We are looking forward to sharing the simcha of this week’s kiddush with you, in honor of our daughter Tzivie. Instead of expressing gratitude in a written Hakarat HaTov corner, we look forward to expressing it in person in our remarks after davening on Shabbat morning. We hope you can join us!
Rabbi’s Recommendations
Sunday, the third of Tammuz, is the yahrtzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe of blessed memory. Aside from the countless hours of footage of the Rebbe for viewing and his voluminous writings, which of course are worth exploring in depth, there are some excellent biographies of the Rebbe as well. The one I enjoyed the most was Rabbi Joseph Telushkin’s book Rebbe; while it is a biography, it is also unapologetically favorably biased, containing many important life lessons from the Rebbe’s personal conduct, his manner of leadership and his care for every Jew.
One of the areas the Rebbe was most careful of was in his speech- he refused to use any phrases that had inherently negative connotations. A hospital, for example, was not a Beit Cholim, or a house of the ill, but a Beit HaRefuah, a house of healing. I am in the middle of this book- The Power of Bad: How the Negativity Effect Rules Us and How We Can Rule It. In light of my remarks last week in shul about optimism and pessimism, and the Rebbe’s example, I’ve found this book to be especially illuminating.
My soul thirsts for You, my flesh longs for You; as one in a desolate and dry land without water, so I thirst to behold You in the Sanctuary, to behold Your might and glory." (Psalms 63:2, 3).
This niggun is one that Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z”l called one of his “desert island” pieces of music.
Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom!
Sincerely,
Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky
Congregation Shaare Tefilla 6131 Churchill Way Dallas, TX 75230
