My cousin, Rabbi Mendy Deitsch from Chandler, was on a panel of leaders. One of the questions they asked him was “How do you deal with challenges?”. He replied that it's a deep topic, however, he doesn't really see challenges as challenges. “To me”, Mendy said, “they are more like chances for us to learn and grow.”
Even when life gets tough, there's always something we can take away from it, some hidden blessings or lessons waiting for us.
This is especially relevant as the Jewish people are in the midst of observing the “9 days” on the Jewish calendar, remembering the destruction of the first and second temple.
Yes, the destruction was real, and we mourn it. But the 9 days can also be a time when we reconnect to the Holy Temple and other Jewish people.
Let's use this time to grow spiritually and connect with our faith.
Who knows, maybe instead of mourning the destruction, we will be celebrating the rebuilding of the 3rd temple with Moshiach even before the fast of the 9th of Av.
Have a restful Shabbos.
Rabbi Kushi Schusterman
P.S. There are no services at Chabad this week.