How Important is a Beard?

MyLife: Chassidus Applied Episode 128, with Rabbi Simon Jacobson

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How can one enjoy life while being aware that there’s a higher purpose? What is the secret to melding fun and deeper meaning?

What personal lessons can we glean from this time period moving from Av into Elul?

How important are the garments that we wear? Aren’t garments just a superficial thing? Why does it seem that so much emphasis is put on externalities when we should be concerned with what’s going on inside?

What attitude should we have to misguided Jews who support Iran or march with Palestinians? Seeing such behavior can make your blood boil; the chilul Hashem is beyond words. But how should we approach it? Should we ignore them, confront them or take some other stance?

How does Chassidus guide someone who has a serious case of empty nesting?
Rabbi Jacobson will address these relevant issues in this week’s 128th episode of MyLife: Chassidus Applied.

Rabbi Jacobson will also review the following essays submitted in this year’s MyLife: Chassidus Applied essay contest: “Olympic Dreams; Going for Gold” by Esther Kosofsky; “I Am a Soldier in the Army of Hashem” by Dov Moshe Newmark; “Leave the Past; Live the Present” by Yehoshua Herzfeld. These and other essays can be read online at meaningfullife.com/essays.

And finally, the Chassidus question of the week: How can Chassidus talk about levels before the tzimtzum when the Eitz Chaim states specifically that before tzimtzum there is only an Or Ein Sof Poshut memaleh kol ha’metzius, seamless and shapeless divine energy with no distinctions at all?

This hour-long dose of insights is meant to inform, inspire and empower us by applying the teachings of Chassidus to help us face practical and emotional challenges and difficulties in our personal lives and relationships. To have your question addressed, please submit it at meaningfullife.com/mylife.

The topics in this Sunday’s hour-long broadcast will include:

· Chassidus Applied to Parshas Ekev, Chof Av, and Mevarchim Elul

· The significance of the period that begins after the 15th of Av

· The importance of wearing a beard

· Why the emphasis on garments?

· How can one balance fun and higher purpose?

· How should we approach Jews who march with our enemies?

· Dealing with loneliness

· The anatomy of time – follow-up

· Chassidus Question: How can there be levels before the tzimtzum when the Eitz Chaim says that all that existed them was Ohr Ein Sof Poshut memaleh kol ha’metzius, seamless and shapeless divine energy with no distinctions at all??

· MyLife Essays: Olympic Dreams: Going for Gold, I Am a Soldier in the Army of Hashem, Leave the Past; Live the Present

In what has now become a staple in so many people’s lives, MyLife: Chassidus Applied addresses questions that many people are afraid to ask and others are afraid to answer. When asked about the sensitive topics he has been addressing, Rabbi Simon Jacobson commented, “I understand that the stakes are high and great care has to be taken when speaking openly, but the silence and lack of clarity on matters plaguing the community can no longer go unaddressed. The stakes of not providing answers are even higher.”

The on-going series has provoked a significant reaction from the community, with thousands of people viewing each live broadcast and hundreds of questions pouring in week after week. At the root of every question and personal challenge tackled by the series is the overarching question: Does Judaism have the answers to my personal dilemmas?

In inimitable “Jacobson-fashion”, the broadcast answers people’s questions in simple, clear language while being heavily sourced. Each episode is jam-packed with eye-opening advice from the Rebbeim, gleaned from uncovering surprising gems in their letters, sichos and maamorim that address our personal issues with disarming relevance. Simultaneously, Rabbi Jacobson is able to crystallize a concept quickly, succinctly, and poignantly for any level of listener.

All episodes are immediately available for viewing in the MLC’s archive and can be downloaded as MP3s for listening on the go.

Questions may be submitted anonymously at meaningfullife.com/mylife

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