In Memoriam: Lessons from My Mother

The purpose of Matan Torah is to bring holiness into everyday life, so that ordinary activities are not separate from serving Hashem. What is considered “hidden” or “revealed” Torah depends on the needs of the generation, and in our time the teachings of Chassidus must be openly learned. Our generation’s main spiritual challenge is excess ego, and Chassidus is the remedy that breaks down that excess. Physical health and material success are not rewards for spirituality, but tools meant to give a person the strength to serve Hashem with joy. This class, taught by Rabbi Shais Taub, is based on Parshas Yisro in Likkutei Sichos Vol. 1. 📄 PDF of Sicha: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/84cc5de... 📄 PDF of Sicha in English by SIE: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SnZ6... 📖 Buy Likkutei Sichos Vol. 1 at Kehot: https://store.kehotonline.com/mobile/..

In this powerful lecture marking the shloshim (30-day memorial) of his mother, Rivkah bas Avraham obm, Rabbi Shais Taub weaves personal memory with Torah insight in a way that is both intimate and intellectually arresting. Drawing on his mother’s life as a speech pathologist, he explores what it truly means that the human being is defined by speech—how words emerge from the deepest levels of the soul, and how language can shape identity and destiny. Along the way, he shares formative childhood stories, including how she taught him to write, the first (and last) time he ever lied to her, and the quiet moments of parenting that profoundly shaped his inner life. The lecture moves beyond biography into unexpected territory, tracing a line from Tanya and Onkelos’ description of the human soul as a “speaking spirit” to modern linguistic theory. Rabbi Taub recounts how his mother found support for Noam Chomsky’s ideas about language in the writings of the Alter Rebbe, including a clip from Rabbi Taub’s own conversation with Chomsky. He also reflects on her lifelong love of Chabad niggunim—first learned as a teenager from Zalman Schechter—and her remarkable positivity through twelve years of serious illness. Timed to Tu B’Shvat, the lecture becomes a meditation on the power of gratitude and positivity.

The Haftarah of Parshas Beshalach is the Song of Devorah (a woman) because women suffered more deeply under Pharaoh's decree against children, and therefore their joy in the redemption was greater than that of the men. Unlike Pharaoh, who stood between the Jews and their past (Egypt), Amalek stood between the Jews and their future (Torah), teaching us that while we rely on God to handle physical threats, we must fight with every ounce of our own strength against apathy or anything that cools our excitement for holiness. The "New Year for Trees" reminds us that true growth is defined by our ability to produce "fruits"—students and influence—that actually reveal their potential in the world. This class, taught by Rabbi Shais Taub, is based on Parshas Beshalach in Likkutei Sichos Vol. 1. 📄 PDF of Sicha: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/d94df26... 📄 PDF of Sicha in English by SIE: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KNo-... 📖 Buy Likkutei Sichos Vol. 1 at Kehot: https://store.kehotonline.com/mobile/...

The Jewish people displayed immense courage by keeping the Egyptian deity (a sheep) in their homes for four days, teaching us that redemption comes from performing Mitzvos with pride and without fear. The difference between the letters Hey (Matzah) and Ches (Chametz) illustrates how humility allows for teshuvah. The Frierdiker Rebbe’s unique approach was characterized by "going big" in actuality and prioritizing material aid to others as a necessary vessel for spiritual influence, rather than starting with rebuke. Amidst the confusion at the Red Sea, Nachshon ben Aminadav taught us to ignore the debates of competing factions and move decisively toward the goal even if it requires self-sacrifice. Biographical stories about the Frierdiker Rebbe, including his grandfather’s prediction at his bris, receiving a "Chassidic kiss" (a Maamar) from his father, and being designated as a successor at age 17. This class, taught by Rabbi Shais Taub, is based on Parshas Bo in Likkutei Sichos Vol. 1. 📄 PDF of Sicha: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/9ec5605... 📄 PDF of Sicha in English: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dvsdLq9M21K6Iik5G3RGB458rNMOa38t/view 📖 Buy Likkutei Sichos Vol. 1 at Kehot: https://store.kehotonline.com/mobile/...

The plagues of Blood and Frogs teach us the way out of personal and collective Mitzrayim. Once Hashem announced the redemption, it became an irreversible reality—like an arrow already fired—because a good divine promise is never withdrawn, and our task is to live with the certainty that geulah is already present, awaiting revelation. This class, taught by Rabbi Shais Taub, is based on Parshas Vaeira in Likkutei Sichos Vol. 1. 📄 PDF of Sicha: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/25768fe... 📄 PDF of Sicha in English: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rl1d... 📖 Buy Likkutei Sichos Vol. 1 at Kehot: https://store.kehotonline.com/mobile/...

Pharaoh’s decree to drown the boys and the girls live is seen in our day as well. The Haggadah’s identification of "Amalenu" as “the children” teaches that toil is inherent to parenting. In a time of spiritual emergency, the model of Yehoshua ben Gamla teaches that preserving Torah demands mesiras nefesh from everyone, setting aside honor and comfort to educate the next generation. The Alter Rebbe teaches that by exerting ourselves in Torah study, we exchange the suffering of exile for spiritual labor. This class, taught by Rabbi Shais Taub, is based on Parshas Shmos in Likkutei Sichos Vol. 1. 📄 PDF of Sicha: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/3cfeb83... 📄 PDF of Sicha in English: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rzy4... 📖 Buy Likkutei Sichos Vol. 1 at Kehot: https://store.kehotonline.com/mobile/...

The blessings of Asher teach that Kabbalas Ol (subservience/action, represented by the "foot") is not merely a stepping stone to Intellect (oil), but is actually the foundation that supports and surpasses it, granting the unique power to "gather lost souls" that the holier tribes cannot reach. The Midrash stating that Asher's "beautiful daughters married High Priests" teaches that through the humble "foot-work" of Kabbalas Ol (Asher), a parent merits to raise children of such spiritual caliber that—like the "one child" Isaac—a single one of them provides more Nachas and spiritual impact than a multitude. This class, taught by Rabbi Shais Taub, is based on Parshas Vayechi in Likkutei Sichos Vol. 1. 📄 PDF of Sicha: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/79b813d... 📄 PDF of Sicha in English: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1krla... 📖 Buy Likkutei Sichos Vol. 1 at Kehot: https://store.kehotonline.com/mobile/...

Yehuda’s willingness to risk everything for Binyamin reveals that guaranteeing a Jewish child’s future requires total responsibility and self-sacrifice. Yaakov sending Yehuda ahead to establish a yeshiva in Egypt teaches that Torah infrastructure must precede all else. Yosef’s well-intentioned compromise shows that lowering Torah standards to make Judaism more palatable leads to unintended consequences. This class, taught by Rabbi Shais Taub, is based on Parshas Vayigash in Likkutei Sichos Vol. 1. 📄 PDF of Sicha: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/5e39742... 📄 PDF of Sicha in English: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GSp_... 📖 Buy Likkutei Sichos Vol. 1 at Kehot: https://store.kehotonline.com/mobile/...

Galus is compared to a dream in which contradictions coexist, allowing us to seize any mitzvah opportunity without delay. The name Ephraim reveals how struggle and exile generate a deeper fruitfulness, through full engagement with the physical world. The differences between the Menorah in the Bais HaMikdash and the Chanukah lights highlight the mission to illuminate the public domain, expand light daily, and serve as Hashem’s ambassadors in the world’s darkness. Chanukah’s unique level of "mehadrin min hamehadrin" reflects a service of pure love, choosing unnecessary spiritual excellence and true selflessness simply because that is Hashem’s will. This class, taught by Rabbi Shais Taub, is based on Parshas Mikeitz in Likkutei Sichos Vol. 1. 📄 PDF of Sicha: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/f44a6a9... 📄 PDF of Sicha in English: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Zyrd... 📖 Buy Likkutei Sichos Vol. 1 at Kehot: https://store.kehotonline.com/mobile/...

Yaakov's example teaches us how to elevate the sparks of the physical world. The story of Potifar's wife reveals the deeper reality behind spiritual challenges. The Chanukah story reminds us of the power of educating children with zero compromises right from the very beginning. This class, taught by Rabbi Shais Taub, is based on Parshas Vayeishev in Likkutei Sichos Vol. 1. 📄 PDF of Sicha: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/63352bb... 📄 PDF of Sicha in English: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aU3J... 📖 Buy Likkutei Sichos Vol. 1 at Kehot: https://store.kehotonline.com/mobile/...