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An Overview of the Weekly Classes:

 

1) Lech Lecha: The Virtue of Selflessness - October 27
What’s your opinion of a man who wins the super-lottery and spends every last penny on himself? If you won the lottery, would you give any of your winnings to your parents, family, friends or to charity? What do you think of a scientist who is so enamored with “pure research” that he sees no need to share his discoveries with others, discoveries that could save lives? What is your opinion of a wife and mother who withholds all real affection from her husband and children and only praises them when they make her look good in public or otherwise fulfill her narcissistic longings? How do you feel about a great Torah scholar who refuses to teach, and is contemptuous of everyone who is not on his intellectual or spiritual level? In all of these cases, the assumption is that when a person has been given a great gift— be it material, physical, emotional, intellectual or spiritual— then it is only natural to assume that as a normal human being he or she will want to share those gifts with others. But why make the assumption that it is only human and natural to share, to give, to be generous? Why not assume that human beings are programmed to be selfish, and that we should act on our deepest, most natural self-centered desires? In this week’s parsha we’ll review the life of Avraham avinu, discover the root and source of human generosity, and gain insights into who Hashem is, what He wants of us, and why He sent us into this world.


2) Vayeira: Breaking the Bondage of Our Limitations-November 3
How many times have you tried the same thing over and over again, only to come up short every time? How many things are there in life that you would like to do, but feel that you are not capable of, or trained for? Is it possible for you to run twice as fast, or twice as far as you can today? Do you find it impossible to exercise complete self-control in certain situations? Can you master a page of Talmud? If so, can you master a volume of Talmud? Can you learn to read, write and speak fluently in Hebrew? Would you like to do any of these things? The fact is that most people’s lives are defined by how they perceive their limitations. This perception somtimes comes from irrational insecurity, but in some cases it also results from trial and error. In other words, I conclude that “I can’t do that”, because I have tried and failed in this and similar situations many, many times, so I’ll pass on trying again. In today’s Torah Studies class we will take a very different approach to these questions about the limits to our abilities. We will ask this: True, you have limitations, but how would it be possible for you to transcend them? What would it take for you to make a quantum leap beyond the borders of what you think or even know you can do today? In today’s Torah studies class we’ll discuss this all-important topic of transcending our limits, a key theme of Chassidic thought.


3) Chayei Sarah: The Best Defense- November 10
What would you do if you were presented with a great business opportunity that required you to go back on your verbal, non-binding commitments to your other clients? If your teenage son or daughter was exceptionally physically attractive, how would you advise them to use or ignore their physicality when dealing with others who are clearly attracted to them on a purely physical basis? If a successful but recently-layed off friend expressed doubts to you about his capability of earning a living and supporting his family, what would you say to him? Life is always presenting us with challenging opportunities and with challenges that can become opportunities if we let them, and one thing is certain: Walking away from or ignoring our opportunities or our challenges because of our ego, our fears, or our doubts is never the answer. In this week’s class we’ll be studying a woman who seemed to have it all. Our matriarch Sarah was a world-class beauty and a woman who truly believed in Hashem. Yet at the same time the Torah presents us with flaws in her physical perfection and hints of her doubts in G‑d. In this week’s Torah Studies class we will see how Sarah’s strategy for dealing with her challenges and her opportunities can and should be our own: To meet them head on, with the assurance that the best defense is always a great offense that is aimed at proactively bringing goodness and G‑dliness into the world.


4) Toldot: Do You Believe in Miracles?- November 17
Do you ever feel bound by the laws of nature that prevent you from doing the things that you would like to do with your life? Do you feel constrained by your lack of certain natural abilities, by your looks, or even by fact that you are still too young or now too old to achieve certain goals? Do you think that it is possible that the natural laws of the universe that are holding you back can or should be set aside temporarily for your benefit, or for the benefit of any person or group? In other words: Do you believe in miracles? In today’s Torah Studies class we’ll be discussing the topic of not just transcending your limitations, but transcending nature itself. We’ll be studying the story of Avraham and Sarah, who became parents for the first time when he was 100 years of age and she was 90 years of age, a conception and birth that completely transcended the biological laws that confined the ages of childbearing then, and confine it now. “Very nice,” you might say. “But what does that have to do with me?” In today’s class we’ll learn how the miraculous conception and birth of Isaac—a miracle that happened more than 3,000 years ago— has everything to do with each and every one of us today.


5) Vayeitzei: The House of the G‑d of Yaakov-November 24
Who in your mind has greater merit: A person who keeps kosher because he’s studied all the laws and reasons in the Torah, Mishnah, Gemara, Kabbalah and Chassidut and is personally satisfied that kashrut is both logically consistent and spiritually uplifting? Or is the more meritorious person the one who has never learned a day in his life but keeps kosher just because he’s a Jew and Hashem wants Jews to keep kosher? According to the Torah’s point of view there is no question at all. Not because one way or the other is preferable, but because paradoxically they are both necessary. In today’s Torah Studies class we will be learning about the need to find the right balance between the joy that comes from the fulfillment of intellectual exploration, and the need for humility and surrender to HaShem’s Will. We will find this balance by studying Yaakov’s connection to the Third Temple and the Messianic era, a time when the joys of ongoing personal fulfillment and the humility that comes from being constantly aware of G‑d’s Presence will be one— complete and everlasting.

 

 

 

 

 

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