From the Rabbi's Desk - Chabad Jewish Center of Petaluma

Chess & Talmud

Friday, December 25, 2020 - 9:00 AM

Last night my boys sat down for a game of chess. A mind-stimulating activity. Talmud and chess: pencil sharpeners of the brain.

December 25, 2020 - 1.jpg

Pictured here, are the Rebbes playing chess during a rare moment when they weren't studying Torah. Hidden in the strategic skill of a chess match is a powerful lesson:

The whole objective of the game is a larger than life goal: The king has a vision for the kingdom, and thus everything revolves around ensuring the king endures. The graceful knight, the dominating castle, and down to the lowly pawns - who seem to be a dime a dozen (or eight) - everyone moves in lockstep to accomplish this mission.

But the pawns can go where no other can, and can be promoted, or transformed rather into absolute royalty.

Life is a chess game. Hashem has a Master Plan for the world, that it becomes a beautiful, kind, and Mitzvah-filled world. There are angels and heavenly ministers, each tasked with a piece of the puzzle. December 25, 2020 - 2.jpg

But it is the pawn on the lowest rung of the ladder - me and you - who can move no faster than one step at a time. The progress practically, imperceptible, yet steadily undeniable. Our non-glamorous actions accumulate into a headlong sprint for the finish line.

A mechanic tightening a rivet on Apollo 11, a construction worker laying the foundation of the Freedom Tower, a Jewish girl learning her Aleph Bet. Just as we could put man on the moon, we can, with constant advancement, achieve Hashem's vision for a better world.

Happy Chanukah!

Friday, December 11, 2020 - 9:00 AM

And she's up!

This year, like the past 5, Chanukah is at the River. And this time, thanks to December 11, 2020.jpg the dredging, there's actually water!

As a child, my father would always tell us to look into the Chanukah flames to see the stories the candles could tell.

Standing proudly at riverfront, these flames (or light bulbs) must have some incredible stories.

Of a little girl enthralled by the sight of a larger-than-life Menorah. Of a passerby taking a moment of their day to notice someone sitting on a bench alone, and brighten their day with a greeting. Of, struggle and triumph, of hardship and friendship, of darkness and light.

And throughout it all, the Menorah inspires and illuminates the way.

Let's all shine together!

Monolith Solved

Friday, December 4, 2020 - 9:00 AM

Mystery of the week.

A monolith - a steel triangular column - discovered in the middle of the December 4, 2020.jpg Utah desert. Lockhart basin has no cellphone service nor restrooms. Yet visitors began flocking to this remote location to get a glimpse of this inexplicable phenomenon.

A colleague of mine cleverly photoshopped the monolith, imagining it to be a giant menorah, and attribute its placement to the local Chabad Rabbi.

Less than 10 days later, just as suddenly as it had appeared the monolith was gone. Four unknown individuals decided that its sleek design and finished look were too out of place and disruptive for the naturally rugged terrain.

It got me thinking about m&m's. Menorahs and Monoliths. And how just perhaps if our shiny protrusion had taken a Menorah lesson, it may have stood a fighting chance.

The monolith with its sharp angles and reflective surface seemed to stand in defiance. I refuse to be as dusty as my surroundings, I will have clear definition as opposed to random curves, bumps, and inlets of the desert landscape. The metallic structure stand in sharp contrast, sending a message loud and clear. I am not the desert. And will not be influenced by it.

Yet, the monolith does not seek to change its environment. And I suspect that late at night when the tourists have gone home and the gazes of admiration have subsided, the monolithic metal actually becomes cold to the touch. The desert has made its impact on the prideful pillar.

The Menorah, however, has but one mission. To illuminate the darkness. To cast its warm glow upon anyone who enters into its radius. Not to stand in contrast, but to influence, inspire, and transform its surroundings. To melt the wax, turn night into light, and darkness into hope.

This Chanukah, be a menorah, and illuminate the desert around you, with warmth, kindness, and joy.

That's a menoralith that would be met with unanimous approval.

Please join us to celebrate Chanukah and illuminate the darkness at the Chanukah Drive-Thru Experience, and for the virtual Maccabeats concert!