Zalman Tiechtel

In his very first discourse upon assuming leadership, the Rebbe chose to focus on the deep love that Jewish leaders have for each and every person. This week’s story shares the remarkable moment when minutes before the final distribution of dollars ended,...

What is the connection between Eurovision, a gas station in Northern Israel and YOU? Enjoy this week's inspiring story, which reminds us that our baseline and default needs to be not what I think is best, but what does Hashem want from me in this moment. ...

The Torah tells us that the Exodus from Egypt was conditional upon us ensuring that our weights are correct. Why is having proper scales such a big deal? Why are faulty weights worse than brazen daylight theft? There is a powerful message here about havin...

Brit Milah, the circumcision, represents a deep intrinsic bond with G-d that every Jew possesses, beyond logic and beyond understanding. This is not something we earn through our own efforts, rather this is a gift given to us from G-d. This is why every J...

What lies at the essence of the laws of Kosher? The Torah sheds lights with one key word: to differentiate, or l’havdil in the original Hebrew—this single word defines the Jew’s uniqueness as a holy person. When we eat kosher food it becomes part of who w...

There is a fire of love for G‑d that burns within every soul. It is the task of the kohen—the spiritual leader—to find and feed this fire. As we celebrate the Rebbe‘s birthday, we recognize how the Rebbe kindles the flame of every Jew and encourages us to...

The small Alef in the opening of this week’s Parsha teaches us about the special humility that Moses possessed. Interestingly there’s a big Alef in the opening verse of the book of Chronicles in the word Adam. What’s the message? True humility is not lyin...

After the construction of the Tabernacle, we read how the Jewish peaple will follow the clouds of glory. When the clouds are lifted, they will move on. When the clouds settle down, they will rest. We too have a GPS—G-d Positioning System. Wherever we find...

Why in the world do we immortalize our enemy Haman by eating cookies that bear his name? The truth is that this is a case of mistaken identity. These Purim treats were originally called Muhntashen, which means 'poppy seed pockets'. The deeper reason for e...

At times we may feel that a life of Torah and Mitzvahs is difficult and too much to carry. But the truth is that it is not us who are carrying the Torah, rather the Torah is carrying us! This idea is seen in how the Levites carries the heavy Holy Ark. Thi...