Rabbi's Blog

I write this as I head to NY for the Kinus Hashluchim - the annual conference for Chabad Rabbis around the world.

Getting together with other Rabbis, we learn from each other’s successes and failures. At the same time, we get the opportunity to reflect on our own successes and failures.

Thank G-d there are many blessings in the life and the work of a Chabad Rabbi. A Rabbi's desire is that the blessings should be noticeable. What about when there is failure? Is there blessing in the failures? At the Kinus, one of the things we learn is that "failure is not the opposite of success, it is part of it", attributed to Arianna Huffington of the huffington post.

We see this in the blessings of Yitzchak (Issac) to Yaakov (Jacob). The language used is Vayiten - and G-d will give.  The commentaries learn that the seemingly extra word "and" implies that He will give more than once. When we do good deeds, we are creating light and goodness in the world. When we make a mistake and do something wrong, G-d gives us the opportunity to receive again (and more than the conventional way), it is an opportunity to change darkness to light, causing a greater illumination.

For example, conventionally - a Jew cannot elevate non-kosher food to a holy status. However, when a Jew chooses to take on Kosher as a commitment of love, known as “teshuvah mahavah", the non-kosher food of the past is then elevated to a holy status. This is through an experience known as "zedonot naaseh kezachiyot" - advertent errors become merits.  Or, in the words of Arianna Huffington: Failure is not the opposite of success it is part of it.

Have a restful Shabbos,

Rabbi Kushi Schusterman 

Check it out the Harford Chabad website. Yup, that’s correct our website in now responsive. In short it means that when you see it on your cell phone or tablet or computer, the display will respond according to your device. It will enhance your web viewing experience to make reading easier and minimize resizing, panning, and scrolling for simpler navigation. 

A little over 300 years ago the Baal Shem Tov introduced to mainstream Judaism a responsive G-d; that every person can have a personal relationship with Him. A G-d that wants a relationship even in the mundane activities, a G-d that wants us to eat food, tasty food and healthy food and at the same time, make a blessing on the food. ( see the blessings on the new responsive website)

This concept was introduced into the world almost 4000 years ago by Abraham. In this week’s Torah portion, when Abraham is giving instruction to his servant Eliezer to go find a wife for his son Isaac, he says: "the G-d of Heaven, who took me from my fathers house...". When G-d first took Abraham from his father’s house, indeed G-d was only the G-d of Heaven - not responsive.  But Abraham, through his faith and self sacrifice, turned G-d into the G-d of Earth as well, a.k.a. responsive.

What does this mean on a practical level?  It means that G-d is your friend.  G-d is close to all of us.  G-d responds to us. G-d is not a distant G-d but our G-d, to whom you can turn to in good times and in rough times.  G-d wants us to be connected to Him in all we do.  Not only when we are doing Holy things but also when we are engaged in mundane behavior.  In all these instances, G-d wants us to be thinking about Him and enriching the world around us with His presence.

So what are you waiting for?

Like any relationship it requires an investment of self. 

Rabbi Kushi Schusterman