Rabbi's Blog - Harford Chabad

Grow by digging your heels in and changing - not an oxymoron

Thursday, September 26, 2024 - 10:16 PM

On Sunday we celebrated the groundbreaking of the new Chabad Center for Jewish Life. I thought about the dynamic, constantly changing nature of Jewish life and the importance of remaining uncompromising on our foundational Torah based values.

We are ensuring everyone has a home, but that home must be Torah based and firm in our commitment to our Jewish identity.

This is expressed in this week's double Torah portion, titled Nitzvaim-Vayelech. The first word, Nitzavim, means "standing firm," while the second, Vayelech, means "going." These seemingly contradictory titles remind us that we are always moving forward, yet we must remain steadfast in our commitment to our values and traditions.

As we break ground on our new center, we are not only building a physical space, but also a community that will stand firm in its commitment to Jewish life. We are creating a place where people of all ages and backgrounds can come together to learn, grow, and connect with one another.

The only way to truly grow and expand our horizons is through commitment and certainty in our path. When we stand firm and believe in who we are as Jews, that is how we are guaranteed to continue climbing higher.

When reading this portion on the Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah, we look back at the past year. We acknowledge that it was a difficult year for the Jewish people in Israel and around the world. We are more than ready to “Vayelech”, to move on to better and brighter times with the certainty of Jewish pride, knowing who we are and what we represent.

As we look to the future, we are reminded that even in the face of challenges and uncertainty, we are guaranteed that all is never lost and the door to repentance is always open. We are committed to staying steadfast in our commitment to G-d and to one another.

Each one of us needs to ask ourselves, what will I do to move forward in the year ahead which will create growth while remaining grounded in who we really are at our core, at our soul.

I wish you all a Good Shabbos and a Shanah Tovah Umesukah - a happy and sweet new year.

May our new center be a beacon of Jewish pride and a symbol of our commitment to our community.

Rabbi Kushi Schusterman

And you shall build ...

Thursday, September 19, 2024 - 10:20 PM

It’s apropos to have a groundbreaking, the placing of the cornerstone, for the new Chabad Center this Sunday.

In this week’s parsha, the Torah tells us that immediately upon entering the land of Israel, we are commanded to build an altar for Hashem: 'And it shall be on the day when you cross the Jordan to the land which the L-rd your G-d gives you, that you shall set up for yourself large stones... and you shall build there an altar to the L-rd your G-d... and you shall offer on it burnt-offerings to the L-rd your G-d, and you shall sacrifice peace-offerings, and eat there, and you shall rejoice...' Cornerstone

"And you shall build for the L-rd your G-d ". The obligation to build a home for Hashem rests upon each and every one of us. The verse is said in second person, as if Hashem is turning to each of us and saying: You yourself, through your own work and with your own strength, must build. Unlike the inheritance of the land "that the L-rd your G-d gives to you”.

When building a Shul, a Jewish Community Center, every community member gets involved to ensure a place where we can have an “altar”. A place where we make sacrifices to enhance our connection to Hashem.

There are two types of sacrifices mentioned in the above verse: The burnt offering and the peace offering. We see the relevance of both in our daily lives.

The burnt offering which was the first sacrifice of the day in the temple, is represented by the daily morning prayer which starts off our day, before eating and drinking or going to work. We all must make a living and go to work. How we go to work is represented by the peace offering. Once we are at work, in the daily engagements in worldly matters, it should be done in a manner that brings peace between the person offering, G-d, and other people. When we do our worldly job in a G-dly way, more people want to connect with Hashem!

Through all this one also merits "and you shall eat, and you shall rejoice...". Your physical sustenance and the sustenance of your household members will be in abundance and in a manner of joy and happiness.

Have a good Shabbos and looking forward to seeing you on Sunday!

Rabbi Kushi Schusterman

Distracted? Choose spiritual connection!

Thursday, September 12, 2024 - 5:20 PM

The parable is told about a king who went to war against a neighboring country, blessed with enormous natural resources. Despite the king recruiting all his armies, the soldiers of the neighboring country fought fiercely and defended their border. The king was about to fall in battle.

Distressed and desperate, he published a proclamation throughout his land: "Whoever finds a strategic move to conquer the neighboring border will be given permission to enter the royal treasure room for an hour and take from there whatever he desires". In that basement were precious treasures that the king's fathers had stored for generations. In his despair, the king was willing to abandon everything for the sake of victory.

An old, battle-hardened general responded to the challenge and proposed an orderly plan on how to confuse the enemy and breach the border. The plan proved to be brilliant and the king returned victorious.

Now, all waited to see the general's reward. What would he manage to take out of the legendary royal treasure room? However, the king did not intend to allow this. There were treasures worth millions that had been preserved for hundreds of years, they were the pride of the kingdom, and how could he let the general lay his hands on them?

An idea came to the king's mind to take advantage of this general’s addiction to classical music and good food. The king set up two tents at the entrance to the royal treasure room. The best catering companies in the country filled one tent. A symphony orchestra and children's choir "Voices from Heaven" was set up in the second tent.

The moment came for the general to enter the treasure area. Approaching, he was overwhelmed by the heavenly smells of food cooking. He had only one hour in the treasure room, yet he was sure he had enough time to enjoy both worlds. He ran from table to table, sampling the most delicious food. Before he knew it, he had just thirty-five minutes left. Quickly, he headed towards the treasure room. Suddenly, the orchestra began to play as the choir started to sing. He felt his soul soaring and as if bewitched, he got stuck listening to the melody. By the time he came to his senses, the promised hour had passed...

We are currently in the Jewish month of Elul, 10 days in. There are many "acronyms" for Elul. One interesting one means "If one did not lie in wait, but God caused it to happen" (Exodus 21:13). This verse deals with the serious sin of a person who accidentally killed someone and is required to run to a city of refuge. Thus, "Elul" calls us all to run to a city of refuge.

Taking an example from the city of refuge where the exiled one moves from his familiar comfort zone, disconnecting from his routine of life and creates an alternative daily schedule. So too in Elul, we need to create a spiritual daily schedule while disconnecting from all the noise around.

As we navigate the challenges of Elul, we must be careful not to fall prey to distractions. The evil inclination is always looking for ways to thwart our good intentions, and the first week of Elul is no exception. With the start of school, we may find ourselves running between schools, adjusting to new teachers and schedules. In the second week, we may discover a flat tire, a debt that needs to be settled, or a sudden trip abroad. It's easy to get caught up in the chaos and lose sight of our spiritual goals.

Let us make a conscious effort to stay focused this month. Let us create a spiritual daily schedule and disconnect from the noise around us. Make time for ourselves and for our spiritual growth and development. We must connect with Hashem in a special way and prepare ourselves properly for the High Holidays.

As the verse reminds us, "If one did not lie in wait, but G-d caused it to happen". Despite our best efforts, we may find ourselves in a situation that is beyond our control. But it also reminds us that no matter what challenges we may face, we have the power to choose how we respond to those situations.

Choose spiritual connection!

Good Shabbos,

Rabbi Kushi Schusterman

Remain connected - its what keeps you standing tall

Thursday, September 5, 2024 - 10:16 PM

Among the many mitzvot discussed in this week's Torah portion we discuss the prohibition against wanton destruction of something valuable. For example, the law that forbids cutting down a fruit tree when laying siege. In this context, the Torah makes the famous statement, “for man is a tree of the field”.

There are many vignettes explaining why a person is compared to a tree. Here are nine https://www.harfordchabad.org/2460857, if you wish to read more.

One insight I heard from Rabbi YY Jacobson resonates profoundly. The great sequoia trees in Northern California are some of the tallest, strongest, and most grand trees in the world. One would assume that their roots are some of the deepest in the world to withstand the extreme weather and winds that they endure. It was discovered that the roots are shallow, but what the roots lacked in depth, they made up for in breadth.

This means - very significantly - the roots spread wide just beneath the surface and interlink with the roots of other trees. TOGETHER, all these relatively shallow roots hold onto each other for strength and nurture one another. This fortifies them so that they may be able to withstand whatever life and the environment may throw at them.

We are a community. A diverse community. When we connect and hold onto each other for support, we will remain upright, be fortified and strong to withstand life's inevitables. When interconnected, we will share much joy, peace, serenity, and growth.

Because "a person is a tree of the field".

Have a good Shabbos,

Rabbi Kushi Schusterman

P.S. our connectedness has led us to be able to plan for the groundbreaking of the Harford Haven on Sunday, September 22 at 2pm!

Hope you can join us!

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