There’s a lot going on this Shabbos. Was thinking of how to connect this week’s Torah portion of Vayishlach, tonight’s Chassidic holiday of Yud-Tes-Kislev, tomorrow’s huge second round playoff game for UAlbany Football, Hillel’s “Swinter” theme and the upcoming holiday of Chanukah!
Tanya Chapter 26 can be the link!
First the Torah portion: Vayishlach
This week we read of Jacob returning home, and preparing to greet his brother Eisav, whom we ran away from fearing for his life. It’s been 20 years and he’s cautiously and anxiously preparing for this sibling reunion. The night before the encounter Jacob famously wrestles with the angel.
Yud Tes Kislev and Tanya 26
The Chassidic holiday of Yud Tes Kislev celebrates the Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Schneur Zalman, the founder of Chabad, and his release from Czarist prison in 1798. His main work, his magnum opus was the Tanya, a book of Chassidic thought and rich life inspiration. Tanya 26 ties into the Vayishlach wrestling theme. Alter Rebbe uses wrestling as an illustration. Suppose two men, A & B are wrestling. Let’s imagine that A is physically stronger than B, but is also currently emotionally weighted and not in the best headspace. Alter Rebbe speaks of how mental depression can weigh down and burden even our physical activity, and that gives Wrestler B a big advantage. Positive mindset and headspace is huge! Physical strength advantage can’t always overcome that.
UAlbany Football (Basketball, too)
This brings us to tomorrow’s big game that UAlbany Football is gearing up for against Richmond. UAlbany hasn’t been in second round football playoffs in a long time, and wasn’t expected to be here at the start of this season. But here they are, winning game after game, quite decisively. Football does require physical strength, to be sure, but mentality and mindset are a big part of it. And UAlbany Basketball coach Dwane Killings (basketball plays tomorrow, too) is very fond of highlighting the mentality theme!
Hillel’s Swinter Theme
This Shabbat is a Hillel Shabbat, as at UAlbany we have this longstanding tradition of alternating Friday Night Shabbat Dinners between Shabbos House Chabad and UAlbany Hillel. This week’s theme is called “Swinter” thinking summer and summery thoughts in middle of a cold winter. This, too, is an example of mentality, of mindset. Not the physical, but the perspective that can exist despite and beyond it.
Chanukah!
Chanukah begins in less than a week. Thursday night, 2nd day of Finals. Don’t miss our public Menorah lighting on campus, our Chanukah parties and events, and lots of opportunities for Menorah… And Chanukah fits right into this theme: As Alter Rebbe famously taught: “A little light dispels much darkness”. Light goes a long way. But not if light gets overwhelmed or intimidated or afraid for all that vast darkness out there. Light has to believe in itself. Light has to not be swayed or overcome or dampened by the darkness. Just keep light, and increase that light, and share that light and spread that light! It’s not about numbers, noise, it’s about keeping focused, having good mindset, positive thinking, staying strong!