Parasha Insights - Chabad of Great Neck

The Gift of the Jewish People

Friday, May 31, 2024 - 12:31 AM

Charlie Boswell was a great athlete who became blind during World War II while rescuing his friend from a tank that was under fire. When he returned to this country after the War, he decided to take up a sport he had never tried yet golf. Years of Practice and determination led him to win the honor of National Blind Golf Champion no less than 13 times. One of his heroes was the great golfer Ben Hogan, so it truly was an honor for Charlie to win the Ben Hogan Award in 1958.

Upon meeting Hogan, Charlie was awestruck and told the legendary golfer that his greatest wish was to have one round of golf with the great Ben Hogan.

Hogan was duly honored, after all, he knew Charlie as the great blind player that he was, and truly admired his skills.… Read More »

DO YOU JUDGE PEOPLE?

Friday, May 24, 2024 - 1:09 AM

A talented artist asked his gallery owner if anyone had shown interest in his paintings.

"I've got good news and bad news," she said. "The good news is that some guy inquired if your work will be appreciated after you die.

When I told him that it would, he bought all 15 of your original paintings. He spent 4.9 million dollars on your paintings."

“That’s awesome,” exclaims the artist. “I can now retire in wealth. And the bad news?" "That guy was your doctor."

In preparation for the Festival of Shavuot, it has become a tradition among Jewish communities worldwide to study the Ethics of the Fathers before the holiday.

is an anthology of ethics, mor… Read More »

DO YOU HAVE SELF CONTROL?

Friday, May 17, 2024 - 6:54 AM

Joke: There are three kinds of people: those who can count and those who can’t.

But for those who know how to count, it is not difficult to figure out that 14 days constitute two weeks!

There is something strange about how we count sefirah the 49-day count between Passover and Shavuot as we read in this week’s Torah portion Emor.

The Talmud states: "It is a Mitzvah to count the days, and it is a Mitzvah to count the weeks.” This is because both are mentioned explicitly in the Torah:

Then, the Torah talks about two forms of counting: counting seven weeks and counting 49 days. We thus fulfill both mandates: After the first week, we count as follows: “Today is seven days, which is one week to th… Read More »

DO YOU KEEP A GRUDGE?

Friday, May 10, 2024 - 10:51 AM

Once, on Yom Kippur, a Rabbi spoke about forgiveness.
After the sermon, he asked how many are willing to forgive their enemies. About half held up their hands.

Still unsatisfied, he lectured for fifteen more minutes and repeated his question. All responded except one elderly lady in the rear. "Mrs. Cohen, are you not willing to forgive your enemies?" "I don't have any."

"That is very unusual. How old are you?" "106"

Not satisfied, he lectured the congregation for another twenty minutes and repeated his

"Mrs. Cohen, please come down and tell the congregation how a lady can live to be 106 and not have no enemy in the world." The old lady teetered down the aisle,… Read More »

CAN YOU BE SILENT? SPEAK UP!

Friday, May 3, 2024 - 6:00 AM

This week's Torah portion, Acharei Mot, opens with the tragic episode of the death of Aaron's two sons, Nadav and Avihu, the two priests of Israel.

On the day the Tabernacle in the desert was erected and Aaron's four sons were inaugurated as priests, the two oldest children entered the Tabernacle, “came close to G-d,” and passed away.

As the Or Hachaim explains:

Theirs was death by Divine “kiss” like that experienced by the perfectly righteous it is only that the righteous die when the Divine “kiss” approaches them, while they passed by their approaching it… Although they sensed their demise, this did not prevent them from drawing near to G‑d in attachment, delight, fellowship, and love, s… Read More »