To Be or Not To Be. The Spiritual Art of Making Decisions

It is uncannily providential that the events unfolding right now in Iran — ancient Persia — are echoing events that took place nearly 2,400 years ago in that very same region.And it is all happening as we celebrate Purim and Shushan Purim, a story that centers entirely around Persia.It was in the days of Achashverosh, as we read in the Book of Esther, a Persian king, who ruled over 127 provinces. His minister named Haman incited him, calling for the genocide and annihilation of every Jew; men, women and children. And then, in a stunning and miraculous reversal, everything turned around. Not only were the Jews saved but they were able to eliminate all the enemies that called for their extinction.That is the story of Purim.And here we are today, literally happening now. In the same region. At the same time of year. A regime and leader named Khamenei (so similar to Haman) that for years has called for the annihilation of the Jewish people and the State of Israel. And once again, events are turning. Once again, history is pivoting before our eyes, and the Persian Haman of our times has been eliminated. And we pray — this time once and for all — that we will achieve genuine and lasting peace.Coincidence? Or Divine choreography?Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson for this critically important discussion: Purim and Persia — Then and Now as we explore the parallels, and above all, the lessons. Because when you step back and see the bigger picture of history, you begin to understand the small picture — our personal lives, our challenges — and how they shape the future of our world.

You know the one where the fellow who says, I used to think I’m indecisive… now I’m not so sure.It makes us smile. But for many, it’s not just a joke.Do you struggle with making decisions? So many people speak about procrastination, second-guessing, commitment issues — the constant back-and-forth. Bottom line: the inability to be decisive, to come to a decision and move on one way or the other.At times it’s amusing. At times it’s annoying. And at times, it’s far more serious. How many important life decisions have we pushed off? Delayed? Avoided? Sometimes to our own detriment and even to the detriment of others.Indecisiveness is not just a personality quirk. It’s something that needs to be addressed and understood. Is it coming from a deeper place within us? Or is it something more superficial; fear of failure, fear of commitment, fear of losing options?Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson as we explore the deeper roots of this dilemma, the inability to decide. You may be surprised to discover that the struggle to choose is not just psychological, but also spiritual at its root.

Here’s a million-dollar question: What can you do to become a happier person?Who wouldn’t invest time, energy, even resources, to find a reliable formula for happiness? Imagine how many problems would dissolve if we simply knew the method.And yet no one has ever handed us a guaranteed formula. Why?We live in an age where everything is accessible. Products, programs, promises—pleasure delivered at the click of a button, pain avoided with the right purchase. If we can order bread, medicine, or technology instantly, why can’t we order happiness the same way?Because we are looking for it in the wrong place.We treat happiness like a commodity—something to acquire, consume, possess. But happiness is not an object you chase; it is a byproduct of how you live.Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson to explore the paradox and discover that the people who are truly happy are not obsessed with being happy. They are committed to something beyond themselves—purpose, meaning, service, contribution. The moment happiness becomes the goal, it slips through your fingers. But when you live with intention and dedicate yourself to something larger than your own gratification, joy emerges naturally.Remember: Happiness cannot be pursued.

Humans are naturally enthralled and seduced by the irresistible allure of the "crystal ball"—the fantasy that we can press a button, consult a guru, or find a magic formula to peek behind the curtain of tomorrow. It’s a tempting illusion, but it is a childish one.The truth is, the most important and profound dimensions of existence are invisible. Truth, love, soul, purpose, values -- they transcend our five senses; they aren't experienced by sight, sound, taste, touch or smell. They lie beneath the surface, but define everything. Think of a powerful tree -- blossoming from the invisible seeds planted and watered beneath the ground; the healthy adult resulting from the quiet love and nurturing of a child by its parents.As long as you are searching for a "trick" or a shortcut to see the future, you will never develop the internal tools necessary to build that future. Growth isn't found in a magic button; it’s found in the unseen forces that shape all reality. We don't acquire these indispensable strengths; you can't cause a flower to grow by pulling it out of the earth. When you do what is necessary, the flower emerges in a process that can't be forced.Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson for this vital discussion as we explore why the most significant growth in your life is driven by things you cannot see. Discover how to access those hidden powers, and transform how you look at yourself and the world around you -- from the inside out, rather than the outside in.

Do you have the courage to live authentically? Do you ever feel that you’re performing—living a life shaped less by who you are, and more by what others expect of you?By what they demand, request, or define as who you should be?Parents shape us with expectations. Educators leave their imprint. Friends influence us. Society applies its subtle, and not so subtle, pressures. Over time, we learn how to play the role well.But how much of your life is an act?How much of you is living a script that is not truly yours?And perhaps more unsettling: you may no longer know the difference. When a role is played long enough, it can feel like identity. You assume a personality, a way of being, that may have little to do with your authentic self.Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson and explore how to move from performance to essence, from role-playing to the real you. It takes courage—real courage—to ask these questions. And even more courage to act on them. Because you may discover that the real you has been undercover, hidden, never fully acknowledged, validated, nurtured, or encouraged.

What price would you pay for a formula that will help free you of your fears, insecurities, and inhibitions—the inner forces that restrain you and prevent you from becoming who you were meant to be?Each of us is shaped—and often trapped—by powerful influences: peer pressure, parental critique, childhood wounds, adult trauma. These forces can lock us in place, keeping us from spreading our wings and living with full confidence.There is one question that has the power to set you free. A question that doesn’t demand a quick answer, but an honest one. A question that cuts through the noise, dismantles fear, and reconnects you with the core of who you are.This life-transforming question is: why were you born? Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson as he explains how living with purpose turns your life into a proactive one instead of a reactive one. And that makes all the difference. Purpose— knowing why you were born—creates direction and urgency, which in turn counters all fears and challenges that come your way. It allows you to take control of your life, instead of circumstances controlling you. It helps reframe your past, clarify your present, and redirect your future, reminding you that you are not here by accident and that your life carries a unique responsibility only you can fulfill. 

As we enter a new year, consider this powerful question: What potential within you has yet to be revealed? What would it mean to draw from your inner resources something unprecedented, to become more than you have been until now?That is a transformative way to enter a new year.Life lives in three dimensions: past, present, and future. Growth means honoring where we’ve been, understanding where we are, and daring to envision who we can become—materially, emotionally, spiritually, and in our relationships.So on this threshold moment, standing between what was and what can be, ask yourself: What is waiting to be unleashed?Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson for this special New Year’s program as we explore how to unlock the potential within you that has yet to be expressed. This is your moment to step beyond who you were and begin becoming who you are meant to be.

When my uncle was a small child, he once woke in the middle of the night, gripped by fear of the dark. Trembling, he ran to his mother, my grandmother, and said, “Mommy, I’m afraid.” She embraced him, soothed him, and then gently told him, “Go back to bed and remember: be afraid of nothing but G-d.”Calmed, he returned to sleep. But half an hour later, he was back shaking. “What are you afraid of now?” she asked. He answered simply, “I’m afraid of G-d.”That story captures something deeply human.We all encounter nights in our lives—moments of darkness, loneliness, uncertainty—that make us tremble. Darkness has a powerful hold because it conceals, it obscures, it feels mysterious and threatening.The mystics ask: Is darkness merely the absence of light or does it have its own substance? Either way, it confronts us and demands a response.Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson in this fundamental conversation about facing those darker corners of our lives and discovering a profound truth: even in the dark, you are never alone. And that ultimately, darkness is the greatest light of them all.

I speak to you with a heavy heart in the aftermath of the cold-blooded and brutal murders of our brothers and sisters—colleagues, friends, families—on the first night of Chanukah at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. We are all shaken, shocked, and devastated by the sheer evil inflicted upon innocent men, women, and children.Our hearts ache for the sacred souls taken from us, and for the shattered families left behind. We offer our deepest prayers for the wounded to experience a complete and speedy healing.Yet beyond the pain, an agonizing question confronts us. How could such darkness erupt on the Festival of Lights—at the very moment when we celebrate the triumph of light over darkness? At that moment, it seemed as though darkness had prevailed.We find ourselves at the threshold of a new year, a season when we seek meaning, love, and hope amid the many challenges of our lives. And now we are compelled to ask: How do we look directly into the face of such evil and not turn away? How do we emerge stronger, more resilient, and more deeply defined by our values than ever before?This is a challenge we face in every generation, but it becomes especially urgent in the wake of such senseless tragedy.I invite you to join me as we explore how to carry the light forward—how to cross into the new year with purpose, courage, and moral clarity, and how to discover a deeper, more enduring light even within the abyss of pain and loss.

I speak to you with a heavy heart in the aftermath of the cold-blooded and brutal murders of our brothers and sisters—colleagues, friends, families—on the first night of Chanukah at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. We are all shaken, shocked, and devastated by the sheer evil inflicted upon innocent men, women, and children.