Rabbi Mendy's Blog - Chabad Chai

your trauma is real, but don't let it stop you

Friday, November 22, 2024 - 11:52 AM

Life is traumatic; it's not just you; it's all of us; we're all traumatized by life in this world. Why? Simple; you carry a divine soul enclothed in a human body compelled to work with a materialistic world to achieve its ultimate mission. It's no surprise that we feel the way we do.

The solution to this human challenge can be found in this week's Torah portion Chayei Sarah. The Torah tells us that Abraham, the first Jew, was 137 years old and had just lost the love of his life, his soulmate and partner in all things, Sarah. At this point, Abraham has experienced countless traumas: leaving his home, being thrown into a fiery furnace, famine, almost sacrificing his son Isaac, and many others. Yes, G-d promised Avraham some great things for his faith and commitment to the divine mission, but he had yet to realize those blessings. He didn't own any of Israel, the land he had been promised; his son Yitzchok, who was to succeed him and father a multitude of people as numerous as the sand and the stars, was still single. At this point, Avraham could have been drained, depleted, and destroyed by the countless battles he had faced physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

Avraham's response to the moment is an eternal lesson for all of humanity, especially to the Jewish people, his spiritual descendants. He focused his attention on the future and took the actions necessary to move his mission forward. He purchased the Cava of Machpeila to bury his wife and start to bring Israel under his sovereignty; then, he sent his servant Eliezer to find a wife for his son. Only once he had secured the future did he look back on the challenges of his past, now with the strength to put it in the context of his journey.

Today, each of us carries the traumas of our time on earth plus the multi-generational baggage that comes with being Jewish, a people persecuted for thousands of years. If you spend too much time reflecting on the past, it will probably cripple you, at the very least, slow you down. We must keep pushing forward and focus on fulfilling our divine mission to make this world a meaningful, purposeful place for all people. Only when we are actively engaged and productive can we pause to consider how far we've come and all we've achieved.

Mission: When you feel like the past is pulling you down, push forward and get productively active. Then, once you've got positive motion, you can reflect on your past journey.

Yes, we keep getting challenged, here's why

Friday, November 15, 2024 - 11:51 AM

Abraham a man challenged more then most, and the father of our people. How far would G-d go? and why?

The answer lies in this week's Torah portion, Vayera. There, we learn about Abraham arguing with G-d to retract the destruction of Sodom and Gemorah. Avraham kept pushing and pushing until he finally accepted G-d's will. Why? So Abraham would know how far we must go to transform this world and fight for what's right.

This is our mission, our purpose here on earth: to take the materialism of our world and redefine its existence, to reveal the true nature of G-d's creation. I know it's not easy, but it never has been for us, just as it was for Avraham. We have to know that we possess the same power our great-grandfather did: the power to transform.

It's time we stopped selling ourselves short and started realizing our true power to elevate life as we know it and bring peace and harmony to our world by channeling the divine light through us into the whole wide world.

Mission: Transform the world by first realizing your ultimate strength and that every challenge brings more of it to the world.

I'm not very popular, and that's ok

Friday, November 8, 2024 - 11:49 AM

We all cherish and covet comfort as much as humanly possible. We will go to great lengths to cultivate and perpetuate it. I get it; we all do, however, the reality is that the pursuit of comfort can drive us to make choices out of line with who we are and what we believe. How do we balance this out?

The answer lies in this week's Torah portion, Lech Lecha, where we learn about Avraham, the first Jew. Avraham wasn't called a Jew; he was called Ivri, or Hebrew, since we stood "M'ever" on the other side of the rest of the world. His faith was so strong he could share his beliefs with everyone he met without considering how popular they might be. He wasn't checking TikTok or Instagram; nothing else mattered if G-d asked him to fulfill a mission.

This quality, this strength and conviction, was imparted to each of us, Abraham's spiritual progeny. To be one of the Jewish people is to be strong in the face of adversity. To have conviction in your beliefs, you can share anytime, anywhere, without any concerns for their popularity. If you're not comfortable being uncomfortable, then you're out of touch with your Jewish identity. If you constantly evaluate what other people think before you profess what you believe, then you're Jewishness is fading.

Luckily, there's an easy fix. Just take a minute to recognize that people respect those who respect themselves. You weren't put on their earth to win a popularity contest; what kind of life is that anyways? Instead, you are here to live a meaningful and purposeful life, and all of your efforts and energies should be focused in that direction. It's time we followed the lead of the first Jew and started living for more than comfort, with the knowledge that the greatest comfort in the world is when you're fulfilling the reason G-d created you. Once you know that, nothing else matters, not even how popular your podcast is #iykyk :)

Mission: Asses how much stock you put in the opinions of others. Align your life according to what G-d wants of you, and relieve yourself of the burden of social pressure.

Can I stand strong and still grow and change?

Friday, November 1, 2024 - 11:52 AM

Ever wonder how people can be so incredible one minute, truly joyful, positive, and productive, seeking to only help others and nothing more? Then, a short while later, this same person is unrecognized as a selfish, egotistical, negative human being. How can one person exhibit such conflicting characteristics?

The answer lies in this week's Torah portion, Noach. There, we learn about his tragic fall from grace, possibly one of the worst in human history. At the beginning of the Torah portion, we're told Noah was the only one of his generation to listen to G-d. For decades, he built an Ark according to G-d's directive. Noach did everything according to Hashem's commands and single-handedly saved humanity and the world as we know it. Yes, the same man at the end of the Parshah resists repopulating the world and gets drunk, ultimately exposing himself embarrassingly to his three sons.

The truth is that Noach, although a righteous man in his own right, failed as a leader. He resisted the opportunity to inspire others and help them improve their lives; his focus was only on his own spirituality and connection with G-d. Thus, once he faced serious obstacles and challenges from the flood, he stumbled and fell prey to his temptations.

Noach failed to recognize one simple truth: leadership, although often challenging in the moment, strengthens us and empowers us to face the future no matter what it may bring. When we help others, we fortify our faith in the process. Often, the lack of focus on ourselves ultimately brings us the greatest success.

Mission: Become a leader, and you'll find strength in this current darkness you didn't know you had.