Weekly Women's Class by Rabbi YY Jacobson Rabbi YY Jacobson

Weekly Women's Class: This class was presented on Tuesday, Parshas Metzora, 16 Nissan, 5784, April 16, 2024, at Bais Medrash Ohr Chaim in Monsey, NY.

Weekly Women's Class: This class was presented on Tuesday, Parshas Tzav, 16 Adar II, 5784, March 26, 2024, at Bais Medrash Ohr Chaim in Monsey, NY.

Weekly Women's Class: This class was presented on Tuesday, Parshas Vayikra, 9 Adar II, 5784, March 19, 2024, at Bais Medrash Ohr Chaim in Monsey, NY.

Weekly Women's Class: This class was presented on Tuesday, Parshas Pekudei, 25 Adar II, 5784, March 12, 2024, at Bais Medrash Ohr Chaim in Monsey, NY.

In one of the most bizarre Talmudic stories (Megilah 7b), two of the greatest Talmudic sages feast on Purim together. They are inebriated and one of them slaughters his friend. The next day he brings him back to life. The following year he invites his colleague for another Purim meal.

This fascinating class, based on an address of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, re-invents the meaning of the story, and applies it to our daily opportunity to link heaven and earth. 

Purim represents the gift to experience an ego-death, the portal to true inner connection and bliss.

 

 

Weekly Women's Class: This class was presented on Tuesday, Parshas Vayakhel, Parshas Shekalim, 25 Adar I, 5784, March 5, 2024, at Bais Medrash Ohr Chaim in Monsey, NY.

This Sabbath, Jews the world over will read, in addition to the weekly Torah portion, an extra Torah portion, known as Parshas Shekalim, or the "portion of the coins."

This section of the Torah records the mitzvah incumbent upon the people of Israel, to make a yearly contribution of a half shekel to cover the cost of all communal Temple offerings. A shekel was a specific weight of silver (about 16 grams) that was the standard coinage used by the Jews in the desert. The Jewish people were instructed to contribute a half-shekel coin, which was a silver coin weighing about 8 grams, to the Temple.



The Torah is extremely particular about the amount of the contribution: "The wealthy shall not increase and the destitute shall not decrease from half a shekel." I do not think there was ever again in Jewish history an appeal made setting a limit to the contributions of the rich!

What is baffling about this mitzvah is the Torah's insistence that the contribution consist of a half-coin, rather than a whole, complete coin. Why would G-d instruct the Jewish people to give a contribution that is not complete? Especially considering that the Torah demands all elements connected to the Temple service be as complete and perfect as possible.

In his final address, two days before he suffered a stroke, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, presented a profound explanation. This was Shabbos Vayakhel, 25 Adar I, 5752 (1992). It explored the question if a human being in his deepest place is a lonely creature, struggling with a mysterious and complex self in a way that nobody else can really understand or appreciate? 



Many philosophical and spiritual disciplines eloquently describe the sense of solitariness that comes hand in hand with one's journey into the inner chambers of the self. The deeper you go, the lonelier you become. But the Rebbe presented a very different view, one which helps teach us how to live with love and joy, despite the pain and disappointment. 

Weekly Women's Class: This Women's class was presented on Tuesday, Parshas Ki Sisa, 18 Adar I, 5784, February 27, 2024, at Bais Medrash Ohr Chaim in Monsey, NY.

In the conversation between Hashem and Moshe after the sin of the Golden Calf, G-d says something shocking: “On the day I make an accounting, I will bring their sin to account against them.”

G-d, it seems, is telling Moses He will never forget this sin. And whenever He is going to make an accounting, this sin will be included in the “package.”

This is deeply enigmatic. It is one of the foundations of Judaism that Teshuvah, repentance, atones for all sins and wipes them away completely. Every Yom Kippur, we declare that Hashem “removes our sins every year again.” No matter how many times we commit a sin, if we repent, we are forgiven. Teshuvah removes all guilt. It’s over. Yet here we are told that G-d will never let go of this transgression?

The most marvelous answer was presented by the famed Chassidic master and one of the greatest lovers of Israel, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchov (1740-1809). In a daring interpretation, classic to the Chassidic approach toward Judaism, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak becomes the great “advocate” for the Jewish people, as he always was.

The class explores two models of education, one based on outer behavior and control, and the other one on connection and trust, and developing an internal relationship which allows a child to feel understood and empowered. We focus on the need to appreciate our successes, not only our failures.