The Rebbe's Letters

101

Public Menorah Lightings (Part II)

Dec 7, 2023

34:13

The initiative to hold public Menorah lightings was controversial. Here we explore how, in the years following the launch of Mivtza Chanukah in 1974, Shluchim gradually began to hold public Menorah lightings—and how the Rebbe responded to their critics. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

102

Public Menorah Lightings (Part I)

Dec 6, 2023

24:27

The initiative to hold public Menorah lightings was controversial. Here we explore how, in the years following the launch of Mivtza Chanukah in 1974, Shluchim gradually began to hold public Menorah lightings—and how the Rebbe responded to their critics. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

103

Launching Mivtza Chanukah

Dec 6, 2023

18:11

The Rebbe officially launched the Chanukah campaign fifty years ago to ensure that every Jewish home has a Menorah. We look at letters, Sichos, and stories from that historic moment. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

104

Chanukah Gelt

Dec 5, 2023

17:06

(Class originally delivered in the summer): Is giving gifts on Chanukah a Jewish custom? What can we learn from the long-standing custom to specifically give money ("Gelt")? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

105

Is our Iggros Shiur OK?

Dec 4, 2023

16:05

This somewhat meta-Shiur examines several letters from the Rebbe cautioning that his responses are written to individuals and are not applicable to the general public, which raises the question: is it OK to learn the Rebbe's letters and apply them directly to our lives? In other words: is our Iggros Shiur OK? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

106

19 Kislev Telegrams (Part III)

Dec 4, 2023

19:07

For almost every year of published Iggros, we have a printed telegram from the Rebbe encouraging a 19 Kislev Farbrengen. Each year's telegram is slightly different, and sheds unique light on the importance of the day and how the Farbrengen should be arranged. Part 3: 1980-1992 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

107

19 Kislev Telegrams (Part II)

Nov 30, 2023

19:30

For almost every year of published Iggros, we have a printed telegram from the Rebbe encouraging a 19 Kislev Farbrengen. Each year's telegram is slightly different, and sheds unique light on the importance of the day and how the Farbrengen should be arranged. Part 2: 1960-1980 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

108

19 Kislev Telegrams (Part I)

Nov 29, 2023

23:24

For almost every year of published Iggros, we have a printed telegram from the Rebbe encouraging a 19 Kislev Farbrengen. Each year's telegram is slightly different, and sheds unique light on the importance of the day and how the Farbrengen should be arranged. Part 1: 1951-1960 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

109

Competition in Chinuch

Nov 28, 2023

23:00

Several letters from the Rebbe addressing concerns of "Hasagas Gvul" (encroachment) when a new school opens next to an existing institution, or when a new rabbi begins teaching in a town with an existing rabbinate. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

110

The Rebbe's Anniversary

Nov 27, 2023

25:19

The Rebbe sent a surprisingly fundamental letter on 15 Kislev fifty years ago, and a hint as to why he might have chosen this otherwise unsung day may be found in a letter that Reb Levik sent the Rebbe and Rebbetzin on their second wedding anniversary. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

111

Do we need a State to survive?

Nov 16, 2023

27:14

A brigadier general in the IDF writes to the Rebbe asking for the secret of Jewish survival. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

112

Loneliness

Nov 14, 2023

25:38

In this series of letters from the Rebbe addressing loneliness, two distinct approachs emerge. Some writers are shown ways to conquer loneliness; others are shown ways to embrace it. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

113

Kiddush Between 6-7 (Part 2)

Nov 13, 2023

26:16

In this Special Episode, we explore the custom, widely practiced in Chabad, to not make Kiddush on Friday night between 6-7pm. Part 1: Origins of the custom; Lenient Opinions; The Precise Time Part 2: Shalom Bayis, Guests, Children, What to do in Israel --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

114

Kiddush Between 6-7 (Part 1)

Nov 10, 2023

28:09

In this Special Episode, we explore the custom, widely practiced in Chabad, to not make Kiddush on Friday night between 6-7pm. Part 1: Origins of the custom; Lenient Opinions; The Precise Time Part 2: Shalom Bayis, Guests, Children, What to do in Israel --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

115

When a Spouse's Faith Falters

Nov 10, 2023

23:13

In letters written to husbands and wives who are concerned about their spouses either falling away from religion or never quite getting into it, the Rebbe has a few consistent pieces of advice. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

116

Wounded Soldiers

Nov 10, 2023

23:23

The Rebbe took particular interest in soldiers injured while defending the Holy Land. Here we look at letters and a well-known Sicha in which the Rebbe offers guidance to wounded warriors and insists that these heros be called "exceptional", not "disabled". --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

117

A Star-Crossed Shidduch

Nov 10, 2023

12:18

What do we do when parents don't approve of a Shidduch? Should children obey their parents, or marry whomever they choose? We explore three different approaches in the Rebbe's letters, and attempt to build a general rule as to how to approach such scenarios. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

118

The Story of Machon Chana

Nov 10, 2023

18:40

How the Rebbe encouraged the founding of the girl's school Machon Chana, and his relationship with the students and faculty. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

119

Addendum: Belief in a Rebbe

Nov 10, 2023

9:08

A review and clarification. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

120

Is Belief in a Rebbe OK?

Nov 5, 2023

19:10

There are letters in which the Rebbe laments that some place their trust in him and not in G-d. But on other occasions, the Rebbe seems to promote the opposite message. We explore this apparent contradiction, and present a solution proposed by the legendary Mashpia R. Mendel Futerfas. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

121

You're Not 100% Right

Oct 29, 2023

23:42

When individuals wrote to the Rebbe with a complaint about anyone—an organization, a spouse, a friend in yeshiva—the Rebbe's answer was consistent: you're probably not 100% right, and you're certainly not 100% impartial. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

122

The Bilingual Tanya (Part II)

Oct 29, 2023

22:10

Letters, Sichos, and diary entries describing the Rebbe's many interactions with the beleaugered British team, led by Reb Zalman Jaffe, that was determined to publish a bilingual Tanya. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

123

The Bilingual Tanya (Part I)

Oct 29, 2023

21:23

Letters, Sichos, and diary entries describing the Rebbe's many interactions with the beleaugered British team, led by Reb Zalman Jaffe, that was determined to publish a bilingual Tanya. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

124

Military Widows

Oct 19, 2023

16:56

When Chabad in Israel told the Rebbe of their many projects helping wound soldiers and their families after the Yom Kippur War, the Rebbe wrote back: "what about the widows!!?". Here we explore how the Rebbe's concern for the widows of martyred soldiers extends back at least to the Six Day War --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

125

Shiva on Erev Yom Kippur

Oct 19, 2023

21:48

When the Rebbe sat Shiva for his mother, he repeatedly asked visiting Rabbonim whether he would be able to go to Mikveh before Mincha on erev Yom Kippur. Today's letter adds another piece to that puzzle, with a Halachic analysis for context. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

126

A Tomim or a Shliach?

Oct 19, 2023

22:12

When Reb Mendel Futerfas asked Bochurim to return to Israel to help strengthen his yeshiva, they agreed only on the condition that the Rebbe formally designated them as Shluchim. We discuss the Rebbe's refusal to do so, and explore how it fits into the idea of Talmidei HaShluchim. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

127

On Changing Hasidic Stories

Oct 16, 2023

27:05

The Rebbe places great emphasis on the power of Chasidic stories, and considers even minute details of the stories sacred. But today we'll look at letters where the Rebbe suggests editing the details of some of Chasidic stories, and explain the Rebbe's nuanced approach on how and when stories should be altered. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

128

Careers for Jewish Women

Oct 12, 2023

26:06

The Rebbe emphasizes the importance of education, establishes it as the foundation of Judaism itself, and empowers Jewish women to pursue that field, specifically, in the model of our Matriarchs. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

129

How Mitzvos Protect Soldiers

Oct 12, 2023

15:28

Many soldiers wrote to the Rebbe explaining that they felt unable to keep Torah and Mitzvos while in the military. The Rebbe soundly rejects this notion, and reminds the soldiers that their safety is only enhanced by increasing in their observance while at war. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

130

When it's a Mitzvah to Fight a War

Oct 11, 2023

27:43

In a letter from 1974, shortly after the Yom Kippur War broke out, the Rebbe explains that all of the blessing due to soldiers who engage in an obligatory "Mitzvah" war apply to modern Israeli soldiers, too. The shiur explores the implications, and reads through a much longer letter in which the Rebbe explains the Halachic parameters of modern war, and why all soldiers will receive these blessings regardless of their religious observance and politics. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

131

Why Chabad sits in the Sukkah when it rains

Sep 28, 2023

31:05

A simple reading of the Talmud and Code of Jewish Law would suggest it is inappropriate to sit in the Sukkah when it's raining. The Rebbe's novel approach explains the Chabad custom. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

132

Why Chabad doesn't decorate the Sukkah

Sep 27, 2023

29:09

We have a firm custom not to hang decorations on the Sukkah (known as "Noi Sukkah"). An explanation, in letters and Sichos. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

133

Why Chabad doesn't sleep in the Sukkah

Sep 26, 2023

26:31

The Shulchan Aruch obligates sleeping in the Sukkah, but the longstanding Chabad custom is not to do so. Through letters and Sichos, we explore the origins of the custom and its justification in Halacha. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

134

The Kittel custom

Sep 21, 2023

23:50

A sprawling exploration of letters, Sichos, and outside sources on the Chabad custom to: 1) Wear a Kittel on Yom Kippur. 2) Not wear it on Rosh Hashanah. 3) Not wear it in the first year of marriage. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

135

Atonement via Affliction

Sep 21, 2023

27:24

The Rebbe is vehemently opposed to self-affliction, but offers a surprising alternative that "can transform a person from one thing into another" and that goes all the way back to the Fourth Lubavitcher Rebbe—resisting the tantalizing urge to speak, and spending 15 minutes every day contemplating one's state. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

136

Atonement via Tzedaka

Sep 21, 2023

20:24

Kabbalah demands many fasts to atone for sins (151 fasts for displaying anger!) and the Alter Rebbe rules that one may fulfill this obligation by giving charity—18 Gedolim Polish per fast. In today's letter the Rebbe explains how to convert that into dollars, and we'll use that to calculate how much charity we might owe for our sins. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

137

The King in the Field

Sep 14, 2023

25:09

What do I do if I messed up my Elul? Can I still have a Rosh Hashanah if I didn't take advantage while the King was in the Field? If so, what was the point in meeting the King during Elul anyway? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

138

Shalom Bayis Part 2 (Rare Advice)

Sep 13, 2023

23:59

For our second installment in the Shalom Bayis mini-series, we focus on letters in which the Rebbe offers unconventional perspectives and unique advice for improving Shalom Bayis. Tips include visiting a Rav, considering prior reincarnations, and holding Torah study sessions with your spouse. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

139

Shalom Bayis Part 1 (Family Purity)

Sep 12, 2023

18:21

To kick off our mini-series on Shalom Bayis, we look at a number of letters from the Rebbe with the same theme: arguments and strife in the home are often due to a lack of adherence to Taharas HaMishpacha, and strengthening one's commitment to the laws of Family Purity can solve even seemingly irreconcilable differences. We also begin a broader discussion of how Shalom Bayis influences Parnasa. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

140

Should we be in 770 for Tishrei?

Sep 11, 2023

22:18

Many Sichos describe the advantages of spending Tishrei close to the Rebbe. But there are important rules and restrictions. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

141

How to make a Cheshbon Nefesh (Part 2)

Sep 7, 2023

24:46

A much more source-heavy discussion of how to make a sincere accounting of our deeds, with multiple references from the Alter Rebbe, Rebbe Rashab, Friediker Rebbe, and Rebbe, as well as practical tips from the Mashpia Reb Shlomo Chaim Kesselman --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

142

How to make a Cheshbon Nefesh (Part 1)

Sep 6, 2023

25:09

The days between 18 Elul and Rosh Hashanah are set aside for Cheshbon Nefesh—a serious accounting of our past deeds and, perhaps more importantly, our capabilities. Through letters and Sichos, we delve into how and when this accounting is done. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

143

Do I really need a Chavrusa?

Aug 24, 2023

18:25

Unfortunately, many of us haven't learned Torah with a consistent study partner (Chavrusa) since our yeshiva days. Several letters from the Rebbe highlight the importance of working men and women bucking this trend. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

144

Doctors and faith healing

Aug 23, 2023

26:41

The Rebbe often instructs doctors to not only involve themselves in physically healing their patients, but to also pushing spiritual cures. Today we'll explore the contours and limits of that advice, with practical lessons for both spiritual and physical healing. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

145

Raising Daughters

Aug 22, 2023

26:14

Practical guidance from the Rebbe on how to educate Jewish girls, including: what themes to emphasize, what teachers to hire, and what subjects to teach in girl's schools. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

146

The Rebbe and the Western Wall

Aug 21, 2023

25:41

Millions of Jewish tears have been spilled at the Kotel for 2,000 years, but how significant is it as a Jewish holy site? An exploration of letters from the Rebbe Rashab, Friediker Rebbe, and Rebbe, drive home the importance of the Western Wall today--provided it is used properly. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

147

On short engagements

Aug 17, 2023

19:47

An exploration of the Rebbe's well-known position that young couples should have the shortest possible engagements, minimizing the time between the decision to get married and the wedding itself. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

148

How to choose a Mashpia

Aug 16, 2023

24:34

The Rebbe wants everyone to have a Rabbi/Mashpia, but the Talmud suggests one is only allowed to learn from a uniquely righteous person "similar to an angel". How, then, are we to practically pick Mashpiim? Today's letter addresses this point, and we'll also look at a few Sichos that give more guidance on the issue. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

149

Unwinnable situations

Aug 15, 2023

24:15

"The footsteps of man are directed by G‑d". From this verse our Rabbeim learned that G-d preordains the time, place, and situation in which we find ourselves. Practically, as today's letters demonstrate, this means there is no such thing as a truly unwinnable situation--and that those who blame the time and place for their lack of success are simply incorrect. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support

150

When to take charge

Aug 9, 2023

16:28

We often have big ideas that would further Torah and Mitzvos, and those are great. But the Rebbe consistently demands that, before launching a new initiative, someone take responsiblity for its success. Otherwise, the Rebbe explains in today's letters, the initiative is doomed to fail. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yechiel-krisch1/support