Rabbi's Blog - The Shul of Bellaire

Engraved in Us: What the Rebbe Taught Me

Friday, June 27, 2025 - 4:26 PM

This Sunday marks the Yahrzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, a towering figure who transformed the Jewish world and touched lives in every corner of the globe. I humbly count myself among those deeply influenced by the Rebbe. His vision, love and clarity continue to shape my life every single day.

The Rebbe taught that there are two ways to go about life: one is like 'writing', the other is like 'engraving'.

When you write, you connect two separate entities, ink and paper. Because they are distinct, the writing can be erased. But when you engrave something, the letters are not applied to the surface, they are part of the very stone itself.

The Rebbe taught us to live engraved. To relate to our Jewish identity not as something external but as something embedded within us. Not something we put on or take off depending on mood or convenience, but something that defines us at our core. Not just something we do, but something we are.

It’s like breathing. We don’t stop to ask whether we feel like inhaling or whether the setting is right, we just breathe, because it is who we are. The Rebbe lived Judaism this way and taught that when it is part of our very being, it becomes instinctive. When Shabbat approaches, we light candles. In the morning, we put on Tefillin. When a fellow Jew is in need, we help. When Israel is under attack, we don’t just stand with Israel - we are Israel.

And when our Jewish identity is truly who we are, we are always proud of it. We don’t hide it or remove it to impress others or to fit in. We live it openly and joyfully, because it is us.

There is also this: when our connection is engraved, we stay the course. Even when life gets complicated or challenges arise, we continue the mission. It is part of us, inseparable from who we are. So we carry it forward in all circumstances, with strength, joy and purpose.

Strategic Strikes. Open Miracles. What’s Our Role?

Friday, June 13, 2025 - 4:21 PM

The situation is evolving minute by minute, but starting last night, the world watched as Israel carried out a strategic operation against the evil emanating from Iran. What we witnessed was nothing short of open miracles, clear reminders that “The Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.”

Before the mission, Israel’s Prime Minister visited the Kotel to pray for its success. In a powerful moment just days earlier, Argentinian President Milei presented him with a portrait from his 1988 visit to the Lubavitcher Rebbe. The PM reflected on that meeting and on the mission he was given, to be bold and proud when protecting the Jewish people ( watch here).

But what about us, living here in the diaspora?

We are thousands of miles away, in a different culture, speaking a different language. Do we have a role to play other than following the news? Can we make a difference for our brothers and sisters in Israel?

The answer is a resounding yes.

The Menorah in the Holy Temple was carved from a single block of pure gold. Its six branches extended in different directions from a central stem, but all were part of the same unified structure. Though they spread outward, each flame was tilted toward the center, symbolizing a deeper truth: at our core, we are one.

This is our story too. Each soul is a flame of the Divine. Though we may be spread out, living in America, speaking English, with different culinary preferences and cultural quirks. Still, we are all part of the same Menorah. Each of us shines in our own way, fulfilling a unique Divine mission. Yet we are all forged from the same spiritual essence, all bound to the same sacred purpose: to be a light unto the nations.

Our prayers, mitzvot and acts of charity on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Israel are not symbolic, they are powerful, as they are critical. They draw down Divine blessing and protection. They help ensure that G‑d’s watchful eye remains upon the Land and its people, guarding them from harm.

May G‑d protect every member of the IDF. May He bring home the hostages swiftly and safely. May our unity hasten the day when peace reigns in the Land of Israel and the light of the Menorah shines once again with the coming of Moshiach, speedily in our days.

If You've Got It, Use It

Friday, June 6, 2025 - 4:24 PM

Have you ever asked yourself, ‘Am I really using everything I’ve been given?’ Maybe there’s a talent, a skill, a resource, or even a part of your personality that you’ve quietly sidelined. Not because it isn’t valuable, but because you’re unsure how to use it, or maybe you lack the confidence to step up in that particular area.

You wonder if it really matters, or assume someone else can do it better.

This week we learn about the wagons and oxen designated to transport the Mishkan, the holy Tabernacle in the desert. Everything in G-d’s house was of the highest quality - gold, silver, fine materials - yet when it came to the practical needs of the Mishkan, only the exact amount of what was necessary was used. No extras. No fluff. Just the precise amount needed to fulfill its purpose to perfection.

This detail teaches us something powerful: G-d creates nothing unnecessary. Not in the Temple and not in you, a living Temple. If you’ve been gifted with something, a strength, an idea, a personality trait, a life experience, it is because it is essential. You are meant to use it as part of G-d’s master plan.

When we leave parts of ourselves untapped, when we say ‘not now’ or ‘not me,’ we may be leaving a part of G-d’s vision, for us and His world, incomplete.

You may already be doing a lot, but if there is still more you can give, in the same area or in a different one, know this: no one else can do it for you. G-d’s plan won’t be complete until you bring your full self to the table.

So today, ask yourself: What part of me have I left on the shelf? What gift have I set aside? Start using it now, in your own way, to make the difference only you can make.