Rabbi's Blog - The Shul of Bellaire

Are you noticing the miracles?

Friday, March 27, 2026 - 3:11 PM

We often move through life looking back at how things worked out and assuming that it was simply how it was meant to be. Our child got into the right school, a job opportunity came through, the flight took off and landed on time. It all feels natural, almost automatic, as if this was the expected outcome all along, the result of our effort and planning.

But what else is also happening?

This Shabbat is known as Shabbat HaGadol - the ‘Great Shabbat’, named for a remarkable miracle that took place just days before the Jewish people left Egypt. They were commanded to set aside a lamb for a sacrifice, an act that directly challenged the Egyptian deity. When the Egyptians noticed, they questioned the Jews and were told plainly that in four days a final plague would strike, the death of the firstborn. Faced with this, the Egyptian firstborn went to their leaders demanding that the Jews be freed. When they refused, a civil war broke out, Egyptians against Egyptians.

What is striking is that this miracle did not come with thunder or spectacle. It unfolded through what looked like a natural chain of events: fear, pressure, conflict. And yet beneath the surface, something extraordinary was happening. Nature itself was shifting in favor of the Jewish people. The tide was turning.

This Shabbat we are invited to see our own lives through that same lens. What we often call “natural outcomes” may in fact be a steady flow of hidden miracles, so woven into the fabric of daily life that we barely notice them. If we paused to pay attention, we might realize that we are living through blessings we once prayed for.

This Sunday is the 11th day of Nissan, the 124^th birthday of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. He lived with the clarity that no day is ordinary. Each day carries its own energy, its own opportunity, its own quiet miracles waiting to be recognized. With a bit more awareness, we can begin to see them.

On a broader level, we are witnessing surprising shifts in the world around us, moments when those once seen as adversaries are now, even if quietly, aligning in the fight against forces that threaten Israel and the Jewish people. These developments remind us that what appears to be natural or political may in fact be part of a larger unfolding.

As we prepare for the Seders next week, let us use this season to recognize the many blessings in our lives not as routine, but as remarkable.

Can we ever write off another Jew?

Friday, March 20, 2026 - 4:15 PM

Right now, our brothers and sisters in Israel are facing extraordinary challenges. Our prayers are with those who have lost loved ones and with the many who are injured. Meanwhile, much of the population is running to shelters multiple times each night, bringing children and elderly loved ones to safety from relentless attacks. And yet, amidst it all, something remarkable is happening. Daily miracles reveal the hand of G‑d guiding, protecting, and sustaining the Jewish people, reminding us that even in the darkest times, His providence is real and alive.

After a class last week, a conversation came up about a phenomenon we all know too well: our own Jewish brothers and sisters taking surprising positions on Israel. “I can’t believe any Jew would be against the current war on Iran,” someone said. Another added, “And those Jews in New York who voted for Mamdani, are they even Jewish anymore?”

Of course, similar accusations come from every direction, left and right alike, as people struggle with the shock that another Jew might take a stance we consider dangerous to millions of Jewish lives. The temptation to write off anyone whose views clash sharply with our own can be strong.

This week, the Torah offers a subtle but powerful lesson. In the context of offerings brought after a sin committed by a large segment of the community, the Torah does not overemphasize the gravity of the wrongdoing. The offering is described in a way that does not dwell on the negative, without amplifying the failure. Our sages explain that this teaches us how far G‑d’s love extends: even when His beloved children make mistakes, He helps them remedy the situation appropriately, without dwelling on their mistake.

We can take a cue from this divine example. If every Jew is one of G‑d’s beloved children, then each of them is our brother or sister. We may disagree, we may view someone as misguided, and we may seek to educate or guide them back to the right path, but we never write them off.

Every Jew, regardless of how far they may stray, remains a child of G‑d, deserving of respect, patience, and love.

Do you actually feel at home in Synagogue?

Friday, March 13, 2026 - 3:16 PM

This week I spoke with two people in our community I hadn’t seen in a long time. Both shared the same observation: they have never felt as strongly Jewish as they do right now, even as Jews face attacks, verbal and physical.

Their awakening is inspiring, but it also highlights a challenge. Many want to reconnect, to feel the warmth of community, yet without basic knowledge and experience, it can feel intimidating. Walking into a synagogue service, a Judaism class, or a community event can feel unfamiliar, uncomfortable, or even overwhelming.

Some parents are cautious about exposing their children to anything “too Jewish” in the hope they will choose their own path as adults. Without a foundation of basic training, that choice often leads to minimal engagement later in life. We can fall into the same trap ourselves, hesitating to pursue knowledge until “later” and unconsciously passing that hesitation on. With even a little familiarity, the synagogue, a class, or community event can become a space of connection and joy, life-enriching, relevant, and uplifting, turning what once felt unfamiliar into experiences that inspire and strengthen.

This week we read about the seven days of preparation before the inauguration of the Mishkan, on the first of Nissan. For a full week, the Mishkan functioned unofficially, so that on the eighth day, the services could be performed flawlessly. Even for the holiest service imaginable, preparation and learning was essential.

The Passover Haggadah makes the same point. Among the four children, the most challenging is not the rebellious one, but the one “who does not know how to ask.” Ignorance, more than opposition, is the greatest obstacle. A foundation of knowledge allows a person to participate fully, engage confidently, and be inspired when the moment calls.

Basic Jewish training is not about knowing everything. It’s about building familiarity and confidence. It allows us, and our children, to step forward into Jewish life with courage, to feel comfortable in a synagogue, and to continue growing from there, wherever their journey may take them.

Take the first step. Sign up for a class, attend a service, or explore a community event. Even a small step can open the door to new experiences and deeper connection. And if you’d like guidance along the way, Esty and I would be delighted to discuss options that suit you personally.

Does Chabad Really Want to Build the Temple?

Friday, March 6, 2026 - 3:54 PM

Life sometimes hits hard, plans fall apart, things go wrong, and it feels like everything is breaking. And yet, those very moments often create the space for unexpected blessings and growth we weren’t ready for before.

One such dramatic moment occurs when Moshe descends from Mount Sinai and sees the Jewish people worshipping the Golden Calf. In response, he shatters the tablets that contained the commandments given by G-d.

At first glance, this seems like a tragic act. Yet our sages tell us something surprising. Not only did G-d not rebuke Moshe for breaking the tablets, He affirmed his action and even gave him a “Yasher Koach.” G-d then reassured him: Do not worry about what was shattered, the second tablets will contain even more Torah than the first.

Why was it necessary for the first tablets to be broken in order for the second to be given? Could they not simply have been set aside?

The deeper message is that sometimes a greater light can only enter after a breaking point. When something shatters, space is created. Old assumptions fall away. Ego softens. In that openness, something deeper and more enduring can take root.

This is true in our own lives as well. The broken pieces of our experiences can become the vessels that hold our greatest blessings, making room for growth, clarity, and purpose we were not yet ready to receive before.

In recent days the internet has once again filled with hateful and absurd accusations against Jews, this time claiming that Chabad are somehow behind the war with Iran. Being the target of such baseless hostility never feels good.

But perhaps we can transform this darkness into a catalyst for greater light. Let it push us to deepen our pride, strengthen our Jewish life, and bring even more Torah and Mitzvot into the world.

For the record, Jewish tradition teaches that the Temple in Jerusalem will be rebuilt only in the era of Moshiach, at the time that G-d determines. We can hasten that day through acts of goodness and kindness.

The only “temple project” we can begin today is much closer to home: building a vibrant Chabad center for The Shul in our community.

If you would like to be part of that, I would be honored to speak with you.