Shluchim Sermons

בס"ד Sermon for Shlach/Gimmel Tammuz — From the Rebbe’s Torah —  Humor to begin with:  I met a utility worker and he told me, “I'm a 5G installation engineer, and people are constantly accusing me with bizarre conspiracy theories, such as how 5G is giving them headaches, or covid. I think they are completely crazy. “4G must've fried their brains…” * It may seem to some that religion must solely be a matter of faith .  Is using our minds with regard to religion a contradiction to religion?  * The answer in short, is no.   Our brains help us connect to things in an internal and deep way — causing us to enjoy it. G-d actually wants us to connect to him in an internal way.  When we understand some of the reasoning behind those mitzvos which G-d wants us to understand, we do the mitzvos with more feeling and passion. We make it our own.  When we understand some of G-d’s greatness, and how he created the world, we feel in awe of G-d, and serve him with greater feeling.  When we

בס"ד Sermon for Behaaloscha — From the Rebbe’s Torah — Humor to begin with: I accidentally joined a pro-secession organization. When I tried to leave, I was elected as their chairman. We’re all part of a pro-unity religion. And that is the message of the Menorah, which is discussed in our parshah.  * But before we get to that, there’s something that needs clarification : This week’s parshah begins with discussing the lighting of the menorah, in the holy temple — the Beis Hamikdash.  The verse states, “ This was the work of the menorah: it was a hammered work of gold; it was hammered from its base to its flower.”  The problem is that the details of the menorah’s construction were already enumerated in another parshah — parshas Terumah, and it already discussed its creation in parshas Vayakhel. Here, the Torah discusses the menorah’s lighting. So why does the Torah say: “ This is the work of the menorah” — that would seem to be an introductory statement to a discussion of all the m

בס"ד Sermon for Shavuos — From the Rebbe’s Torah —  Humor to begin with: There is a well known Midrash about how God offered the Law to a number of nations, which all refused it, before He offered it to the Jews at Mt. Sinai. What isn't known very well is the inside story. G-d first went to one nation and asked them if they would like a commandment. "What's a commandment?" they asked. "Well, one of them goes, “Thou shalt not steal,” replied G-d. They thought about it and then said, “No way. That would ruin our economy.” So then G-d went to a second nation and asked them if they would like a commandment. They also asked, "What's a commandment?" "Well," said G-d, "one says, ‘Thou shalt respect your father and mother.'" They immediately replied, “Not today. How about on Fathers and mothers day?” So finally, G-d went to the Jews and asked them if they wanted a commandment. They asked, "How much?" G-d said, "Th