MyLife: Chassidus Applied

By Rabbi Simon Jacobson

MyLife: Chassidus Applied Podcast by Simon Jacobson addresses the personal and emotional needs of our community by answering the most pressing questions of our lives -- from the perspective of Chassid... more

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FAQs about MyLife: Chassidus Applied:

How many episodes does MyLife: Chassidus Applied have?

The podcast currently has 403 episodes available.

MyLife: Chassidus Applied episodes:

January 09, 2023Ep. 432: What Can I Say to a Friend Who Is Suffering From a Terminal Illness?
Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
Chassidus Applied to ShemosWhy is Shemos called the “book of redemption”?
What profound lessons to we learn from Egyptian exile and exodus about dealing with suffering?
How can pain make us stronger?
What was the power of women that redeemed the Jews from Egypt?

What can I say to a friend who is suffering from a terminal illness?

What is the relationship and difference between Tanya and Shaar HaBitachon/Chovos Halevavos in terms of bitachon and the most effective way to deal with life's challenges?

More Chassidus Applied to ShemosWhat does it mean that “the house lit up” when Moshe was born?
Why was Moshe called by a name given to him by Pharaoh's daughter, and not the name (Tov, Tuvia) given to him by his parents?
Why was Moses not a “man of words”?
How does Chassidus explain the test Pharaoh gave Moshe with the plate of diamonds and the plate of hot coals?
Is there significance that our forefathers and Moses were shepherds?
Why would Moshe accuse G-d of doing “evil to this nation” when G-d is perfect and only does good?
Is pain a punishment, or is it doing us a favor by letting us know there is a problem that needs correction?
Are we allowed to make fun of the villains in the Torah, or since they are mentioned in the Torah are we supposed to revere them?

Chassidus Applied to 20 TevesWhat lessons do we learn from the Rambam’s yahrzeit on this day?
What similarities are there between the Rambam and the Alter Rebbe?
...more
1h 2min
January 02, 2023Ep. 431: Is It Appropriate to Wish “Happy New Year”?
Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
Chassidus Applied to 10 TevesWhat is the significance of this day?
Why is the siege of the wall around Jerusalem so pivotal?
How is it possible that we go from the brightest days of Chanukah into one of the darkest days of the Tenth of Teves, the beginning stage of the Temple’s destruction?
How could something so apparently negative and sad occur in Teves, which contains the word tov, good?

Chassidus Applied to VayechiWhy is the chapter about Jacob’s passing called Vayechi (lived)?
Why do we say that Jacob’s best years of his life were the 17 years he spent in Mitzrayim? And if so, why was he so adamant that he be buried in the Holy Land?
Why did Jacob keep a “grudge” against Shimon and Levi for the massacre of Shechem?
In Jacob’s blessings to his children he tells us that great kings will come from Judah, great judges from Dan, great seafarers from Zevulun. Can we deduce which tribe performers originate from?
What does it mean that Yaakov Avinu lo meis (Jacob our father did not die)?
How could Joseph defile and embalm his father, something prohibited by the Torah?

New Year:Is it appropriate to wish “Happy New Year”?
What is the story with Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev about this?

Should we celebrate when an evil person dies?

Can homeopathy be used as a remedy?

How can we ensure that good deeds should be done with consideration for others?

Follow-up: Irreverent questions

Previous week’s Torah chapters:Miketz: Can Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaohs dreams also be a life lesson for us about the importance of saving money and resources in case we need them in the future?
Vayeishev: What was Joseph punished for asking the chief cupbearer to intervene on his behalf to get him out of jail?
...more
1h 11min
December 27, 2022Ep. 430: Is Zos Chanukah an Opportune Time for Blessings for Having Children?
Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
Chassidus Applied to Zos ChanukahWhat is unique about this day?
Is Zos Chanukah an opportune time for blessings for having children?
Is there a connection between Zos Chanukah and Yom Kippur?
Is Chanukah associated with Sukkos?
Are the eight lights of Chanukah related to Hakhel being the eighth year?
Why don’t we light all the lights at once, instead of gradually growing from day to day?
Why eight days?
Does someone need to have an actual menorah to do the mitzvah?
What difference does it make if we light from left to right or right to left?
Does posting photos of your Menorah on social media count as publicizing the miracle?
Why are we not allowed to benefit from the Chanukah candles?
Could the Greeks have actually “killed” our souls?
With Chanukah allowing Jews sovereignty over Israel for a couple of more centuries, is there any present focus on reestablishing sovereignty in our land, apart from the Moshiach vision?
What will be different in Messianic times that we will then hold like Beis Shammai and light the menorah in descending order?
When inviting people over for Chanukah, how do I balance personal tznius and shlichus?

Lessons from Rosh Chodesh Teves and Hei TevesWhat is the lesson in “body enjoying body”?
What was the significance of the victory of the books?

Chassidus Applied to VayigashWhy didn't Joseph notify Jacob that he was still alive?
Do we still own the Land of Goshen?
Who was Osnat the wife of Joseph?
What lessons do we learn from Joseph telling his brother that “G-d, not you, sent me here”?

Follow-up: Irreverent questions
...more
1h 4min
December 19, 2022Ep. 429: What Is Chanukah’s Message For Us Today?
Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
Chassidus Applied to Chanukah
How does Chanukah personify eternity?

What is Chanukah’s message for us today?

Which miracle is greater – winning the war against the Greeks or discovering the oil?

Why is the number eight so significant to Chanukah? Would the miracle be less if the flames burned, say, for six days?

Why is the Menorah on the left side?

What is a short synopsis of the Alter Rebbes maamar Ki Ner Mitzah in Torah Ohr where he explains why we put the mezuzah on the right and the menorah on the left?

Why do we light the Menorah facing outside and after sundown, unlike the Menorah in the Temple?

Why don’t we light a flame every day?

Why can’t we use bulbs for the Chanukah lights?

Is Yud Tes Kislev connected with Chanukah?

Is there a connection between Chanukah and the yeshiva students of Tomchei Temimim being called lamplighters?

How do we apply the lessons of Chanukah in the winter to the Southern Hemisphere?

Are women included in the mitzvah of Chanukah?

What is the concept of the shamesh of the menorah according to chassidus?

Why don't we have a shamesh for shabbos candles?

Are we allowed to read the book of the maccabees?

Why are we allowed to use a dreidel considering that its origins are from a spinning top, called a teetotum, used in a pagan gambling game?

Is there a significance that the letters on a dreidel nun gimmel hey shin are gematria 358 which is the same gematria as Moshiach?

Can spinning a dreidel for fun somehow make Moshiach come faster?

How can eating a meal be an offering to G-d?

How do I keep my eye on a destination which I don’t know?

Follow-up: Why do I ask irreverent questions?

Vayeishev: Were the ten martyrs punished for Joseph’s ten brothers selling him into slavery?
...more
1h 6min
December 12, 2022Ep. 428: Why Is Yud Tes Kislev Referred to as the Rosh Hashana of Chassidus?
Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
Chassidus Applied to Yud Tes Kislev250th yahrzeit of the Maggid of Mezeritch
Why is Yud Tes Kislev referred to as the Rosh Hashana of Chassidus?
Why was there a problem with the Alter Rebbe teaching Chassidus?
Since we begin the new Tanya cycle on Yud Tes Kislev, what is a short synopsis of some of Tanya's most important lessons?
Is Tanya geared toward both men and women?
Is the idea of two souls a revolutionary innovation of the Tanya? What does it add to the fundamental Torah idea of the yetzer tov and yetzer hara?
Are the Alter Rebbe’s teachings his own chiddushim, or were they compilations of what he learned from his teachers?
Is Tanya considered like a “portrait” of the Alter Rebbe?
Did the Alter Rebbe write and edit all the contents of the Tanya or were some parts added by his students who heard the teachings from him?
Is there greater emphasis in Chassidus Chabad on bittul than on dveikus?
What do we learn from the Alter Rebbe’s name Schneur, two lights?
Did Karl Marx borrow concepts from Tanya for his Communist Manifesto?

Chassidus Applied to VayeishevWhy could Jacob not have calm and peace in his life?
Why did King David have to come from relationships such as Yehuda and Tamar giving birth to Peretz?

Follow-upWomen leading the way to Geulah
World Cup lessons
Were the Jews originally dark-skinned?
What is the source of the Rebbe negating the story about Moshe’s portrait?
...more
1h 8min
December 06, 2022Ep. 427: Is It Appropriate to Watch the World Cup? What Lessons Can We Learn From It?
Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
Chassidus Applied to Yud KislevWhat is the significance of this day?
Why was the Mitteler Rebbe arrested after the Alter Rebbe’s spreading of Chassidus was vindicated?
How is the geulah of the Rebbeim relevant to all Jews, not just Chabad?
Why are there no portraits of the Mitteler Rebbe?
What was the Mitteler Rebbe’s kapelye?
Why are we told the story about the Mitteler Rebbe not hearing the cry of the child?
Who was Reb Aharon of Strashelye and why would he challenge the succession of the Mitteler Rebbe?
Is there a difference between the avodah of the Alter Rebbe and the Mitteler Rebbe?

What is the goal of a farbrengen?

Yud Dalet KislevWhy did the Rebbe say that this day bound me to you and you to me?
And that we should see fruits from our work?

In honor of Henya bas Brocha Devorah Leah for a complete and speedy refuah shleimah

Chassidus Applied to VayishlachWhat is the central message of the battle and reconciliation between Jacob and Esau?
Why don’t we find Jews training in self-defense?
Did Jacob have a literal wrestling match with Esau’s angel?
What is the significance of Yakov’s hip being dislocated; why that specific part of the body, to the point that we are not allowed to eat that part of an animal?
Why can Jacob and Esau not live together in peace?

HousekeepingWhy are some people trying to provoke you and hijack your wonderful program with their irreverent questions?
Will there be another Chassidus Applied art contest?
What books are your Tanya Applied classes based on?

Is it appropriate to watch the world cup? Are there any lessons we can learn while watching it?
...more
1h 12min
November 30, 2022Ep. 426: Are Our Prayers Answered?
Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
Why is Kislev called the month of Geulah? What is the meaning of Geulah?

Chassidus Applied to Tes Kislev:What is the main contribution of the Mitteler Rebbe?
Why is the Mitteler Rebbe compared to Binah?

Chassidus Applied to VayeitzeiWhat personal lessons do we learn from Jacob’s journey from Beer Sheba to Charan?
What is the significance of Yaakov's dream of the ladder and what practical advice does it give us in our daily lives?
Was Yaakov’s 14 years of work a punishment for the 14 years he spent in the yeshiva of Shem V’Eiver?
Who were Bilha and Zilpa?
Why did Rachel steal her father's idols?

Follow-upHow can we say that Rivka was only three years old when she married Yitzchak?
Are nose rings appropriate today?
Why did Abraham not tell Sarah about the Akeidah?

Are there any authentic surviving paintings of the patriarchs or Moses?

Is it wise to learn both tracks of Rambam daily – three chapters as well as one chapter?

Were the original Jews dark skinned?

PrayerWhy do we pray?
Is prayer about cultivating community?
What is kavanah and the proper way to pray?
Are our prayers answered?
Is it possible that my prayers weren’t answered because I didn’t pray properly?
When we pray are we tuning in to different spiritual frequencies? Is that the reason why we assume different positions when saying certain prayers?
...more
1h 8min
November 21, 2022Ep. 425: Is a Thanksgiving Dinner Considered a Hakhel Gathering Without Some Torah and Mitzvos?
Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
Chassidus Applied to ToldosWhy was Jacob deceptive in receiving the birthright and blessings?
What do Jacob and Esau represent in our lives?
What can we learn from Isaac and Rebecca to ensure that G-d blesses us with children?
What was Esau thinking when he sold his birthright for... lentil soup?

Why do we assume that Hashem is only capable of doing good?

Is G-d beyond good and evil?

Chassidus Applied to Rosh Chodesh Kislev: What happened on this day and what lessons does it offer us?

Was the Kinus HaShluchim the Rebbe’s idea?

Is a Thanksgiving family dinner considered a Hakhel gathering or do we need to do something in the realm of Torah and Mitzvos?

Should I start learning Gemara Yerushalmi November 14 with the new cycle?

Who created G-d?

Follow-upDoes the acronym of the Rebbe Rashab have any deeper meaning?
Why don’t we wear nose rings?
Was Abraham wrong for not telling Sarah that he was instructed to sacrifice Isaac?
Why did G-d test Abraham with ten tests but zero tests for Sarah?
What is the difference between Malkitzedek and Abraham?
Why are most of the great stories about Abraham told only in the Midrash?
Is G-d invisible?

Why did you criticize someone for having a sense of entitlement for asking G-d to fulfill His promise to reward us for giving tzedakah?

Will there be another essay contest in the future?
...more
1h 10min
November 14, 2022Ep. 424: How Should We Respond to the Latest Bout of Antisemitic Vitriol?
Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
Chassidus Applied to Chof CheshvanWhat is the connection of the Rebbe Rashab to Keser?
What were the Rebbe Rashab’s two main contributions?
Why is the 5th Chabad Rebbe called the Rebbe Rashab?
What was his most important teaching?
What can I do differently to manifest and reveal the blessings of the Rebbe Rashab that the students in his yeshiva would be successful?

Chassidus Applied to Chayei SarahWhy is the chapter called Chayei Sara when it discusses her death?
What is true life?
Are there any lessons that singles can learn from Eliezer's successful mission in finding Rivkah for Isaac?

Why did G-d bless the patriarchs with mundane things like children and land, and not something more spiritual, such as the world to come?

If the patriarchs had difficulty raising their children properly, what chance do we have with ours?

What parenting lessons, if any, can we learn from the patriarchs and matriarchs?

What does it mean that Abraham's children will be like the stars?

Is it appropriate for frum women and girls to wear nose rings today as they did in Biblical times?

What is the difference between the head covering for women in Judaism and the head covering in Islam?

How should we respond to the latest bout of antisemitic vitriol?

Follow-upIf Abraham could have saved Sodom with just 50 righteous people, why were the Jews not spared during the Holocaust with many more than 50 righteous?
Did Lot speak loshon ha’ra when he said that most of the people in Sodom are wicked?

Is Lee Zeldin’s loss a heavenly sign that he is being punished and publicly embarrassed for marrying a non-Jew?
...more
1h 8min
November 03, 2022Ep. 423: Can You Love G-d if You Don’t Love People?
Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
Chassidus Applied to VayeiraHow could Abraham turn away from G-d to greet guests?
Can you love G-d if you don’t love people?
What can we do today to merit that Hashem personally reveal Himself to us?
If Malkizedek was wrong for blessing Abraham before blessing G-d, why was Abraham not punished for turning away from G-d to greet guests?
Why was Abaraham harsh with his guests to entice them to thank G-d?
Why did Abraham beseech G-d to save the evil criminals from Sodom?
Why was G-d upset at Sarah for laughing when she was informed that she would have a baby at age 90?
Do the Arabs hate us because their ancestor Ishmael was kicked out of his home by Sarah and Abraham?
Why Did Abraham not defy G-d at the Akeidah, based on the law that a son is not supposed to listen to his father telling him to murder?

Follow-upIf we finished the work of elevating sparks, why are we allowed to eat meat?
Should we be honoring the Jewish husband of the non-Jewish vice president with lighting the menorah?
How to overcome a challenge much bigger than we can cope with, without falling into despair?
Why not say Hallel every day?
Fertility

Is it appropriate to buy a lottery ticket?Why is it not a form of gambling?
Does buying more than one ticket indicate a lack of faith?
...more
1h 7min

FAQs about MyLife: Chassidus Applied:

How many episodes does MyLife: Chassidus Applied have?

The podcast currently has 403 episodes available.

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