Rabbi Levin's Blog

It’s that time of year.  Adar, the month of joy, begins tomorrow night, and along with the lead up to Purim in two weeks, we are reminded to start preparing for Pesach.  The first day of Adar is special in many ways.  First of all, the Talmud (Taanit 29a) says: When Adar comes in, we increase our joy.  While it is true that we are facing challenging times, throughout the ages we have set aside our fears and sorrows to celebrate the great miracle of Purim.  We also look forward to the spirit of Adar, when the existential threat to the entire Jewish nation was transformed to a miraculous victory, and anticipate similar miracles in our times.   Another historic event related to the first day of Adar is a Talmudic statement (Mishnah Shekalim 1:1) that in ancient Israel, they would “announce about the Shekalim and the Kilayim.”  To explain:  Shekalim refers to the half shekel that every head of household would give annually for his family to the Holy T...

Today, 22 Shevat, marks the opening of the International Kinus Hashluchos, the international conference of Chabad emissaries for the women. It is always held on or around this date the Yartzeit of our Rebbetzin, the Rebbe’s wife, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson. Women from literally all over the world will be coming together to discuss current issues facing the global Jewish community, to share ideas, successes and challenges, and to enjoy each other’s company. Many of these unsung heroes live in far-flung corners of the world, on islands and in deserts without any local peers, and they dedicate their days and nights to serving the communities and to bringing redemption to the world. They often have large families whom they raise without typical schools and without similarly observant friends. They are raising these children to be Jewish leaders, aware of all the secular world has to offer and recognizing the beauty and deep meaning of a Torah life. When the Rebbe sent emissaries to ...

Something magical happens when a seed is planted in the ground. If you think about the process, it seems counterintuitive. (Please note: The following is based on the teachings of Chassidus. I know that these are not the words of biology, which describes the process differently. While it may seem to be a contradiction, I believe Torah and science often use different words and a different set of terms. I am presenting my understanding of what is taught in Chassidus. I’m sure that with time the two will come together.) The seed decostructs - Chassidus refers to this process as the “rotting” and decomposing of the seed. Then a new tree grows, that will eventually produce thousands of fruits with many thousands of seeds. There is not a progression, a seed first expanding and then slowly growing. There is a complete breakdown of the original seed and then the new tree, or whatever it is we planted, grows. This is one of the lessons we learn on Tu B’Shvat, the “New Year” for trees, which is ...

It was the year 1950 - 5710 on the Jewish calendar.  The Tenth day of the month of Shevat.  The great luminary who had shepherded the Jewish people through Communism and the Holocaust passed away.  Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson, known as the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, had placed himself in mortal danger, to preserve Judaism in the Soviet Union, where the dreaded NKVD had dedicated itself to eradicating Judaism.  He had maintained an underground network of schools, Yeshivas, synagogues and Mikvahs throughout the country. He had been arrested and sentenced to death, then had the sentence commuted to exile, then miraculously released a short time later.  He had to leave the country, and after ten years in Poland, he miraculously escaped the Warsaw Ghetto. He then came to the US, where he created another miracle, reviving traditional Jewish life in this country and around the world, and working to rebuild the shattered communities of Europe.  The impact he h...