal changed, only that Avraham transcended it. How did this work?
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
All human authority needs checks and balances if it is to remain uncorrupted. In particular, political and religious leadership, keter malchut and keter kehunah, should never be combined.
What chutzpah?! I thought to myself. I felt like a child being punished for taking a cookie out of the cookie jar.
Many people turned to Rabbi Kelemer not just because of his proficiency, but because he always knew precisely whom he was addressing, and perceived what they needed – without tampering with halacha.
All her life she fulfilled the ideal of the Psalmist, The entire honor of a king's daughter is within.
The inability to fully understand the destination of one’s own growth can be compared to a child’s inability to grasp a complex scientific or spiritual concept.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
It is not what G-d does for us that transforms us, but what we do for G-d.
Thoughts surged through my head. What to do? No point in getting to the Institute without the essential documents. But to get home, rush in, grab the folder, wait for the bus and train and then arrive late, when they may refuse to see me? I decided to take that chance.
Cognizant of her wisdom and strength, her father involved her in much of his work.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
If G-d does not want slavery, if He regards it as an affront to the human condition, why did He not abolish it immediately?
A central question in the story of the mabul is why Hashem specifically chose to destroy the world through a flood. Hashem could have chosen any form of destruction, and yet, He chose water. Why?
By Adina Perez
I was in despair. I couldn't believe it, here was the exact job that I was looking for being presented to me under the condition of giving up my new principle. Could I just for the sake of money give in to my highest decisions.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
Admittedly, the Talmud questions how free the Israelites actually were, and it uses an astonishing image.
Like Adam, each of us has our own unique creation story.
On the morning of the day before the expected bris, he reluctantly cancelled the shul hall and catering when the baby's bilirubin count shot up to 18. The mohel tried to comfort him and suggested he take the baby again for a test in the afternoon to see if the numbers were going down. But they weren't.
Without telling anyone that he was going, Rabbi Kelemer had driven for hours to sit with this old man, who was not his congregant and had been non-verbal for many years. The rabbi was obviously embarrassed when the grandson walked in and found him there.
After the Holocaust, the Jewish community was left broken, licking their wounds, mourning their dead. The Rebbe set out to strengthen and rebuild the Jewish world.
During the first stage of history, Hashem revealed Himself openly, and the world was replete with miracles, prophecy, and clarity. Little effort was required to find Hashem or to connect to that which is higher. This was the time of emes.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
In Bereishit Rabbah, it is indicated that the division of the sea was, as it were, programmed into Creation from the outset. It was less a suspension of nature than an event written into nature from the beginning, to be triggered at the appropriate moment in the unfolding of history.
Having lived in rented apartments myself for years long ago, I could picture myself in her situation and imagine how upset I would be. But later on, I was able to reflect that Hashem had given me this opportunity, not just to do chesed for my friend, but to see my own unpleasant experience in a new light.
During the war between France and Russia, Rabbi Schneur Zalman espoused the Russian cause, and through the cooperation of his followers proved of great service to the Russian High Command.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
That is the context in which we should read the story of Pharaoh and his advisers. This is one of the first recorded instances of the march of folly. How does it happen?
As human beings, we uniquely possess free will. We can know for a fact that something is wrong, and yet choose to do it anyway.
By T. Gestetner
And you can’t find a technician in your neighborhood to repair your fridge? Reb Moshe asked. Try to get someone else to come down. I tried! the man protested. I called a few, but no one was available. Look, he said, I need my refrigerator for Shabbos, or my food will go bad. Please! I’ll pay you double!
A man of lesser stature as a Talmudist could not have undertaken such a mission, for the opposition included some of the most illustrious scholars of the time.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
The aspect of G-d that appears in the days of Moses and the Israelites is radically different, and it’s only because we are so used to the story that we find it hard to see how radical it was.
While this story is one of extraordinary commitment and loyalty, it is also one of utter foolishness.
This isn't just any party. It's a chanukas habayis plus seudas hodaya for your smooth recuperation. We can't just serve sponge cake.
This saintly man became the founder of Chabad chassidism, a movement that developed into one of the strongest and most dynamic branches of chassidism.
When we live holistic lives, tapping into the true meaning of existence, life becomes a song, a magical and immersive experience.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
Korach’s motives were wrong. He spoke like a democrat but what he wanted was to be an autocrat. He wanted to be a leader himself.
By Naama Klein
Aside from the long hours spent in the classroom, there are many more hours devoted to preparing lessons and writing and later grading tests, among many other responsibilities. And, glutton for punishment that I suspect he is, my husband also writes curriculum and a variety of texts/workbooks for his students.
If you see a person who has love of G-d but lacks love of Torah and love of his fellow, you must tell him that his love of G-d is incomplete.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
Between parents and children, he said, there are often tensions. Parents worry about their children. Children sometimes rebel against their parents. The relationship is not always smooth. Not so with grandchildren.
Shana means that which is cyclical and repetitive, representing mindless ritual. However, shana also has another distinct meaning: to learn and to change (shinui, l’shanos). This is because when you add chiddush to shana, i.e., when you infuse newness into the circle, you create spiraling growth.
By Ann Goldberg
Always ready to be ‘dan le’kav zechus’ she pinned a note on the stroller saying I’m sure you didn’t mean to destroy my stroller – if you’d like to apologize this is my phone number… For days she waited for the phone call that never came.
The technician was certain that the Rabbi intended to upbraid him personally for having caused him discomfort and for attempting to continue against his will. Rav Moshe, however, had something else in mind.
The Rebbe stressed that the court’s ruling that the library belongs to Chassidei Chabad was a reflection of the Heavenly court’s decision that the Rebbe’s chassidim were doing what was required of them.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
In Judaism kadosh, holy, means separation. To sanctify is to separate. Why? Because when we separate, we create order. We defeat chaos. We give everything and everyone their space.
There may be nothing more enchanting, mystical, and mysterious than the wonder of music. It has the ability to reach the very root of our soul.
My eyes tear up each morning when the name of another soldier fallen in battle is announced on the 6 a.m. news.
Over the years, the Rebbe sent him to me several times to help him with what he needed. Baruch Hashem, I had the zechus of helping him and of getting to know him up close.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
Joseph has the misfortune of being the youngest. He symbolizes the Jewish condition. His brothers are older and stronger than he is. They resent his presence. They see him as a trouble maker. The fact that their father loves him only makes them angrier and more resentful.
The conception of beauty was a fundamental point of contention in the battle between the Jewish People and the Greeks. The Greeks did not believe in using the physical to reflect anything higher; they viewed physical beauty as an end unto itself.
The volunteering spirit overcame his hesitations, and he left his unfinished job to answer the call for help. Danny was pleasantly surprised when he arrived at the scene of the vehicle on the side of the road. It was a Hatzalah ambulance that had conked out!
Torah teaches us that time is extremely precious, and every moment must be used to its fullest advantage. Why then do we use time to repeat things already known?
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
In the end Joseph and his brothers had to live through real trauma before they were able to recognize one another’s humanity, and much of the rest of their story – the longest single narrative in the Torah – is about just that.
The prophet Zecharia foretells of the Messianic Era – which will occur long after the Canaanites had ceased to exist as a nation – when there will no longer be any c’naani in the Holy Temple (Zecharia 14:21).
How do we understand and perceive Hashem? Is Hashem within time and space, limited to this world alone, as Pantheists believe? Or is Hashem completely transcendent, beyond time, space, and this physical world, as many of the ancient philosophers believed?
We were so worried about those terrorists, but when we returned to the place that we had seen them, no one was in sight. That was miracle number one.
Rabbis reported that people are lighting Shabbat candles, purchasing and donning tefillin – some for the first time – saying the Shema prayer daily, and baking challah.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
It is one thing to commit a crime, another to witness someone committing a crime and failing to prevent it. We might hold a bystander guilty, but not in the same degree.
In Modern Hebrew, the term miklat came to refer to a bomb shelter, which likewise receives those fleeing air raids and protects them.
Most people believe that they “have” a soul, some spiritual essence they possess within themselves. However, the deeper Jewish sources reveal a profound spiritual secret: You don’t have a soul, you are a soul.
By dvora
For quite a few years I have come to realize that when a day presents a lot of problems, it’s probably very good – because Hashem is involved and is offering a special opportunity.
In connection to the Kinus HaShluchim HaOlomi, the global conference of the Rebbe’s emissaries, the following is a selection of freely translated priceless letters and answers from the Rebbe about the greatness of shlichus.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
What Jacob shows, by his sheer quick-wittedness, is that the strength of the strong can also be their weakness.
The purpose of rebuke is simple: Rebuke helps us see where we have gone wrong, clarifying what we must change and improve in order to fulfill our purpose and actualize our true potential.
By Naama Klein
For all of you readers who think that my husband committed the ultimate offense and forgot the date of our wedding anniversary AND that his issues with Social Security would therefore pale in comparison to his issues with me, allow me to clarify.
The sense of brotherhood is so genuine because aside from the fact that Israel is now caught in an existential struggle, it is fighting as a family.
When a Jew loses his own self-respect, when he no longer knows how a Jew thinks, speaks or acts, he adopts non-Jewish attitudes.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
Isaac loved Esau because he simply did not know who or what Esau was. But there is another possible answer: that Isaac loved Esau precisely because he did know what Esau was.
The lecture questioned the Western model of beauty and love, rejecting the notion of love at first sight. While physical beauty is important, inner beauty, spiritual beauty, is infinitely more powerful.
Mr. Frankel knew that thinking about it wouldn't help him or anyone else. The whole thing was in the past and though it was so painful and unjust, he tried not to think about what happened because that would only cause more suffering with no benefit at all.
September 25, 2026 
