MyLife: Chassidus Applied

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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 Chassidic thought. The podcast demonstrates how the Torah provides us with a comprehensive blueprint of the human psyche as a microcosm of the cosmos, and offers us all the guidance we need to live the healthiest possible life and build nurturing homes and families, bringing up the healthiest possible children, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. Get unlimited free downloads of MP3 recordings o

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Judaism Religion Spirituality
Ep. 607: Should We Be Afraid of Judgment Day?
Ep. 607: Should We Be Afraid of Judgment Day? episode artwork
Yesterday at 10:12 PM

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 What should our focus be during this last week before Rosh Hashana?  
 
25 Elul 

What is the significance and personal application of this day?  How can we say that the world was created on the 25th of Elul when time itself was a creation and there was no time before creation? What is unique about this year beginning on Shabbos? And it being the longest possible year? Has anyone come up with a good acronym for Tov Shin Pei Zayin? Do you have anything to say about the fact that we hav...

Ep. 606: What is Chai Elul's Personal Message to Us?
Ep. 606: What is Chai Elul's Personal Message to Us? episode artwork
Last Wednesday at 2:16 PM

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 What is Chai Elul's Personal Message to Us? 

Who revealed to us that this day is the birthday of the Baal Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe? Why was it kept secret for many years? What is the meaning of the statement that Chai Elul infuses chayus into the entire month of Elul? What is the source that the last twelve days of this month correspond to the twelve months of the year? And what is the connection with Chai Elul?  Why did the Baal Shem Tov sign his name “Yisroel f...

Ep. 605: I’ve Had a Very Difficult Year... What More Can I Do to Receive G-d’s Blessings in My Life?
Ep. 605: I’ve Had a Very Difficult Year... What More Can I Do to Receive G-d’s Blessings in My Life? episode artwork
08/26/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 What should our focus be during these days of Elul? 

What makes Elul unique? Is Elul initiated from below (Ani L’Dodi) or from above (the king in the field)? (follow-up) How do we create vessels for G-d's blessings this time of the year? If the king is in the field during Elul, where does that leave us the rest of the year? Is G-d more present during this time of the year? I’ve had a very difficult year... What more can I do to ensure that the thirteen attributes...

Ep. 604: What Should Our Focus Be During These Early Days of Elul?
Ep. 604: What Should Our Focus Be During These Early Days of Elul? episode artwork
08/26/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:What should our focus be during these early days of Elul? 05:03 • How does Av give birth to Elul? 01:04 • What is unique about the “king in the field” in Elul when we have access to G-d all year round? 08:59 • Is Elul initiated from below (Ani L’Dodi) or from above (the king in the field)? 15:29 • What are the thirteen attributes of divine compassion (Yud Gimmel Midos HaRachamim)? 20:43 • How are they related to the Yud Gimmel Tikkunei Dikna (thirteen strands of the beard)? 24:11 • What more can I do to ensure that these attributes of compassion manifes...

Ep. 603: What Should Be Our Focus as We Transition From Av to Elul?
Ep. 603: What Should Be Our Focus as We Transition From Av to Elul? episode artwork
08/11/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 What should be our focus during these days as we transition from Av to Elul? 

Why is Elul a special month?  How do we maximize its opportunities? What is our main work this month? What is its personal relevance in our lives? What lessons do we learn from living with the times, with this week’s Torah parsha? What is the connection between Shoftim and Elul? Why does the Torah prohibit sorcery and witchcraft? How is it different from a doctor? Can this be applied to going to shamans today for plant me...

Ep. 602: How Do We Honor Chof Av?
Ep. 602: How Do We Honor Chof Av? episode artwork
08/11/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 What should be our focus during these days? 

Why do we begin blessing each other with wishes for a good year on the 15th of Av? Why is it written that there were no holidays like the 15th of Av in the past tense? What is the relevance of this day? What is the significance of this day coming 40 days before Rosh Hashana? Why did the Rebbe’s father have to endure such excessive suffering? Can it be explained by the idea that, to grow to an unprecedented higher level, one needs...

Ep. 601: What Should Be Our Focus During These Days Following Tisha B’Av?
Ep. 601: What Should Be Our Focus During These Days Following Tisha B’Av? episode artwork
07/27/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 What should be our focus during these days following Tisha B'Av? 
 
15 Av 

What is the relevance of this day? Why is it considered the greatest holiday together with Yom Kippur? Why did they break the axe after finishing the yearly wood chopping quota instead of keeping it for next year? Will this day still be celebrated after Moshiach comes? Or will the transformed 9th of Av supplant this day? What maamar or sicha do you suggest we learn explaining this day? What lessons do we learn from living with the...

Ep. 600: What Can We Learn From the World Cup Especially During These Days?
Ep. 600: What Can We Learn From the World Cup Especially During These Days? episode artwork
07/23/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 5 Av: Yahrzeit of the Arizal 

What is the relevance of this day? How was the Arizal unique? What is a short biography of the Arizal and his teachings? What does it teach us?  What did the Arizal say in his eulogy of the Ramak? How should we honor this day? What should be our focus during these days leading into Tisha B'Av? What is the meaning of this month’s name? Do people born this month have a unique personality type? Why was the Temple destroyed? How could baseless hatred, which is not pu...

Ep. 599: What Is the Correct Way to Understand and Experience the Sadness of This Time of Year
Ep. 599: What Is the Correct Way to Understand and Experience the Sadness of This Time of Year episode artwork
07/21/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:What should our focus be during these days? 01:48 • What is the correct way to understand and experience the sadness of this time of year? 01:48 • How does the spiral of time work according to Jewish thought? 05:19 • How do we explain the Gemara “just as when Av begins one decreases in rejoicing, so too when Adar begins, one increases in rejoicing”? 04:40Rosh Chodesh Av/Nine Days • What lessons do we learn from this time period? 12:23 • What is unique about Rosh Chodesh Av? 15:30 • Why are these days sadder than other days of the year? 20:54 • What's the highest level...

Ep. 598: What Are the Challenges of Freedom, and How Can We Harness It in Healthy Ways
Ep. 598: What Are the Challenges of Freedom, and How Can We Harness It in Healthy Ways episode artwork
07/21/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics: How do we transform this period of the three weeks into geulah? 00:54250th anniversary of July 4th • How did the Rebbe connect July 4th with his arrival to America? 07:50 • Is there an explanation why July 4th 1776 was the 17th of Tammuz? 12:09 • How about the divine providence of Founding Fathers Adams and Jefferson both dying on July 4th? 15:38 • What are the challenges of freedom, and how can we harness It in healthy ways? 16:30Matos-Masei • What lessons do we learn from living with the times, with this week’s Torah parsha? 23:37 • How do we reconcile the...

Ep. 597: How Did the Frierdiker Rebbe Honor America's Liberty When He Visited Philadelphia in 1929​
Ep. 597: How Did the Frierdiker Rebbe Honor America's Liberty When He Visited Philadelphia in 1929​ episode artwork
06/30/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
Yud Gimmel Tammuz – 99 years: What does this day teach us? 

What is the underlying power and message of this liberation for our times? What maamorim did the Frierdiker Rebbe deliver on the days of his geulah, and what are their lessons for today? Is there a comparison between Rashbi and Reb Elozor and the Frierdiker Rebbe and the Rebbe? What do we learn from this day? Was shattering the tablets a positive thing? What did the Rebbe say about this in his deeply emotional talk on Simchas Torah 5747? Will it be transf...

Ep. 596: What Does Yud Beis Tammuz Teach Us?
Ep. 596: What Does Yud Beis Tammuz Teach Us? episode artwork
06/25/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 Yud Beis Tammuz – 99 years: What does this day teach us? 

What happened on this day and what lessons does it offer us today? Why does the celebration of the Frierdiker Rebbe’s liberation extend for two days – 12-13 Tammuz? Why is this month named after a Babylonian idol? What is the spiritual energy of this month? Is there a connection between the events of this day in 5754 and back in the time of Joshua when the sun was stopped? Is there something special about today, June 21, being the longest day of the year? ...

Ep. 595: What Does Gimmel Tammuz Teach and Expect of Us?
Ep. 595: What Does Gimmel Tammuz Teach and Expect of Us? episode artwork
06/15/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 29 Tammuz: The bridge between 28 Sivan and 3 Tammuz 

What should be our focus as we move from the third to the fourth month?How do we reconcile Gimmel Tammuz with the Rebbe telling us about the imminence of Moshiach’s coming? Ad mosai – how much longer must we wait for the geulah? Did the Rebbe make any statements that implied Gimmel Tammuz was about to happen, and did he give clear instructions for what he wanted us to do afterward?  Why do we discuss fewer details about Gimmel Tammuz than about the day of...

Ep. 594: Chof Ches Sivan – 85 Years: What Is the Historic, Spiritual and Cosmic Significance of the Rebbe Coming to America?
Ep. 594: Chof Ches Sivan – 85 Years: What Is the Historic, Spiritual and Cosmic Significance of the Rebbe Coming to America? episode artwork
06/08/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 Chof Ches Sivan – 85 years: What lessons does this day teach us? 

What is the historic, spiritual and cosmic significance of the Rebbe coming to America? What lessons do we learn from living with the times, with this week’s Torah parsha? "Send them if you wish": Why did G-d leave the decision to Moshe, and what does it teach us about life's choices? Why were all the Jews punished for the sin of the scouts? Who was Tzelofchad and what was he trying to accomplish by purposely gathering sticks on Shabbos?  ...

Ep. 593: How Should We Respond to the Recent Tragic Deaths of Young People in Our Community?
Ep. 593: How Should We Respond to the Recent Tragic Deaths of Young People in Our Community? episode artwork
06/01/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 15 Sivan 

What is the significance of this day? What events happened with the Rebbe and Rebbetzin during the arrest on this day in 1927? What lessons do we learn from the word behaalotecho – raising the flame until it rises on its own?  What is the deeper meaning behind Moshe’s words “where will I find meat”? If Moshe transcended physical meat, how could he pass on the command for the Jews to perform physical mitzvos, including bringing meat offerings? Could the people choose that the manna should taste like non-kosher food?  What will change w...

Ep. 592: How Do I Study Torah and Chassidus in a Meaningful and Inspiring Way? A Step-by-Step Guide
Ep. 592: How Do I Study Torah and Chassidus in a Meaningful and Inspiring Way? A Step-by-Step Guide episode artwork
05/25/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 What should be our primary focus during these days following Shavuos? 
 
How do we integrate and internalize Torah into our lives? 
 
What is the appropriate way to learn Torah? 

Where do you begin? How important is it to understand what you’re learning? How can the study be inspiring and dynamic?  Where do you begin? What are the axioms and underlying principles one needs to know in order to appreciate Chassidus? What is the structure of sichos and maamorim? What texts do you suggest for a 20-year-old? How...

Ep. 591: What’s the Most Important Way to Prepare for Matan Torah?
Ep. 591: What’s the Most Important Way to Prepare for Matan Torah? episode artwork
05/18/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 Rosh Chodesh Sivan 

What is the unique power of this day? What does “like one person, with one heart” mean? What’s the most important way to prepare for Matan Torah? It’s gratifying to see that Rabbis in Jerusalem reacted to your program last week, warning against harassment. What are we celebrating on Shavuos? What is the historic and cosmic significance of the Giving of the Torah? What exactly is Torah? Since Torah is the purpose of creation, why was it not given to Adam in the beginning of creation? What wa...

Ep. 590: Is the Torah Only for Jews?
Ep. 590: Is the Torah Only for Jews? episode artwork
05/11/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 Bamidbar 

What lessons do we learn from living with the times, with this week’s Torah parsha? What is the connection between Bamidbar and Matan Torah on Shavuos? If the Torah was given in the desert to show that nobody can claim ownership of it, how can the Jewish nation claim exclusive ownership of the Torah? Is the Torah only for Jews? What is the purpose of counting the Jewish people? Why did the Rebbe gaze at each person passing by to recite the blessing over the Lulav on Sukkos 5752?What does a...

Ep. 589: How Does Lag B’Omer Apply to My Daily Life?
Ep. 589: How Does Lag B’Omer Apply to My Daily Life? episode artwork
05/04/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 16 Iyar 

Why don’t we recite the Parsha about Manna every day, as well as the Ten Commandments, like we do the Parsha of the Akeidah, as stated in Shulchan Aruch?  What is the significance of this special day? How could the students of Rabbi Akiva not respect each other to the point of it causing a plague? Why don’t we see such harsh consequences (G-d forbid) due to other acts of disrespect in our times? How did the Mitteler Rebbe celebrate Lag B’Omer? Why was it a day of miracles? How can Lag B...

Ep. 588: What Is the Best Response to Adversity and Hatred? Lessons From This Omer Period
Ep. 588: What Is the Best Response to Adversity and Hatred? Lessons From This Omer Period episode artwork
04/27/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 Chassidus Applied to this Omer period 

How does refinement of our characters reflect the unique power of being a Jew? What is the best response to adversity and hatred?  How do you celebrate the beauty of your soul while recognizing the despicable toxins of your selfish body? Lessons from Tanya chapter 31. How do we apply Netzach, this week’s sefirah/midah, to today’s challenges? Why don’t we listen to music during this period? What is the connection between refining our character traits with the Omer barley offering? What lessons do we learn from the...

Ep. 587: Beis Iyar: How Do We Apply L’Chatchila Ariber in Our Lives?
Ep. 587: Beis Iyar: How Do We Apply L’Chatchila Ariber in Our Lives? episode artwork
04/19/2026

Beis Iyar • How do we apply l’chatchila ariber in our lives? 01:30Acharei-Kedoshim • What lessons do we learn from living with the times, with this week’s Torah parsha? 13:04 • Is there a connection between these two chapters? 19:20 • How do I sanctify my life? 17:40 • What was wrong with Nadav and Avihu’s behavior? 19:28Tazria-Metzora • What is the relevance of the spiritual maladies in these Torah portions to our times? 24:10 • How does one find mental, emotional and psychological healing? 24:10 • Is there a connection between Mitzrayim and Metzora? 27:15Iyar • Does Ani Hashem Rofecho include all forms of healing? 29:20Omer • What maamar would you suggest we learn that...

Ep. 586: How Do We Honor the Rebbe’s Birthday?
Ep. 586: How Do We Honor the Rebbe’s Birthday? episode artwork
04/14/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 Yud Alef Nissan 

Pesach 

Do we say Gut Yom Tov today? How do we honor the Rebbe’s birthday? What is the single most important thing each of us should do on this special day? How did the Rebbe celebrate his birthday? What were the events that led to the things done for Yud Alef Nissan 5742 – eighty years? What is the significance of the number eleven? Is it significant that “peace in Israel” are the last words in Tehillim chapter 125, which we begin reciting today? Do some people receive answers from the Rebbe mor...

Ep. 585: How Do Pesach and Mitzrayim Reveal the Inside Story of the Current War Against Iran?
Ep. 585: How Do Pesach and Mitzrayim Reveal the Inside Story of the Current War Against Iran? episode artwork
03/27/2026


Topics:

Nissan, Miracles and Iran

What can we expect in this month of Nissan, a month of miracles and redemption? 06:57Are there parallels between the redemption from Egypt and today’s battles? 04:50How do Pesach and Mitzrayim reveal the inside story of history in general, and specifically the current war against Iran? 22:35What is the connection to the month of Nissan? 12:30What is the meaning of a miracle? 07:12How victory over Iran – and today’s miracles – will bring to conclusion events that began with Abraham and Egypt over 3300 years ago? 12:40What will the Middle E...

Ep. 584: War in Iran: How Can We Envision These Battles Leading Us Into the Geulah?
Ep. 584: War in Iran: How Can We Envision These Battles Leading Us Into the Geulah? episode artwork
03/10/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 War in Iran 

Should we be supporting this war? How do we determine when war is just? How do we understand the deeper cosmic battle between Rome (the Western World) and Persia (the Arab/Muslim World) How can we envision these battles leading us into the Geulah?  How should we react to antisemitic and anti-Chabad rhetoric by media personalities? Is there anything positive that we can learn from this? Is it appropriate to wear patches with an image of the third temple? Do we continue increasing in joy throughout the entire month? How does jo...

Ep. 583: Purim and Persia: Then and Now
Ep. 583: Purim and Persia: Then and Now episode artwork
03/02/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 Purim and Persia: Then and Now 

What lessons can we learn from Purim about today’s events in Iran? How do we connect the dots of many seemingly fragmented events now and throughout history? Why would anyone think of reading the Megillah backwards? What are the parallels between ancient and modern-day Persia? Is it providential that Khamenei and his cohorts were wiped out while we were reading the Torah portion about obliterating Amalek?  What happened on Purim 1953 when the Rebbe led the chassidism in shouting hoo-ra hoo-ra three times, and its connection to Stalin’s d...

Ep. 582: What Does Purim Teach Us About Retroactively Transforming a Negative Past?
Ep. 582: What Does Purim Teach Us About Retroactively Transforming a Negative Past? episode artwork
02/24/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 Adar 

What does Purim teach us about retroactively transforming a negative past? Is there a connection between joy and Pisces, the sign of Adar? Why is Adar made up of the two words, “alef dar”? Are there other reasons why we increase in joy during this month? Does Adar have an association with Adaru (this month in Akkadian and Babylonian), which means darkness and gloom? Can animals be trained to do mitzvos? 

7 Adar 

Why don’t we make a bigger deal of this day – the birthday and yahrzeit of Moshe Rabbeinu? How do we apply Zayin...

Ep. 581: Why Do We Increase in Joy During the Month of Adar?
Ep. 581: Why Do We Increase in Joy During the Month of Adar? episode artwork
02/16/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 Adar 

Why do we increase in joy during this month? What unique opportunity does this month offer us? Can you begin your program about Adar with a piece of humor? Is this entire month filled with joy? What is the difference between the good mazal of Shevat and that of Adar? Is this a month when Iran will be held accountable just as it was with Persia of old? How do we reconcile the fact that ancient Persia allowed us to rebuild the second Temple and Rome destroyed it, with the tables being t...

Ep. 580: How Did Chof Beis Shevat Impact the Rebbe, and What Do We Learn From That?
Ep. 580: How Did Chof Beis Shevat Impact the Rebbe, and What Do We Learn From That? episode artwork
02/09/2026

Episode 580 
When: Sunday, February 8, 8:00PM ET
For recording visit the archive page or your favorite podcast carrier.
Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 Chof Beis Shevat 

How did this day impact the Rebbe and what do we learn from that? What is the significance of this day for each one of us? Can you share a short biography and some stories about the Rebbetzin?  What practical actions should we be doing in honor of this day? What lessons do we learn from living with the times, with this week’s Torah parsha? Why weren’t all Torah laws gi...

Ep. 579: 15th of Shevat: What Are Some Lessons We Learn From Trees?
Ep. 579: 15th of Shevat: What Are Some Lessons We Learn From Trees? episode artwork
02/04/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 15th of Shevat 

Why do we celebrate the New Year for Trees? Why don’t we celebrate it on the third day of creation, when trees and vegetation were created?  How do trees celebrate their new year? What is the basis of Shammai and Hillel’s different opinions of when we celebrate the new year for trees? Can it serve as an analogy for stages in the revelation of Moshiach? Was this day celebrated in Biblical times? What is a 15th of Shevat Seder and how do we conduct one? What are some lessons we le...

Ep. 578: What Is the Torah View on Alternative Forms of Healing, Like Breathwork, Plant Medicine, Somatic Therapy and Others?
Ep. 578: What Is the Torah View on Alternative Forms of Healing, Like Breathwork, Plant Medicine, Somatic Therapy and Others? episode artwork
01/26/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 Yud Shevat/Basi L’Gani 

What is the main theme of Basi L’Gani and this year’s 16th chapter? What is the mission of our generation? What is the role of Gan Eden today? Why can’t the Divine be revealed in the presence of sins? What treasures are being splurged to win today’s wars? If the treasures are being splurged, why are some of us struggling financially? How do we benefit from learning about higher spiritual worlds and levels of G-dliness that we might be unable to access in our physical world?   ...

Ep. 577: What Is the Practical and Personal Significance of Yud Shevat?
Ep. 577: What Is the Practical and Personal Significance of Yud Shevat? episode artwork
01/23/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics: Rosh Chodesh Shevat • What is the significance of this month and what should be the main focus of our avodah in this time? 02:36 • What do we learn from the mazal of Shevat – bucket (d’li)? 02:36 • What does the word Shevat mean? 07:20Bo • What lessons do we learn from living with the times, with this week’s Torah parsha? 10:42 • Why does this parsha combine both the end of the exile and the beginning of the redemption? 11:04 • Why does it mean that during the plague of darkness, there was “light among the Jews”? 14:30 • Why did that light not dispe...

Ep. 577: What Is the Practical and Personal Significance of Yud Shevat?
Ep. 577: What Is the Practical and Personal Significance of Yud Shevat? episode artwork
01/22/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 Rosh Chodesh Shevat 

What is the significance of this month and what should be the main focus of our avodah in this time? What do we learn from the mazal of Shevat – bucket (d’li)? What does the word Shevat mean? What lessons do we learn from living with the times, with this week’s Torah parsha? Why does this parsha combine both the end of the exile and the beginning of the redemption? Why does it mean that during the plague of darkness there was “light among the Jews”? Why did that light not dispel...

Ep. 576: What Are We to Make of the Uprisings in Iran?
Ep. 576: What Are We to Make of the Uprisings in Iran? episode artwork
01/12/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 Chof Dalet Teves 

What is the significance of a Tzaddik’s histalkus? How does it impact us? What connection does it have to current events? What lessons do we learn from the Alter Rebbe’s hilula?  What were the circumstances that led to the Alter Rebbe’s passing? How was it related to him fleeing Napoleon’s advance? Is there a connection between the Alter Rebbe returning to retrieve a pair of slippers so they not fall into the hands of Napoleon and Jacob returning to retrieve the small vessels? Why was the Alter Rebbe on a spiritua...

Ep. 575:What Can Be Done About “Discrimination” Against Ba’alei Teshuva or Others Seen as Outsiders?
Ep. 575:What Can Be Done About “Discrimination” Against Ba’alei Teshuva or Others Seen as Outsiders? episode artwork
01/07/2026

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 Chof Teves 

What is the significance of the Rambam’s yahrzeit?  What makes a leader different than a scholar?What does the Egyptian exile teach us about dealing with difficulties? What did the Rebbe say about this day? What did he have in common with the Alter Rebbe? What personal lessons do we learn from living with the times, with this week’s Torah parsha? Why do we recount the suffering in Egypt?What does the story of Moshe’s birth teach us?  What is the significance of him being born before the enslavemen...

Ep. 574: What Does the Cold Winter Teach Us?
Ep. 574: What Does the Cold Winter Teach Us? episode artwork
12/29/2025

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 What does the cold winter teach us? 
 
Asarah B’Teves 

What is the significance of this day and what lessons does it teach us, especially facing our current challenges? Why does this fast day supersede Shabbos? Does this fast day commemorate other sad events that happened during these days? Why was translating the Torah into Greek considered a tragedy? And what about the passing of Ezra the Scribe?  May I vent and express my anger and frustration? After all the pain and anguish, I want to also voice my pride in the powerful respo...

Ep. 573: What Inner Strength Does Chanukah Offer Us to Face the Horrific Sydney Massacre?
Ep. 573: What Inner Strength Does Chanukah Offer Us to Face the Horrific Sydney Massacre? episode artwork
12/23/2025

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 Aftermath of the horrific Sydney massacre 

What inner strength (netzach and hod) does Chanukah offer us? What are the souls of the kedoshim experiencing now? We still cannot fathom this terrible tragedy. Any words of wisdom? Why would G-d allow it to happen? How can we call G-d kind and compassionate in face of this horror? During the time of the Greeks the Jews would hide their observance due to the danger involved. How is today different? What is the special significance of this day? What comes next? What is the connection betwee...

Ep. 572: Dedicated to all the Kedoshim hy”d murdered on the first night of Chanukah in Sydney, Australia. And a refuah shleimah v’krovah to all those injured.
Ep. 572: Dedicated to all the Kedoshim hy”d murdered on the first night of Chanukah in Sydney, Australia. And a refuah shleimah v’krovah to all those injured. episode artwork
12/14/2025

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 How can we possibly address the horrific terror attack on Jews celebrating Chanukah in Sydney leaving 16 of our people dead? 

Ad mosai?! What does G-d want of us? How could this happen on Chanukah, which is about conquering darkness with light? And demonstrating this in the streets with a public menorah as the Rebbe instructed?  How can we ever explain the tragic murder of any innocent person, let alone a shliach, when we are told that shluchei mitzvah einan nizokin? Where was the protection from above, especially considering that Chanukah draws d...

Ep. 571: Why Is Yud Tes Kislev the Rosh Hashana of Chassidus?
Ep. 571: Why Is Yud Tes Kislev the Rosh Hashana of Chassidus? episode artwork
12/08/2025

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 What is unique about the month of Kislev, and what lessons does it offer us? 
Yud Tes Kislev 

Why is this day the Rosh Hashana of Chassidus? Why was Chassidus revealed in the later generations? What is the difference between “before Petersburg” and “after Petersburg”? What do we learn from this day? Why was there a heavenly accusation against the Alter Rebbe for teaching Chassidus? Should we be afraid to say a dvar torah at the Shabbos table lest the heavenly court indict us? How do we explain the Alter Rebbe’s ana...

Ep. 570: What Are the Cosmic and Historic Implications of Jacob and Esau’s Confrontations?
Ep. 570: What Are the Cosmic and Historic Implications of Jacob and Esau’s Confrontations? episode artwork
12/03/2025

What is unique about the month of Kislev, and what lessons does it offer us? 
 
Yud Kislev 

What do we learn from this day? What distinguishes the liberations of the Mitteler Rebbe’s on Yud Kislev and the Alter Rebbe on Yud Tes Kislev? How are these differences connected to chochmah and binah? Do we know why this day is not celebrated with the same level of festivities as the 19th of Kislev?  Can you summarize the Maamar Padah B’sholom Nafshi, delivered by the Rebbe on the 10th of Kislev 5722? What was the name of the Mitteler...

Ep. 569: To What Extent Are People Facing Mental Health Struggles or Addictions Responsible for Their Torah Obligations?
Ep. 569: To What Extent Are People Facing Mental Health Struggles or Addictions Responsible for Their Torah Obligations? episode artwork
11/24/2025

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 Kislev 

Why is it called the month of geulah? What message does this month teach us in our personal lives? What lessons do we learn from living with the times, with this week’s Torah parsha? What is the personal application of Vayetzei Yaakov? What is represented by Jacob’s ladder and the angels ascending and descending?Why is prayer compared to a ladder?Why was there a need for G-d to make a promise to Jacob when He had already promised the same thing to Abraham? How could Jacob be fooled b...