Articles in Free Choice
B’haalotcha: Club Rules
The Hand-Book
When you first join a club, you obey all the club rules; you never make excessive noise and never smoke in public places. Yet, seniors at the club play fast and easy with rules, why is that? On your first day of high-school, you study the student-hand-book and memorize …
Passover: Chad Gadya
A Conflagration
Although the Chad Gadya is not part of the Chabad tradition, the melody holds universal appeal. In fact, one of my earliest Passover memories is learning this classic. My Bubbie’s Haggadah had beautiful illustrations and I spent many hours pouring over the pictures of the kid, cat, dog, stick …
Terumah: What Is Your Tower
Choose Your Tower
Two Chassidic Rabbis riding in their carriages met in the middle of a bridge. One carriage was pulled by two old horses, the other, by a team of four powerful stallions. The rabbi with the old horses asked the other, why do you need such strong horses? Answered …
Nitzavim: Get Out Of Jail
Two Poles
The Torah section that we read each year on the Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah, begins with the words “You all stand this day before the Lord, your God, the leaders of your tribes, your elders and your officers, every man of Israel, your young ones, your women, and your …
Devarim: It Is Not About You
Olympics
Two things drastically different events are taking place this week. Jews around the world are mourning the Temple that was destroyed in 69 BCE and Olympians from around the world are competing for gold medals. What is the connection between them? Both have learned the secret to life: It is …
Shavuot: A Four Step Program
In preparation for Shavuot, we present Judaism’s four step program. Everything that G-d created can be used for constructive or destructive purpose. It can be unifying or divisive.
Take walls for example. Are walls good or bad? Ronald Regan became world famous when he challenged Mr. Gorbachev to take down a …
Vayechi: What Are Your Life Goals?
Life Goals
We all have life goals. For some, it’s the building of family. To others it’s learning and discovery. To some, it’s building wealth. To others, it’s helping others. What are your soul’s life goals?
The soul made a long journey from heaven to earth. We don’t suppose it made its …
Ekev: Doing for G-d
A Curious Word
Ours, is a religion of deed. The deed is more important to us than our mindset while doing it. Yet, the way we perform the deed tells us much about our creed. If we do it for ourselves, we pick and choose the deeds we like. If we …
