Updates

 The Jewish Herald Voice Passover Magazine Featured Rabbi Chaim's list for 10 Tips and Meditations for a Post Harvey Passover.

Click on images to enlarge or click here for a printable PDF.

Your Pesach List: 

• Shabbos Hagadol is this week 
• Sell your chametz
• Let us gift you shumrah matzah - reply to this email
• Last chance to RSVP for the seder! Please do so now at www.chabaduptown.org/seder 
• Check for chametz Thursday night - read for the why 
• Firstborns: Hear a siyum or you gotta fast on Friday, March 30 - see schedule below
• Check out the complete Pesach schedule online

On Sunday, CTeen made Challah with seniors and sang songs while Helena Barker played on the piano. A labor of love - for loaves of love! - PICS

Tuesday is Education & Sharing Day: Education tends to be geared towards financial success and prosperity. In times like these, it has become increasingly clear that our youth need to be educated towards morals, ethics and conscience. Let's use this moment to reflect on these ideas on  Education and Sharing Day.

Marking forty years of observance and coinciding with forty years of Torah Day School of Houston, Mayor Sylvester Turner, joined cities throughout the USA and beyond declaring March 27, 2018 as Education and Sharing Day for Houston, Texas on the anniversary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe's birth. The Mayor's proclamation calls on Houstonians to use this "opportunity to pause and recognize our responsibility to ensure that our young people have the foundation necessary to lead lives rich in purpose and fulfillment".

- For the first observance in 1978, Vice President Walter Mondale & Senator Ted Kennedy were among the many US leadership. Rabbi Shimon Lazaroff attended the event in Washington D.C. as well.

- For the school year of 1977-78, the Nelkin family were the founding students of Torah Day School.

The Tools for Bedikas Chametz: In pursuit of a better self and a better world

On the night before Pesach, on the eve of 14 Nissan, we check our homes for chametz. We check for chametz not only physically, but, spiritually as well. Many stories are told of great tzaddikim who would spend many hours checking for chametz in their small and humble homes.

How does one go about checking for chametz internally?

The difference between the Hebrew letters of Chametz חמץ and Matzah מצה is only a drop of ink that attaches and changes the Ches of Chametz to the Hey of Matzah, representing a humble Yud ¹. Yud is the gematria, the numerical value, of ten. According to the Arizal ², ten pieces of Chametz are placed throughout the home as we search and find the ten physical pieces that will go up in flames the next day. Spiritually, we examine and search through the ten levels of the spiritual DNA of our existence, the ten levels, sefiros, of the neshama ³.

How does one achieve this introspective humility, transforming from the inflated Chametz, to the humble Matzah?

Perhaps we can find the answer in the very tools traditionally used to search and burn with the chametz, the feather, wooden spoon ⁴ and beeswax candle ⁵.

Through these seemingly crude tools, we are actually joining together all strata of modern existence, as taught in Kabbala and Chassidus ⁶:  Domem, Tzomeiach, Chai & Medaber. Loosely translated as the mineral, organic, animal and human kingdoms. As we walk the halls and rooms of the home, we are the human (Medaber), using the feather from a bird (Chai), wooden spoon from a tree (Tzomeiach) and a candle of beeswax (Domem).

This year, let’s be sure to search everywhere that we may have experienced chametz, examining the ten levels of our soul as in interacts with the four kingdoms of existence. May we succeed to work together to perfect ourselves, our community and the entire world.

Shabbos Hagadol, Parshas Tzav

Friday, March 23
Candle Lighting & Mincha at 7:17 pm
Services at 7:30 pm | RSVP for Shabbat Dinner

Shabbos, March 24
Chassidus at 9:00 am 
Services at 10 am
Followed by Shabbos Kiddush & Farengen
Mincha at 7:15 pm
Customary First Portion Haggadah Review
Maariv, Havdalla & Shabbos Ends at 8:11 pm
Living Torah

Sunday, March 25 - Shacharis at 8:30 am, Followed by the real BLT = Bagels, Lox & Tefillin
Monday, March 26 - Shacharis at 6:45 am
Thursday, March 29 - Shacharis at 6:45 am
Friday, March 30 - Shacharis at 6:45 am - Siyum for Fast of Firstborns

Have a good Shabbos!

Rabbi Chaim & Chanie

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter & YouTube @youngchabad!

1. Chukas HaPesach Hakatzar, 8.
2. Pri Etz Chaim, Shaar 21, Perek 5. Note the language used in Gemara Pesachim 10a, “placed ten and found nine”.
3. Processed through the intelligence: Chochma, Bina and Da’as (Chab”ad). Followed by the emotions: Chessed, Gevurah and Tiferes (Chag”as). Applied through the expressions of Netzach, Hod, Yesod and Malchus (Nehi”m). For more on this subject, see at length in Tanya Likkutei Amarim.
4. Hagaddah Shel Pesach Im Likkutei Ta’amim, Minhagim Ubiurim.
5. Shulchan Aruch 433:2.
6. Tanya Likkutei Amarim 38, elaborated in Iggeret Hakodesh Epistle 20. 

With Rosh Chodesh Nissan coinciding with Hachodesh, this Shabbos we read from threeTorahs! 1. Vayikra, 2. Rosh Chodesh, 3. Hachodesh.

Rivky has had a busy week! Off the press this week is the video recap feature of the CTeen Shabbaton trip to NYC!

Rivky also held a bake sale for a school challenge to raise money for Maos Chitim, Pesach money for needy families. You can also give to the Chabad of Uptown Maos Chitim fund at www.chabaduptown.org/donate.

Did you sell your Chametz yet? Do so now at www.chabadhouston.com/chametz

Reserve your spot at our seder www.chabaduptown.org/seder. Complete Pesach schedule with Chabad of Uptown at www.chabaduptown.org/pesachschedule 

PARSHAS HACHODESH: Our Other Head

Nissan is the first month, but it comes six months after the beginning of the year; Rosh Hashanah is the first day of the year, but it falls in the seventh month. Makes sense? It does, if you’re a Jew. more...

Shabbos Rosh Chodesh, Parshas Vayikra & Hachodesh

Friday, March 16
Candle Lighting & Mincha at 7:13 pm
Services at 7:30 pm | RSVP for Shabbat Dinner

Shabbos, March 17
Chassidus at 9:00 am 
Services at 10 am | Torah Reading from Three Torah, Parsha, Rosh Chodesh & Hachodesh
Followed by Shabbos Rosh Chodesh / Hachodesh Kiddush & Farbrengen
Mincha at 7:10 pm
Maariv, Havdalla & Shabbos Ends at 8:07 pm
Living Torah

Sunday, March 18 - Shacharis at 8:30 am, Followed by the real BLT = Bagels, Lox & Tefillin
Monday, March 19 - Shacharis at 6:45 am
Thursday, March 22 - Shacharis at 6:45 am

Have a good Shabbos!

Rabbi Chaim & Chanie

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter & YouTube @youngchabad!

Watch this recap of Purim with Chabad of Uptown  

So many exciting things happening this Shabbos!

• It is Shabbos mevarchim when we bless the new month of Nissan, the month of redemption
• It is Shabbos Chazak, when we complete the book of Shemos / Exodus with great fanfare
• We take out a second Torah to read Parshas Parah, the red heifer, in preparation for the Pesach sacrifice

NOW TAKING PESACH SEDER RESERVATIONS! The Seder is filling up! We are now taking reservations at www.chabaduptown.org/seder. Complete schedule at www.chabaduptown.org/pesachschedule

We wish heartfelt condolences to Shlomi Ben Hamo on the passing of his father Yosef in Israel. Shiva is being observed until Wednesday morning Shiva Visitation Hours: Friday: 10 am-1:30 pm, Saturday: 7:30-9:30 pm, Sunday-Tuesday: 10am-1:30 pm and 7:30-9:30 pm. Reply to email for address.

PARSHA: Three Types of Community

A shattered people must be rebuilt. How does Moses proceed? more...

Shabbos Mevarchim, Chazak, Parshas Vayakhel-Pekudei & Parah!

Friday, March 9
Candle Lighting & Mincha at 6:08 pm
Services at 6:30 pm | RSVP for Shabbat Dinner

Shabbos, March 10
Shabbos Mevarchim Tehillim at 8:30 am 
Services at 10 am | Chazak & Special Reading of Parshas Parah
Followed by Shabbos Kiddush sponsored by Ron Roseman marking his father's yartzeit, Chaim Moshe ben Avraham, a"h, on 23 Adar.
Mincha at 6:10 pm
Maariv, Havdalla & Shabbos Ends at 7:02 pm
Living Torah

CHANGE YOUR CLOCKS! Spring Forward One Hour. 

Sunday, March 11 - Shacharis at 8:30 am, Followed by the real BLT = Bagels, Lox & Tefillin
Monday, March 12 - Shacharis at 6:45 am
Thursday, March 15 - Shacharis at 6:45 am

Have a good Shabbos!

Rabbi Chaim & Chanie

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter & YouTube @youngchabad!