Science shares a hypothesis of what likely happened in order for the world to develop to the way that it is today. Science does not claim to know whether or not G-d created the world. How could science know? The Bible claims to know and to assert that this is how the world came into being. It did not evolve but rather it was created. Science does not refute that. Science poses questions and offers a hypothesis. The Bible offers how creation actually transpired. There is no conflict. Menachem Bluming and Chabad.org
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![]() Why on earth do we still keep two days of Yomtov outside of Israel? I know the history: in ancient times people didn't have calendars on their phones, because the calendar was not set in advance, but rather month by month. When witnesses saw the new moon they reported it to the rabbis in the Temple, and the rabbis would declare that a new month had begun. It would take a couple of weeks for the message to reach outlying communities, so they could never be sure of the correct date to celebrate the festivals. So the diaspora communities kept two days to be on the safe side. That made sense back then, but for heavens sake, we have calendars today! Why do we still keep two days in the diaspora for every festival that is one day in Israel? For me, this is one of the most ridiculous laws. It's like the World Jewish Council of Rabbis can't be bothered to overturn it or discuss it. Or perhaps they fear a backlash from Jewish bakers, butchers and grocers around the world who like having more Jewish festivals with more meals.... Can't we update this one already? Answer: I remember I had a teacher who had little patience. If a student missed out on what he said, he got furious and thundered, "Why can't you listen the first time? I will not repeat myself." This is not fair. Not everyone can grasp an idea all at once. There are some gifted individuals who are sharp enough to get it the first time. But many of us need to hear something twice before it sinks in. a good teacher should no this. G-d is the greatest teacher, and time itself is His classroom. Every festival in the Jewish calendar is like a lesson G-d teaches to the world. On Pesach we learn about freedom, and G-d beams a light of freedom into the world. On Sukkos we study the meaning of true happiness, and G-d sends the gift of joy into our hearts. Each festival and its observances are the way we receive the lesson, the light and wisdom of the day. When you live in the Holy Land, its very air makes you wise, it opens you up to spiritual wisdom. Like a gifted student, you get the lesson the first time. You need only celebrate one day of each festival, and its message hits home straight away. In the diaspora, we just don't get it so fast. We need more time for the lesson to sink in, as the air here is not as spiritually refined as Israel air. And so we are given a second day, another chance to fully absorb the power of the festival and for the message to hit home. Our sages prophesied that one day in the future, the holiness of Israel will cover the entire earth, and then we will all get it the first time. Until then, we in the diaspora can enjoy the extended holiness of an extra day. Make sense? If not I am happy to repeat it... :) Source:Rabbi Shnuer Zalman of Liadi, Admur Hazaken, Likkutei Torah Shmini Atzeres 92c Menachem Mendel Bluming, Rabbi Moss and Chabad.org Nah actually in daily life liking is more difficult and possibly more vital than loving.
You love your parents. You love your brothers and sisters. You love your children. But you don't necessarily always like them.... Sometimes you love your husband, or your wife, but you have a hard time liking them. What is the difference between "liking" and "loving"? Love comes from our sameness; liking comes from our differences. Loving someone underscores your shared identity, while liking another person emphasizes your distinctiveness from each other. I love you because you and I, in a very deep place, are one. You and your parents, you and your siblings, are connected in a very real way. There is love there, even if it is repressed and complicated. When I like you it means that I appreciate your unique personality and character traits. I like you not because we are one, but because we are different, and your individuality enriches and enhances my life. Loving your neighbor is a mitzvah. It reminds us that at our soul core level we are one but there are more mitzvot and they challenge us to not just love each other but to like the other too! Like is all you need…. Now how does that sound to you? :) Menachem Mendel Bluming and Chabad.org ![]() More than 40 years ago, archaeologists discovered what appeared to be a hunk of scroll at the site of En-Gedi, an ancient Jewish community in modern-day Israel. The fragment was charred and crushed, and every touch seemed to hasten its disintegration. There seemed to be no way to open it without destroying this 1500 year old scroll. UNTIL... read about this incredible technology that read the scroll without opneing it! CLICK HERE Menachem Mendel Bluming |
AuthorRabbi Mendel Bluming also dedicated six years to serving on the board of directors of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, where he received the Matthew H. Simon Rabbinical Award for exceptional communal leadership. Archives
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