It so happens that for this finals week Shabbat we didn't have chicken. So Raizy thought of serving meatballs and spaghetti. I thought - what graduation message is there in this Italian food? Then I realized, it's all about the sauce!

The "shidduch" (match) between the meatballs and spaghetti is the sauce. Without it the spaghetti would be dry and stringy, and the meatballs would be too heavy on the meat. On one hand, the sauce is the least substantive ingredient, especially relative to the meat and pasta, but on the other hand it is the sauce that brings them together, turns it into one big delicious dish. And the seasoning and texture of the sauce puts a huge spin on the whole taste.

So here some of you are, on the threshold of graduation. Looking back at your college years, what was most memorable? A specific class? A lab you took? a paper you wrote? all important, no doubt. But it was the sauce that made your college years an experience rather than a series of classes. It's the sauce that holds it together and gives it life.

Judaism also has it's proteins and carbs. The Torah we study, the Mitzvot we observe. And then there's the sauce. Sauce (based on something Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn wrote) is the attitude, the vibe, the warmth and the feeling. These may not be as important or weighty or filling as the Mitzvah itself, but it is what give the Mitzvah vibrancy, life, and personal flavor.

Yes, the technical stuff is crucial in Judaism. And you can't put enough value on each Mitzvah done in college, despite tremendous odds. But let's not underestimate the Jewish sauce. You need that for your observance to be meaningful, tasty and memorable.

Keep on dishing on the sauce!
 

At one point in his life, he and his son Elazar had to hide in a cave to escape Roman persecution. They survived by drinking water from a stream, and eating carob fruit. All that time they delved into the mysteries of the Torah, and lived spiritually, removed from pedestrian civilization. When they got the message that it was safe to leave, they encountered the real world after years of distance. They weren't equipped for what they saw. They couldn't believe that people were working the fields, and preoccupied with material things. They reacted harshly to a farmer in the field. G-d sent them back into the cave.

They left the cave again on a Friday afternoon. The first person they encountered was rushing with two flower bouquets. "Why two?" they asked. The man replied, "One is for Shomor and one is for Zachor". The Torah uses two words to describe Sabbath observance, which is one reason we have two loaves of Challah, a minimum of two Shabbat candles etc. Rabbi Shimon and his son Elazar were amazed. They were so impressed to see spiritual teaching and inspiration applied within the physical world.

Their 2nd coming-out was better than the first. They realized the wisdom and power of translating spirituality into reality, the magic of living Jewishly. This fusion of the spiritual and physical is a major focal point of Chassidic teaching, especially in the Rebbe's teachings.
 

BJ's had a cheaper price, but not by much. So we went back to the dealer, only to find out that we were comparing apples to oranges. We expected Michelins, since that's what the car came with, but the dealer was giving us a price on a lesser-quality tire, while BJ's was quoting us Michelins. Now, a tire is a tire, and all these ratings are subjective, but remember, with this new car, we are eager to do things right, so we opted for the Michelins, which were cheaper at BJ's anyways.

Someone explained to us (perhaps he was biased, too - but at any rate) that Michelin was a better tire because its tread ran all the way through the thickness of the tire. Many other tires, including the one the dealer offered, had tread on the outside 50% or so of the tire rim, but once the tire wears down to that level, although you have 50% of tire-wall left, your tires are going bald without much tread.

Tires are like a big thick rubber ball, so tread is important, for it provides the grip and traction. This is especially important in wet, snowy or icy conditions. Tread keeps the car from slipping. Longer-lasting tread can make all the difference.

This is a great tribute to those senior/graduating students who have remained involved and committed to the campus Jewish community all through the years. Some people have a little tread, but it wears down after a while, and they begin to slip. Others have tread that runs deep, even as the tire wears down, and it helps them maintain their Jewish traction all the way until this point.

Don't read this as an ad for Michelin tires. We know too little about tires, tread and tire brands for that. But at Shabbos House we've seen hundreds (thousands by now) of students come through over the years and know a thing or two about those with thick, lasting Jewish tread. It's worth the investment.
 

In his "Guide to the Perplexed" Maimonides offers a rationale for this Mitzvah. Farmers are so eager to have a crop yield, they might try various techniques to hasten the crop before its natural time. This Mitzvah encourages the virtue of patience.

Patience is an interesting thing. It's not laziness, nor is it aggressiveness. It implies that the person is being proactive and involved, perhaps facilitating and preparing, but not pressuring or pushing. It allows for things to develop naturally.

Danielle J. remarked at the Oneg/Farbrengen last night that "Raizy and Mendel must have a lot of patience to do this (Shabbat dinner for a large crowd) all the time." I thought about that. People usually say it requires a lot of energy, love, dedication, but patience is an interesting way to put it. And true. The special atmosphere that is Shabbos House requires that blend of involvement and space, of allowing people to grow at their own level, without pressure.
 

One of the emotional traits is "Netzach." Literally it means victory, but it covers a wide swath of emotions, including being outgoing, overcoming obstacles, the adrenaline of competitiveness, etc. There's pure, unadulterated Netzach, and then there are six other combinations how Netzach blends with the other character attributes. It can be surprising how Netzach appears and acts when blended.

And not every "Netzach" is a victory. Look at this joke: A shrew had total control over her husband, ordering him around all the time. Once her friends were over, and she wanted to demonstrate her control over him. So she called out to him in front of her friends, "Shmerl, get under the table!" And he did. Then she said, "Shmerl, get out from under the table!" This time he didn't listen. He called out from under the table, "No I won't! I will show you who is boss in this house!"

Not every display of power is powerful. Not every show of victory is victorious. Netzach is sometimes most effective as it blends and combines with the other attributes.
 

Yet, to be able to fulfill this special Mitzvah, many wear a Tallit/Tzitzit during prayer, and many also wear Tzitzit under their clothing. You could get away with the requirement, by opting not to wear 4-cornered garments, but you'd also be missing the opportunity to fulfill this commandment, and receive whatever spiritual "fringe" benefits it has to offer.

A similar thing is true about the tree-blossoming blessing. There's a once-a-year blessing, said in the spring-time (preferably in the Hebrew month of Nissan) when you see a fruit-tree blossom. If you don't see fruit-trees in blossom, you don't have to make this blessing. But many like to seek out this once-a-year blessing opportunity, and find a fruit-tree in blossom so they can make the blessing.

Looking for the opportunity.
 

Two Ani-Maamins

(1) One was composed in the train on the way to a concentration camp. A cantor from the Modzitz Chassidic community composed it inside the train of anguish and agony. He asked if anyone could escape and bring this heartfelt melody to his Rebbe. Two men tried to pry the bars loose to escape the train. They got out. One died on impact, and the other eventually brought this haunting "Ani-Maamin" melody to the Modzitzer Rebbe after the war. The Rebbe, Rabbi Shaul Yedidya Elazar of Modzitz said, "With this melody on their lips Jews went to the gas-chambers and with this melody Jews will go and greet Moshiach."

(2) A livelier "Ani-Maamin" tune was popularized by Mordechai ben David, a well-known Jewish singer, and spread even further by an Israeli basketball team who had it sung or sang it for an entire season and it caught on in Israel. Another expression of faith and hope throughout the ages, only that a basketball game is a much better setting than a death-train during the Holocaust.
 

2nd Seder was better than the 1st

Shmuel lived in Karov, somewhere in Eastern Europe. He and his family were poor Chassidim of the Chozeh (Seer) of Lublin. One year, the Chozeh told a wealthy Chassid of his that Reb Shmuel in Karov was in desperate need of Pesach provisions. Just before Passover, a loaded wagon arrived at R' Shmuel's home filled with all types of Passover food and clothing for the kids. Shmuel's family was overjoyed. They never had anything like it. They enjoyed that first Seder like never before. They sat in new clothes, enjoyed fine foods, and drank delicious wines. Reb Shmuel was in an expansive and joyous mood and took time to elaborate on the Haggdah, sharing insights and commentary in an uplifted spirit of freedom.

But the fine foods and expensive wines didn't sit well with their stomachs, as they were accustomed to far more meager fare. They got sick that night, and all day suffered in bed, with aches and pains. They couldn't get to synagogue, and couldn't get up for the second seder. Late in the evening, Shmuel's wife roused him, begging him to come to the table for an abridged Seder. The kids gathered round, and in quick fashion, without fanfare and celebration, they read the Haggdah, ate the required Matzah and bitter herbs, and got through the Seder, as best as they could under the circumstances.

After Passover, Reb Shmuel traveled to see his Rebbe the Chozeh. No sooner than he crossed the threshold, the Chozeh called out, "Shmuel, I liked the 2nd Seder better than the 1st!" The Chozeh explained: The first Seder, no doubt was more enjoyable and satisfying. You felt good about it. The second Seder you did for one reason only - to fulfill the Mitzvah, even if you were not up to it, even if you got nothing out of it. That says a lot about commitment.
 

The 8th Day, the Hope Day

At the Seders this year at Saratoga Chabad, my brother Rabbi Abba quoted Elie Wiesel: "Dr. Sigmund Freud and Theodor Herzl both lived in Vienna around the same time period. But it's a blessing that they never met. For Freud would have over-analyzed Herzl's dreams of a Jewish homeland, and possibly dismissed them. Sometimes hope is better left alone."

Rabbi Dr. Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of Britain wrote that hope is only possible if one believes in free will, in our ability to break the natural cycle, to overcome fate and make the unexpected possible. Belief in Moshiach, and a much improved world, comes from that type of hope, one that can believe and expect something although so little of it is around right now.

The Baal Shem Tov began the tradition of ending off Passover with a bang. The Seders and first days recall the Exodus from Egypt in the Jewish past, whereas the 8th and final day of Pesach looks forward to the future and ultimate Redemption and Moshiach. The 8th day is a great day to reflect and wonder - where does the Exodus go from here?

The #8 is symbolic of going beyond the natural cycle. The cycle that we've come to know and expect. #8 can represent hope.

One more thing: It so happens that the (7th and) 8th day of Passover this year coincides with the Opening Day of a new Baseball season. Some players are the same, some are new, last year's successes and failures are in the past, and it's time to start fresh. We're not mired down in middle of a lousy season. Hope springs forth anew! Any team can make it. You never know. The possibilities are out there.
 

7th Day of Passover - Breakthrough

The first days of Passover celebrate the Exodus from Egypt. The 7th day commemorates the day when the Jews crossed the Red (Reed) Sea and sang the Song at the Sea. That's the Torah portion read on the 7th day of Passover.

There's a Talmudic expression, "Only when an olive is pressed does it release its oil." No one likes stress or pressure, challenges or obstacles, but sometimes it is what releases our innermost essence, it allows hidden untapped potential to be revealed.

Some of you may already know about an incident that occurred at Shabbos House, and the stressful situation we are working our way through at this time. Obviously it isn't easy or pleasant, but hopefully, like the squeezed olive, this will help us get to a better place, for an improved, enhanced, and better Shabbos House experience.
 

Loaning Money or Loaning an Object
 

The Rebbe quotes the Medrash which says that G-d observes all the commandments which He gave us. So, the same two types of loans happen with G-d as well. On one hand, G-d gives us very specific commandments and expects that they be fulfilled exactly as prescribed. Like Tefillin. We're not supposed to get creative and wear pink, rounded Tefillin. We're supposed to keep the Mitzvah of Tefillin as-is: square, black, long straps etc.

But there are many areas of Judaism where G-d desires our creative input, our individualized talent and personalized perspective. These areas/aspects of Judaism are like the monetary loan, where G-d gives us the capital, the ability, and we ought to go out and do somethn          ing special with it.

Three Talmud Tractates, The Torah Portion of Mishpatim, and a Daf-Yomi Siyum on Bava Basra

Here's the background behind this cartoon by Marcus Anderson, commissioned by Rabbi Israel Rubin.

This week's Torah portion is "Mishpatim" which covers a great deal of Jewish Civil Law. Much of the Talmud sections that explain these laws are the "Three Bavas": Bava Kamma (the first gate) Bava Metziah (the Middle Gate) and Bava Basra (the Last Gate). These three tractates cover a great deal of Jewish Civil Law.

Bava Kamma (the first gate) talks a lot about damages. Hence the angry, wild ox. Damages can also take the form of a public obstacle, or a unprotected fire that spread etc.

Bava Metziah (the middle gate) is mostly about "money in doubt". The laws of lost and found, what can I keep, what must I try to return, the laws of employee and employer disputes, and many other cases are found in this tractate.

Bava Basra (the last gate) is a lot about real-estate. Property divides and sales, proof of ownership, user-rights, matters of inheritance.

There's a method of Talmud study called Daf-Yomi, which means one-page-a-day. If you keep that up (alone or with a local study group) for seven and a half years, you'll finish the entire Talmud (if you don't miss a single day). Many communities have Daf-Yomi study groups, and there's one in Albany, too. All around the world, they're studying the same page.

It so happens, that the conclusion of Bava Basra (the last gate of the three), and the longest tractate of the Talmud (at 176 double-pages, or folios) is happening on this very Shabbat, on Parshat Mishpatim, when the Torah portion is read from which many of these laws are derived. My father, Rabbi Israel Rubin, was so excited about this connection, and in an effort to involve and excite the students at the Maimonides School, he commissioned Marcus to do this drawing.

Some of you may be thinking, I don't study the Daf-Yomi, or I've never read the Talmud...

1) You never know. Here's a little taste, if you'd like to, we can study a little, start from somewhere.

2) Whether we are studying it ourselves, or not, it's beautiful to get excited about the accomplishments of those who have, and to use this opportunity to find out a little more about it. After all, the Torah is OUR heritage, whether we study it a lot or a little.

3) It's good to know how broad, diverse and relevant Judaism and Torah study really is. It's not just the Passover stuff, or the Genesis story. Torah has a lot to say about our everyday lives, including what happens when I found a lost baseball card, or if my dog goes crazy and does some property damage. It's something to keep in mind.
 

I also remember the Maamar (Chassidic discourse). It was titled, "Six Days you shall eat Matzah" in Torah-Ohr of the Alter Rebbe, and the opening question discussed the two seemingly conflicting statements in the Torah text (in the same Parsha) as to why we eat Matzah on Passover:

1) The Jews left in a hurry and didn't have time to bake their bread, so the dough baked on their backs in the intense heat.
2) On the night before the Exodus, as part of the instructions for the Paschal Lamb, the Jews were commanded to eat the roasted meat along with Matzah and bitter herbs.

So, wait a second! Was the Matzah planned, or was it an accident? Was it something the Jews prepared for and was within their control, or was this something that just happened, way beyond their control?

The Alter Rebbe explains that both are valid reasons. Matzah has both messages and both types of inspiration. Matzah represents Bittul, an altruistic selfless dedication and commitment of self-surrender. This can happen in different ways.

The Maamar is deep and Bittul is too complex and rich a term to fully explain right now, so to expedite this (in the spirit of the rush of the Jews to leave Egypt) I'm going to use the analogy below:

Let's divide relationships into these two stages:
1) The period of dating and/or engagement: All surrenders and commitments are controlled and planned (or hopefully should be). You're still learning one another, gradually building trust.
2) After marriage, in a healthy, positive relationship: You can let go without holding on, there's that deep level of trust that allows each spouse to truly and totally be there for each other.

Our Jewish growth may be similar. We take little steps at first, double-checking, evaluating, making sure it is a good fit. And at some point, it can possibly grow into a natural state, where it just happens that way, and we're OK with that.

So we ate then and we still eat today - both types of Matzah. The Matzah that was planned, and the Matzah that wasn't.
 

The stewardess may have been mistaken about the explosive nature of Tefillin, because they are indeed safe. But she may have been right in calling it a device. Tefillin aren't a mere prayer accessory, a prop. They are a device with spiritual mechanics that enable it to function and produce meaningful spiritual results. They actually work!
 

by Shifra Cohen

In Parshat Bo,
Pharoah said No,
Then he said Go,
It was a great show!

The Alter Rebbe in his Tanya Chapter 25 paraphrases this concept and wording - from the legal world into the spiritual - to refer to the rights, control and access we have to our own souls. Not only is it our own soul, but we also have all the tools to access it.

Microsoft Access, the database program, illustrates this point as well. It's power is not in the data storage itself, but for the tools enabling the data to be organized and accessed in a great many different ways. Same is true for the Alter Rebbe's Tanya, which offers a suite of tools to enable us to better access our souls and spiritual potential, in which personalization is key.
 

Shabbos Chanukah (when we have both the Shabbat candles and Menorah lights burning) feels like a good time to share this profound spiritual insight into the anatomy of a flame, based on a passage in the Zohar as elucidated by Tanya chapter 35.

FLAME- this represents the “Shechina” - Divine Presence, the  G-dliness which descends to connect with our world.  The flame has 2 parts. The darker inner part is closer to the wick, and represents the hotter, more intense fiery struggle. The outer, brighter, purer flame represents the luminous light beyond the struggle, without struggle.

WICK - We are the wick. A wick serves as a connector and conduit for the energy/fuel to meet the flame. It also regulates and controls the flow of fuel to the flame.   Some wicks are better conductors of fuel than others, as the Mishna lists ‘good wicks and bad wicks’ for Shabbos and Chanukah Lightings.

FUEL/ENERGY: This refers to the good deeds or Torah & Mitzvos which we do, which enables us to connect with and remain connected with the G-dly Presence. 

1) The big news item this week was the Tiger Woods car accident, that accidentally spilled the beans on a (number of) affair he was having outside his marriage and got the tabloids buzzing. But what about the accident? No one else was hurt in the accident, and it isn't clear if he was or wasn't under the influence at the time. Should the DA press charges?

2) Our local paper told the bizarre story of a 75 year-old ex-security-guard who went back to the old building that he was fired from and held up the current security guard and tried to make off with a heavy safe. He managed to get it onto a dolly and wheeled it out into the parking lot, but he was unable to lift it up into his trunk so he dumped it in the woods. The current guard easily identified him, and the police arrested him the next day. Inside the safe? $500. What do you do with a guy like this? Never had a criminal record in his life, did the theft partly out of desperation, partly out of revenge...

3) The White House crashers. Ok, it wasn't legal, but they exposed the security flaw, didn't take anything...

When Jacob returned home and was preparing to meet his brother Esau, he wasn't sure how to go about it. Two decades ago he had to run for his life because Esau wanted to kill him for stealing the blessings. This was a sticky situation, complicated and uncertain. Rashi quotes the Medrash that Jacob prepared 3 different ways: (1) Prayer (2) War (3) Gift/Appeasement. He couldn't put all his eggs in one basket. He kind of hedged his bets, and tried everything.
 

The Baal Shem Tov teaches that the other meaning of the word "Teivah" can be equally relevant here. There's a turbulent world out there, and "raging waters" threaten our future. One way to safeguard ourselves is by entering within the "words" of Torah study and prayer, for just as a wooden ark protected Noah, so too, can encompassing words of Torah lift us up and shield us. But it's only effective if we get inside the words, just as it was with the ark. We have to be on the inside.

One year ago, millions of people, Jews and non-Jews, were glued to the television or internet screens all Thanksgiving weekend, waiting for positive news developments in Mumbai and at the Mumbai Nariman House - Chabad House, a popular and well-known Jewish address there for business travelers, local Jews and Israeli travelers. The tension mounted hour after hour. Thousands of people still have etched in their minds the incredible image of the picture of courageous Sandra and clinging little Moshe moments after their escape from the murderous terror that befell the others inside the building.

Personally, this hit home especially being that Shabbos House is a Chabad House, too, with the same open-door welcome and family-feel that the Rebbe envisioned. We even share the same sponsoring name - both Shabbos House and the Mumbai Chabad carry the name of the philanthropic Rohr Family of New York. I shuddered when I saw that plaque in the news footage. And the more we read about Gaby and Rivky, their personalities and characters, we've come to know them and feel close with them. Albany is also a Shlichus, but Mumbai takes the dedication to a whole new level.

Mesiras Nefesh (self-sacrifice or martyrdom) is an old Jewish term. Unfortunately, our long history is filled with it. Jews have died for no other fault than being Jewish as recent as the holocaust, or terror strikes in Israel, and as back in time with the Cossacks, Spanish Inquisition, the Crusades and many haters of their ilk.

The Mumbai/Holzberg story was especially jolting because it was a modern-day story of Mesiras-Nefesh. They were hunted down and killed simply because they were a prominent and welcoming Jewish address. In today's America, our Jewishness is not threatened by guns or bombs or swords. Our Jewish identity is threatened by assimilation, indifference, and ignorance. The Mesiras Nefesh asked of us today is not to give up our lives, but to make meaningful choices.

In memory of Gaby and Rivky, and in memory of all the Kedoshim (those who died for being Jewish) at Mumbai, or at any other time and place in our history - let us demonstrate some Jewish dedication. Let it be as determined and as focused and as powerful as those who have given their lives for simply that - being Jews.
 

But why the daily vote? It's become almost a nuisance, to remember ourselves, reminding others, and doing it once a day for almost three months. We asked the same question of the organizers. They told us the goal is to keep the project on people's minds, so that they think of it daily, and it remains current and relevant and happening throughout the whole contest period. You don't just do it once and be done with it. You have to get involved and stay involved. It's a cool strategy.

It seems the Torah and the Rabbis employed the same strategy with daily Mitzvah requirements like Tefillin, Shema or Prayer. Day in and day out, these Mitzvah obligations refresh daily, requiring us to log-in, with our unique "IP address" and do the Mitzvah again. It is not something in our past, or part of our collection of Jewish memories. It's what we do, who we are, each and every day.
 

That last point: lifting people's eyes upward - brings to mind a verse and a story from the writings of the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe (1880-1950) Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn:

I (Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak) knew a Chassid of my grandfather (Rabbi Shmuel of Lubavitch) named Reb Pesach. His father was Reb Yisrael, a storekeeper in Halusk and a Chassid of my great-grandfather (the Tzemach Tzedek of Lubavitch). Reb Pesach was simple when it came to study and even in worldly matters - he was not so sharp in business either. Because his in-laws where from Homel (also known as Gomel) he became a commissioned salesman and brought merchandise for the merchants of Homel and the surrounding towns and earned a generous living.

For Rosh Hashanah of 5627 (1866) he traveled with fellow Chassidim led by the Chassid R' Mordechai Yoel to be with my grandfather the Rebbe Maharash (Rabbi Shmuel) in Lubavitch. In his note to the Rebbe, Reb Pesach mentioned that as part of his work he personally travels around in the (open) wagon with the merchandise. My grandfather blessed him and said:

"You can constantly fulfill 'lift your eyes heavenward' and Shema = Yisrael."

Leaving his private time with the Rebbe, Reb Pesach went off to find R' Mordechai Yoel to tell him of his talk with the Rebbe and ask him for an explanation of the Rebbe's words.

R' Mordechai Yoel explained that a Shul is supposed to have large windows. Not only for purposes of natural light, but also to enable us to see the heavens, for the heavens reflect G-d's throne of glory and it is a way to increase one's awe of G-d. So the Rebbe is telling you that you can constantly fulfill this verse of 'lifting your eyes heavenward' because you often travel on the roads in an open wagon. The three beginning letters of this verse are the same three Hebrew letters that spell the word "Shema". And the Rebbe concluded by saying, if you can lift your eyes heavenward, which spells Shema, then you reach the level of Yisrael, which is the loftier of Jacob's two names.

Erev Rosh Hashanah 5652 (1891) was the first time I (Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak) heard this story from Reb Pesach. We were walking from the Ohel to the Shul and he told me at length the story of his first Yechidus (private time) with the Rebbe (Rabbi Shmuel) in 1866.

"When Reb Mordechai Yoel helped me understand the Rebbe's Yechidus-words," said Reb Pesach to Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak, "my heart brightened up within me. I began to yearn to understand more. My neighbor R' Hirshel the watch-maker would learn with me something from time to time, until I was able to learn a few lines of Tanya or Torah Ohr on my own. The Rebbe's words stood me on my own two feet."

I (Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak) was then too young to fully understand, and certainly not old enough to truly appreciate it, but I was able to get Reb Pesach's animated retelling and obvious inner-joy and pleasure. I wondered how a person could retell a story that happened 44 years earlier with the such excitement. Now that (Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak) browse through my writings of that time, and I read my entry for Rosh Hashanah of 1891, I clearly remember the walk from the Ohel to the Shul, I see all the people present at time, some of whom I knew by names, and others I did not.

Years later, Reb Pesach became wealthy. He moved to Lodz and became a large manafacturer. In 5688 (1921) when he was an already an old man, maybe in his 90's, Reb Pesach once again told me the story of his first Yechidus with my grandfather the Rebbe in 1866. He said it - he relived it - with the same pleasure, as it if had just recently occurred. And he said that since he stopped traveling in the wagon to do sales, he always looked for an apartment or office with large windows, and always chose the room that had the most outdoor light, so that he could continue to fulfill the Rebbe's words of "Lift your eyes heavenward."

"And since I (Reb Pesach) heard from the Rebbe, that Shema = Yisrael, I think about that every single time I say the Shema, morning and evening, when they take out the Torah, and in the Musaf Kedusha, in the long Vehu Rachum and at the end of Yom-Kippur. I always remember the Rebbe's words to me - that Shema = Yisrael. I ask of G-d, that when it comes time for me to utter my last and final Shema, may I have the clarity of mind, to remember the Rebbe's holy words to me, Shema = Yisrael."
 

... like a Wii-mote, there's spiritual sensors that pick up on our bodily motions, and via spiritual software generate the corresponding cosmic effects that transform the world around us.

There are actually lots of variants on the specific order of Lulav shaking directions, but at the end of the shake, all the same directions are covered. So why does each community place so much emphasis on a particular directional order?

We found a good answer to that when it came to getting the internet to work in the new Shabbos House. The contractor wasn't sure where we wanted what type of cable (and we weren't 100% sure either) so he wired many of the rooms in the house with raw Cat-6 cable. This unfinished wire has capability to be capped off as phone lines or cable wires, or other uses. But the capping-off process is more difficult than it may appear. The various colored wires have to be lined up in a particular order and placed within the appropriate cap, and "crimped" into place (so that exposed wire-tips make good connections with the connectors in the wire-cap). The crimping tool has very specific directions for the white-blue wire, the blue wire, the white-green, and the green etc... Interestingly, there's more than one order that can be used in crimping - but whatever order you choose, it has to be consistent on both ends of the wire.

We learned the hard way that crimping has to be done right. It took numerous tries, and lots of up and down the stairs until we got it right. So, the same goes for Lulav. If we want to make the spiritual connections flow, the specific order matters.
 

Until 2009. An adverse possession case in Queensbury NY regarding a property line between neighbors was brought to the attention of their NYS Senator, O'Little, who together with Mr. Tim Gordon of the NYS Assembly worked to amend the law to bring it back into sync with the law as it is in the Talmud. Both O'Little and Gordon did not know of the Talmud on this matter, until their amended law was discovered by local Talmud enthusiast, attorney and Daf-Yomi (daily Talmud study) participant Mr. Jack Kaplowitz who wrote a lengthy article on this matter which was published in Albany's Jewish World Newspaper.

The Maimonides students were excited about this, and met with Mr. Gordon to explain the Talmud's position on the matter. Though it has been several years since this specific piece of Talmud was studied at Maimonides, the students went back into it again in honor of the exciting change in NYS Law in 2009.
 

The Rebbe asks, why only for a new home? Say you buy an old home, it also should require a safety fence if the roof is flat enough to walk around on?

The Rebbe says, that when it comes to physical home safety, the same safety fence rule applies to new and old homes. But the Torah is teaching us an important message here about emotional and spiritual safety. In old situations we are experienced and know our way around. But in new circumstances and situations, we have to be especially vigilant and protected from hazards and challenges. Coming to college is one of those situations where we need additional personal precaution and protective measures to ensure that we don't fall or fail in our new environment.
 

Turns out that our immediate area was the hardest hit, and some of our neighbors told us that they collected insurance money for the hail-damage on their cars. We didn't notice much damage to our car, so we left it at that. But more and more people said that they got anywhere from one to three thousand, without much trouble, an adjuster comes down, and you get a check - so we thought we'd give it a shot. Not really our style, but hey - easy money.

So the adjuster came down, and by expert observation found lots of hail-damage all over the car. They would be sending a check, he said, and the choice would be for us to fix it or leave it. They did send a check a few days later, but it was made out to us - AND to American Honda (to whom we pay our monthly car payments). So we couldn't cash the check without American Honda signing off on it. Which they didn't want to do - unless we'd go ahead and fix the car. After all, we have more than $8,000 left to pay on the car, and therefore the car is partly theirs, and they have a right to demand that it be fixed up.

So we fixed it. It took four days (hence the VW white minivan rental in the interim). Not only that, they also did an amazing job vacuuming and cleaning the interior. Some of you have seen the interior of our car before. Let me explain. We have six young kids, we've gone on many long trips, and there are chips caked into seats, cookie crumbs in the floor. Things that spilled. The trips to the local regular car-wash are OK, but don't cut it. But this auto-body place must have a super-natural vacuum, or some other magical solution, because the car came back spanking clean!

I thought of two lessons - especially applicable to freshme'

n students starting off at college:

1) For many of you, college is your first full-time taste of freedom and independence. You're not living at home, mom and dad are not around to supervise. You might get the feeling to do whatever you feel like doing. Please bear in mind, that "you're not fully paid off yet" and while the freedom and independence are wonderful opportunities, please do it responsibly and wisely.

2) Once a car loses the new feeling, and gets a little dirty inside, you don't treat it the same way anymore. But when we got our two-year-old car back all fresh and clean, it's different. I was extra careful when parking at Wal-Mart, gave it a look-over when I stopped for gas. May the freshmen starting college at Albany - be able to somehow maintain and retain the same sense of wonder, curiosity, excitement and eagerness, as they progress over the next four years of their college journey.