ב"ה

We see that the more necessary something is for survival, the more available it is. For example, a house can be expensive, clothing is more affordable, food even more, and air which we need to breathe, is free. The same is true with Torah and commandments. While commandments have their limitations in time and other requirements, Torah study is something which can always be done, pointing to how necessary it really is for our survival.

The fifteenth day of Av
“There were no greater festivals for Israel than the 15th of Av and Yom Kippur. On these days the daughters of Jerusalem would go out . . . (for matchmaking).” This cryptic passage of the Talmud—like many others—requires further study, elaboration and context to better understand its meaning and significance.

We see that the more necessary something is for survival, the more available it is. For example, a house can be expensive, clothing is more affordable, food even more, and air which we need to breathe, is free. The same is true with Torah and commandments. While commandments have their limitations in time and other requirements, Torah study is something which can always be done, pointing to how necessary it really is for our survival.

You know that feeling when you walk into a space that's clearly designed with intention - maybe a beautifully planned home or a thoughtfully arranged garden - and you can sense the care behind every detail? The Temple wasn't just majestic—it was an intentionally designed spiritual experience. Every measurement, every entrance, every courtyard was purposefully designed to guide the soul. In this lesson, we'll take a virtual tour through the Temple's layout and discover how its physical design teaches us to structure our own lives for deeper meaning and connection.

Uncle Yossi Story Time
Three artists are invited to compete by creating a masterpiece to decorate a wall in the king's palace. One artist tries to win the competition without doing any work at all — but the wise king isn’t fooled and teaches him a lesson in honesty and fairness. (Based on the Talmud, Megillah, p.6b)

The quest for a full appreciation of a specific comment of Rashi, once again serve as a segue into a much broader understanding of foundational Torah concepts like the meaning of Mitzvot, the Land of Israel and the nature of personal religious duties . We are introduced to a Talmudic statement about the importance of Tefillin that seems vastly exaggerated. Varying explanations are capped with an amazing mystical manuscript that remarkably clarifies the “Head-Tefillin Effect”, transformationally illuminating the spiritual achievement of putting on Tefillin – even if it just once-in-a-lifetime!

The Torah commands us to “love G-d with all your heart”. The Hebrew word for 'heart' is spelled with an extra letter: the letter 'vet' appears twice. Our Sages explain that this means that we are to love G-d with both inclinations of the heart, the good (yetzer tov) and the evil (yetzer hara). But how can one possibly love G-d with one's evil inclination?! This class offers three answers in ascending sequence and offers a parallel model for a blissful marriage.

Parsha Eikev
This class analyzes an aspect of the weekly Torah portion. While providing a basic understanding of the subject matter, the lesson delves into its deeper and more complex dimensions with emphasis on the spiritual relevance to our daily lives. Inspiration for both the novice and advanced student.

Letters and Numbers of Torah - Eikev
In the verse "And now, O Israel, what does the Lord, your G-d, demand of you?" (Deuteronomy 10:12) the word for "what" (mah) can be read as "hundred" (meiah) by adding a letter alef. What does it mean that G-d asks for a "hundred" from us? Where does the extra alef come from? How are both of these connected to the fact that we read this portion about a month before Rosh Hashanah?

Chana’s Prayer and Rosh Hashanah
On Rosh Hashana we read in the Haftorah about the birth of the prophet Samuel. Childless for many years, one year on Rosh Hashana, his mother Chana offered a prayer that elicited the Divine blessing resulting in his birth. The Talmud states that Chana's prayer is the model which all prayer aught emulate. This class will explain how to access the awesome power of prayer any time and especially on Rosh Hashana. (Likutei Sichos vol. 29, p.182)
Get the Chabad.org Video app