This week’s Torah portion tells the story of the spies sent by Moshe to scout the Land of Israel. Their mission was clear: to gather information that would help the Jewish people prepare to enter the land. Yet while most of the spies lost confidence, Caleb and Joshua remained strong. They knew that when Hashem gives us a mission, He also gives us the strength to carry it out.
This past week, the guys got together for a BBQ Bash. Some asked: What was the occasion? The answer was simple: stam. No reason. Just because Jews should get together, enjoy each other’s company, and celebrate the joy of being Jewish.
That, too, is part of the Rebbe’s message. Judaism is not only for major milestones or moments of crisis. Every gathering, every mitzvah, every moment of Jewish connection adds light to the world.
This week, as we mark the Rebbe’s yahrtzeit on Thursday, Gimmel Tammuz, we are reminded of the Rebbe’s unwavering confidence in every Jew and in the mission entrusted to each of us. The Rebbe taught us to reach out to every Jew with love, to add in goodness and kindness, and to prepare the world for the coming of Moshiach, one mitzvah at a time.
In the coming days, I will be traveling to New York to visit the Rebbe’s resting place, known as the Ohel. It would be my honor to bring your name and prayer requests with me. Please send me your Hebrew name and your mother’s Hebrew name, along with any requests for blessing. You may also send your own letter directly at: www.chabaduptown.org/ohel
It is customary when asking for a blessing to take on an additional mitzvah, adding more light and merit into the world.
Good Shabbos!
Rabbi Chaim and Chanie Lazaroff
THE COHEN CORNER
The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.
The spies returned from the Land describing its powerful inhabitants and fortified cities. The people panicked. Despite everything they had witnessed and everything G-d had promised, they became convinced that the mission was doomed. Moshe's response was not a carefully reasoned argument. He sharply rebuked them, refusing to validate the narrative that had taken hold. And remarkably, it worked. The very next morning, the same people who had spent the night weeping in despair were ready to enter the Land. The obstacles had not changed, but the grip of fear had loosened.
We often experience something similar. A challenge appears, and before long we are no longer dealing with the challenge itself but with the story we have built around it. We begin to see failure before we have even begun, weakness where there is strength, and impossibility where there is opportunity. Sometimes the first step forward is not solving the problem but refusing to let fear define it. When we regain that clarity, we often discover that we are capable of far more than we imagined.
Have a phenomenal Shabbos!
Rabbi Yosef, Chanale, Mushka & Mendel Cohen
- Shabbos, June 13, 9:30 am - Likkutei Torah - Kabbala of the Parsha - Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi's Masterworks on the weekly Parsha.
- Sunday, June 14, 6:30 pm - Shabbat in an Hour for Today’s Busy Women - Cooking demo and tasting with Chanie & Chanale, blending traditional and modern Shabbat recipes. RSVP at chabaduptown.org/cook.
- Monday, June 15, 8 pm - Hebrew Language: The Tanya with Rabbi Menny Raichik
- Tuesday, June 16, 12:00 pm - Independence Illusion Lunch N’ Learn - Explore whether spiritual growth can be completely self-directed and what true independence means in Jewish life. RSVP at chabaduptown.org/lunch.
- Wednesday, June 17, 8:00 pm: YJP Dinner, Class & Social with Guest Rabbi Levi Marinovsky, Chabad of Cypress: A Winner's Mindset - Maximizing My Potential: Discover the Rebbe’s practical approach to living with purpose, confidence, and impact in every area of life.
- Friday, July 3, 7:30 pm - Stars, Stripes & Shabbat - July First Fridays - An All-American Summer Shabbat featuring Texas BBQ, great company, and a relaxed summer atmosphere for young Jewish professionals. Services 7:30 pm. Candle Lighting 8:08 pm. Dinner 8:45 pm. RSVP at yjphouston.org/firstfridays
- Shabbos Weekend, August 21-23 - Men’s Shabbos at the Ohel - Whether it’s your first visit or a return trip, this Shabbos is a chance to recharge, reflect, and connect with the Rebbe’s timeless vision during an inspiring weekend of Jewish growth and brotherhood.
SHABBOS MEVARCHIM TAMMUZ PARSHAS SHELACH
FRIDAY, JUNE 12, SIVAN 27
7:30 pm Mincha & Shabbat Services
8:05 pm Shabbos Candle Lighting
RSVP for Shabbat Dinner www.chabaduptown.org/shabbatdinner
SHABBOS, JUNE 13, SIVAN 28
8:00 am Shabbos Mevarchim Tehillim
9:30 am Chassidus
10:00 am Services
Shabbos Mevarchim Lunch Kiddush & Farbrengen sponsored by Erica Newman-Corre & her family in celebration of her birthday and in gratitude to the Uptown community
8:00 pm Mincha
Ethics of our Fathers, Chapter 3
9:04 pm Maariv, Havdalla and Shabbos ends
Living Torah
SUNDAY, JUNE 14, SIVAN 29
8:00 am Shacharis
ROSH CHODESH TAMMUZ, MON. & TUES., JUNE 15 & 16, SIVAN 30 & TAMMUZ 1
6:45 am Shacharis
Followed by Rosh Chodesh Breakfast, Day 1 sponsored by Norman Lazarus and Day 2 sponsored by Uriel Netanelav marking the yartzeit of his mother, Marusia bas Ziilpa, a"h