New Website!

Dear Friends,

Happy Chanukah!

I am excited to announce that I have a new website, www.thechazakplan.com. I hope the website makes it easier to locate the free e-book, articles and audio classes.

The rest of this post is about the Jewish month of Tevet, as it relates to The Chazak Plan: A 12 Month Journey to Spiritual Strength.

Rosh Chodesh Tevet begins this Sunday night, December 21st and lasts for two days.

The theme we will focus on for Tevet is faith.

The month of Tevet encompasses two moods: Celebration and mourning. During the beginning of the month, we celebrate Chanukah, commemorating, among other events, the rededication of the Second Temple. Later in the month, on the 10th, we fast and commemorate the siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, which led to the destruction of the First Temple.

In one month we commemorate two diametrically opposed events. Faith is the bridge between them. Even while we mourn an event which led to the destruction of the Temple, we have faith that like the miracle of Chanukah, another dedication of the Temple will occur, when the Messiah comes and dedicates the Third Temple.

Each day, to enhance your faith, think of a challenge in your life and say to yourself words of faith. One possibility is to say to yourself, “This is from God for my eternal benefit. Part of fulfilling my life’s purpose is doing what I can to overcome and grow from this challenge. This will work out in the end; either in this world or in the next. God is with me, giving me the strength and courage I need to triumph.”

Readings for the month:

Is Faith Logical? One Answer in Ten Questions

Unshakable Faith: What It Is, What It’s Not and How to Build It

Everything Works Out in the End: Even when it doesn’t appear to

Take care and may we see success in the coming month,

Yaakov

Recording of Chanukah Class

Dear Friends,

Here is a recording of a class I gave on Chanukah: LessonsFrom Chanukah: Clarity, Purity and Joy. 

For the link, please click the title.

Please note, this time I’m using Dropbox, so you should be able to listen to the class right in your browser. 

If you want to download the file, right click over the play/pause button and click “Save video as…” and the file will save as an MP3.

Have a good week and a Happy Chanukah,

Yaakov

New York City Class Dec 10th, 7:30pm

Dear Friends,

This Wednesday night, December 10th at 7:30pm in New York City, I will God willing be giving a class at the West Side Institutional Synagogue, 120 West 76th Street. (The synagogue is between Amsterdam and Columbus.)

The title of the class is: "Lessons from Chanukah: Clarity, Purity and Joy."

The class will focus on practical ways we can live with more clarity, act with more purity and feel more joy.
For those who cannot attend, it will be based on these articles:

Lessons From Chanukah: Clarity, Purity and Joy

Abraham + Isaac + Jacob = You

If you know anyone who might be interested in the class, please forward this post to them. Thank you.

Have a Happy Chanukah,

Yaakov