October 20, 2023 • 41 mins
In this episode, we delve into the captivating journey of Rabbi Greene. Hailing from the vibrant city of Minneapolis, Rabbi Greene's background is marked by both academic excellence and a strong connection to his Jewish heritage.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Good afternoon and welcome to everybody.
The podcast which sharesstories that highlight people in
life, that make the world aninteresting place, which
ultimately ties us all togetherin unique and wonderful ways.
And who am I, you might ask.
I would be the headwrappedsocialite Weith mom,
(00:23):
micro-influencer in the fashionand etiquette world, but on this
podcast I will be introducingyou to some people who I've had
the opportunity to meet along myjourney, who have helped enrich
me in my life in beautiful waysand who I hope will do the same
with you.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
The strength that we have from children Now as adults
we can think about well,because it's important.
So when they grow up, that'swhere it comes in, that
spiritual, mystical, practical,but it's reality.
We've seen the energy andeffort that people make to
capture the minds of the youth,but they're powerful in itself.
(01:08):
There is actually a cute storywith talking about the youth,
what the youth can impact.
I'll tell you about my daughter, who's presently in Israel.
So as a young girl, two yearsold so we have a guest that
lives in Rochester and he cameover for the Sabbath so she's
going to entertain the guestswhile we're finishing getting
ready.
So he had just gotten his carrefinished, new paint job, and
(01:35):
my two year old he says is thatyour car?
And he says yeah, he thoughtshe's admiring the paint job and
whatever.
And she says you shouldn'tdrive on Shabbos and he looks
around, where's the adults?
He told her to say that andshe's not doing it in your
(01:57):
terrible person.
She's just saying here's thefact.
And it struck him that you saidchildren get it.
This is what it is.
Because of this, this gentlemanactually eventually moved close
by so he wouldn't have to driveon the Sabbath.
He was open to hear it.
(02:20):
The challenge we have very oftenwith crazy our children we're
not in an insular place and forsure, and many of my colleagues
wherever they are the deeperlessons of teaching, of care and
compassion.
And it's about your response,to be able to encourage a person
and give them the opportunityto observe, For sure, to be who
(02:44):
they really are.
That's it.
You see, that goes in themystical aspect.
It's helpful to read the get-go, the scripture in the beginning
.
We are really good.
I know there's other religiousfaiths that think a little bit
differently or very differently,but that's how it is.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
On today's episode we have an extraordinary guest who
has dedicated his life to faith, community and healing.
Rabbi David Green's journey isas fascinating as it is
inspiring.
Boran, raised in the vibrantcity of Minneapolis, he comes
from a rich academic lineage,with his father teaching at the
(03:30):
graduate school for publichealth at the University of
Minnesota.
David's educational path wasequally exceptional he attended
the very first Orthodox Jewishparochial school in Minnesota,
setting the stage for what Iwould say an incredible journey.
My family and I have knownRabbi Green and his family for
(03:50):
over 15 years and I'm excited tohave him on today's episode.
Welcome, rabbi Green.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Thank you, great to be here.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Thank you for being here.
Could you tell the listeners alittle bit about who you are?
Speaker 2 (04:03):
So I was born in Minneapolis and actually point
out that my great grandparentsare interred in the Minneapolis
Jewish cemetery, so that makesme come from a line of long
suffering Vikings fans.
That's something true, althoughI can't say anything about
gophers because from when I wasyoung my parents became more
(04:29):
observant and so I never wouldengage with college sports
because we were observing theSabbath.
So the television was off onSabbath and so never got a taste
, so never got hungry.
So I grew up in Golden Valley.
(04:51):
Great friends in theneighborhood and those closest
friends were a family that werenot Jewish, so, and the father
was actually our family doctor.
So when I would go over to thehouse on the Sabbath to play,
the father would be sittingwatching the college football
(05:15):
and he wouldn't chase me outsaying this is not for you, you
should be playing with the kids,it's, you know, this is not for
you.
So growing up, chased to theroom that, the room where the
Christmas tree was, it's okay,but it's not, it's the Sabbath,
there's not what you do, but itwas.
So definitely enjoyed sports,definitely played it, but never
(05:40):
engaged in organized sports,okay.
So I grew up in at 15, aftergoing through that Torah Academy
, the Jewish Procurel School, Iwas sent to the LeBavitch
Yeshiva which is in Canada, inQuebec.
In Quebec it was CollègeRabanique du Canada, which is
(06:03):
rabbinical college of Canada.
So I matriculated there inCanadian history.
That was a tough year becauseit's not that interesting.
But it's interesting to learnhistory from a different
perspective, for sure.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Now, was it taught in French, or was it taught?
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Thank God I was one class ahead of that rule being
applied in the school systembecause the class below me had
to learn their secular subjectsin in France.
But anyway, the word Yeshiva isjust, it's the word for high
school.
It was a high school and itcontinued to post high school
(06:45):
studies and eventually thecollege portion, learning
learning rabbinic ordination.
The community in Quebec andMontreal specifically, is an old
Jewish community and at thesame time was a vibrant Jewish
community.
So the influx of meetingdifferent people from different
(07:06):
backgrounds, and not necessarily, I'm going to say in my classes
, but the LeBavitch, which is aname of a town in White Russia,
where the leaders of the ChabadSchool of Philosophy, of Hasidic
philosophy, where the, the Rebis the, the, the, the leaders of
(07:27):
these movement headquarteredfor 200 years.
So hence it's, it's the name ofthe organization that we have
is Chabad LeBavitch.
The Chabad is three words inHebrew Chokhma, Bina Das,
knowledge, wisdom, understanding.
(07:49):
The Chabad movement was, whichwas founded by Reb Shnerzal
Mevladi, incorporated asystematic understanding.
It's not just all heart, it'swell.
I got to use brain and to usethe mind, to devote and dedicate
(08:10):
how and direct.
So I was sent to thatinstitution.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Would you mind sharing with the listeners how
you do know that you were goingto be a rabbi?
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Here's the personal story.
So, after finishing high schooland continuing on studies, I
think the teacher had he washe's.
I eventually found he's a greatteacher for other things.
But I just was where am I going?
Where is this going?
It's quote, unquote, the system.
So my parents sent me overthere as I continued.
(08:44):
So the perpetual motion kind ofstarts to slow down.
Where am I now?
And a lot of my friends aregoing on and and so who am I?
Where am I going with this?
They I mean they transferred toother places because they were.
Then they were sent.
I have a lot of contemporariesin my class that were said to be
to study in Caracas for acouple of years.
(09:05):
But I was a matriarch andeventually I turned to my
teacher that was taught me in inin 10th and an 11th grade and I
just asked him a question.
I said what, where am I withthat, was he thinking?
And he, he said well, he sayswhat's wrong?
(09:28):
You don't have to be, you don'thave to make a career out of
this.
There's plenty of people thatare good Jews, they're fine and
dandy, they're wonderful.
And he didn't want to get, hewasn't doing the psychological
analysis.
What is making you think this,that you have to do this.
You don't have to, don't?
You don't have to put that onyourself.
However, I do recommend thatyou don't leave until you have
(09:53):
that piece of paper, you,because then you will feel good
about all the time you spent andyou have a baby, have a diploma
on the wall.
So you have to.
I said you know what soundsgood, sounds good.
So I I got into the program oflearning and then, once I
started doing that, I said itwas.
There was a couple of thingsthat came at the same time.
(10:14):
To be able, first of all,learning for a goal completely
changed things for me.
I was saying you just made thefist with both feet.
And once you're doing this,there's another factor that the
in this movement, in this andthis system that that it was in
(10:34):
they do not give you a test.
Therefore, there's a number oftests that you have to go
through of different subjects.
As you go through them, you'renot permitted to take a test
unless you have a signedpermission slip From what's
called the mashbiyah in Yisheva.
The mashbiyah of Yisheva is thespiritual counselor.
(10:56):
Okay, so once I startedattending, once I started, I
came and going to attend and Irealized I'd better do something
with this time.
So I went and worked with someothers and developed a
curriculum of what I'm going tolearn in Hasidic.
He's a young man, he's anelementary school teacher in Los
(11:20):
Angeles and he used to say mymother loves you, so why is your
mother like this?
Because I would call the houseearly in the morning and say,
when his name is Yorahmeel, Isay did you wake up, yorahmeel?
She says I said he'd tell himI'm expecting him here in 10
(11:41):
minutes.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
I'm here, right.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Because he was going to go through this curriculum,
we were just going to completeit.
And when you start gaininginformation, gaining information
, gaining information and it'sthe second paragraph of the
Shema, which is the prayerthat's recited twice daily by
Jews, we hear oh Israel, theLord is our God, the Lord is one
(12:03):
.
There's a couple otherparagraphs.
In the second paragraph it saysand you shall place these words
upon on your hearts, upon yourplural hearts.
You shall, you plural, how'sthis Yal should place these
words on your hearts.
I think that's where it works.
It sounds better than youplural, anyway.
(12:25):
So the question is it's notabout you can't do anything to
the heart.
All you do is place the wordson the heart and from time to
time the heart opens up and someof these words fall in.
Our job is keep on information,information, information.
(12:46):
Not like that Charlie Brownthing they put the book under my
pillow and it'll seep in.
It's real infer-.
You have to learn it, you haveto read it, you have to review
it, you have to look at it.
And at the same time, very muchgot involved with that, going to
people's businesses in Montrealon Friday and there was a
(13:09):
statement from one of the Chabadleaders that when you do this
type of work it improves yourability to understand a thousand
times.
So these gentlemen would comeand visit them on a weekly basis
.
So they would come on theweekend.
So one of these guys I'm fastfriends with him now until this
(13:32):
day, while he was here, I said,you know, there's somebody I'm
going to, I'm going to go visitsomebody in the hospital and he
says, can I come with you?
There's good old days.
I said, sure, why not?
So this is a guy.
No matter how you see, if I'mthe Sabbath I wear a longer coat
, the formal coat, I wear fedora.
This guy in that Hasidic groupthey wear the fur hat and he had
(13:58):
.
They look like I call themmotorcycle boots.
It looks like they look likemotorcycle cops, have these
leather boots that go up.
That is their style of dress,plus the long coat.
So sure, let's go.
I walk in.
So we come up, of course it's alittle colder.
So we go in to the closestentrance to where we live is in
(14:20):
Damatilla.
So we go up and we're going tobe walking down the hallway down
the Damatilla.
So I walk with me.
Fine, I usually start to getyou know, I'm going to say game
face on.
I'm just thinking, okay, get mymind Just to center myself
before I go see this person.
So this guy, every singleperson in the hallway, he said
(14:44):
hello, how are you Nice to seeyou.
Hello, a nurse is at the sameand every nurse was hi, nice,
hello, how are you doing?
Very nice, thank you very muchfor asking that.
Every single person.
I realized at that momentthere's an aspect.
He's doing what's calledreceiving every person with a
(15:06):
cheerful countenance, which is astatement in the Talmud you
should receive or greet or meetor encounter every person with a
cheerful countenance.
And he was doing it, he wasliving it.
Me, the person that sees thesepeople and the person that's
going to do this, that is thisfrequency that he's exists at.
(15:28):
He doesn't.
What he does in his communityhimself is phenomenal.
I know the other things he does.
He does it.
He's involved with a burialsociety, so most of the people
he's dealing with are not evenmany people he deals with are
not alive anymore.
I said, note to self wow, I'mnot just going to be impressed,
(15:49):
I want to incorporate it, I wantto do it.
I got to get out of myintrovert self and be present
and you know, oh, but what aboutme?
Yeah, but you know what?
You'll be okay, because it's alittle bit self talk of you're
(16:11):
okay, you're good, you got it.
Here's an opportunity.
Do it Right.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
And that's it.
I've always been taking thatopportunity and making.
I always go back to it makeyourself a better version of
yourself.
And it's taking thatopportunity to be a little bit
better in this moment.
And if there's one thing Ithink that children it's going
back to.
Like you know, little children,they are so innocent, they are
(16:40):
so free.
They will bring you such joybecause they're able to live in
the moment.
And sometimes I have a questionand maybe you can answer this
question and maybe I've askedthis question of you before but
when do we lose that ability?
Because I know when we'reyounger we have that ability to
(17:01):
move through space, being sofree, and at some point it seems
like it stops and then we'rekind of guarded and then later
on it feels like we're able tomove through that space a little
bit more freer.
(17:22):
But there's a huge span of timewhere it stops, or at least for
me it has stopped and I'm likewhen did I lose?
Speaker 2 (17:34):
that.
That's a good.
I've listened to some lecturesabout this type of stuff and
there's there's a lot ofcolleagues that are very good at
analyzing this.
That's a good.
I have to.
I'm curious to know as well.
And as you bring it up, that'sa great.
I hate you know that's a greatquestion.
It is a question there and Iremember a lecture that it says
(17:59):
when kids get upset and they getupset and you say make up, and
they can, five minutes laterthey're getting along, and but
adults to make up it's not goingto happen.
Because and he, he used examplehe says because children would
rather be happy than be right.
So when did we stop becomingmore important that we're right
(18:26):
than we're happy?
So that's what I think.
I'm using that as a parameter.
So it's the same question.
I have an answer.
Your question per se, but it'slike I've assigned different
value of a decisionsubconsciously somewhere.
I don't know.
It's interesting, and probablydifferent people, and I'm sure
(18:48):
child psychologists would beable to say when, when the kids
do that from observation.
But that kid is always withinus, so we can always tap into it
.
We can always tap into ourinnocence, our curiosity and and
, and it's that's what our, ourego gets in the way.
(19:11):
Yeah, so I was speaking to acolleague and he was pointing
out that well, he was sayingsome of your problem is that you
don't realize that you're okay.
Therefore, you super inflateyourself and now you're more
sensitive.
I've, I've been, I've been,I've been reflecting on it this
morning, because they just toldme on this morning, because
(19:34):
they're talking about why andhow making decisions says if you
, if we.
It's an interesting phenomenonthat when do we realize we're
okay, we're okay, you want toimprove?
I mean it's a whole thing aboutabout the harshest critic that
we have.
I went to my father and father,my mother, were visiting.
So I said I realized I'm my ownharshest critic and my father
(19:58):
said it's beautiful.
He says yes, I used to believeand understand that about myself
as well.
And then I married your mother.
My mother was there and shesays yes, you weren't doing a
good enough job.
I said I discovered perpetualmotion.
But that is, but it's not.
(20:19):
But we do have that's a.
That is a question why don't wehave a inner voice that says
you're good?
We have an inner voice sayingbut from what I understand, from
the understanding, the acidiclearning that I have, it's
because there's this statementfrom the previous Rebbe in a, in
a acidic discourse, he says allproblems come from ego, all
(20:41):
problems, so ego, there's ahealthy, I mean when I I'm not
talking about Freud, but I'mjust using that word.
But the idea for me it initiallywas like well, what about a
person with an inferioritycomplex?
How does that come from ego?
So, thinking and analyzing anddiscussing, came up with the
following that a person ininferiority complex what they're
(21:04):
really saying to themselves isreally I should be so much
better who says you'll be,that's you see, that's, that's
really ego.
You should be so much better.
How about being where you, whoyou are?
You have an image of yourselfthat should be so much better.
So you're, you figure a failure.
But really.
(21:25):
But why you figure a failure?
It's coming from that selfperception of yourself as me.
Better, this is not sad, it is,and but but this come.
This is where the, the again,it's like why did God create us
with such machinations?
See, that's a deeper question.
(21:46):
So what do you want God?
What do you want?
He says I've put in with, with,when you, within you, you see,
that's where comes in the, theidea of the original sin and
Judaism eating for the tree ofknowledge of good and evil.
So then we we were no longersubjective, no, we're no longer
objective, thank you, we're,we're, it's all subjective,
(22:09):
we're all involved, it's allinternal and it's a good luck.
So look, but then again, don'tthe psychologists and therapists
and psychiatrists deserve tomake a living.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
I guess they do too.
They do, yeah.
I always say we're brothers andsisters in this wonderful world
and called life.
You know we're brothers andsisters and we're, we're called
to be that towards one another.
You know every single day, evenif I don't know you per se, I
do know you because we're allone of the same spirit.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
Divine Providence.
God felt it's.
It's pretty good reason for you, for us to be encountering one
another.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Ask you this question .
I know that your work, youprovide emotional support, you
provide religious support, butyou also provide like a healing
and I had mentioned that earlierin the beginning.
And I know last week was theend of the high holiday, Sukkot.
How does one celebrate the highholiday in the midst of all of
(23:16):
the tragic?
Speaker 2 (23:20):
I like to.
I don't know.
I don't know, I don't know ifwe celebrated, I don't know if
we grieved.
People were saying some peoplesays unbelievable.
One of the things that got methrough it because we started
(23:41):
hearing the news on the day thatwe're celebrating.
So I had read a story inpreparation for one of the marks
at the end.
One of the events, part of therituals at the end of the
(24:02):
holiday is what's called theYizkor.
Yizkor means remembrance.
We talk about, we recite aprayer.
Every individual does this andtalks about what they got to
remember, the remember of thepeople that our parents that
have passed on and we actuallycommit to give charity in their
(24:25):
memory.
I mean, they're no longer ableto give charity, so we do
something and it's a benefit tothat soul and it's attributed to
that soul that somethinghappened in this physical world.
Remember, keep on emphasizingthat.
Okay, so I had a story which Ididn't say, but it came up
(24:46):
useful later, because the storywas as follows that there was a
group.
You see, towards the end ofWorld War II, in 1944, the
transports of Jews to Auschwitzwas coming a lot from Hungary.
The half a million Jews fromHungary were sent to Auschwitz
(25:07):
to die and they died.
As they would say, the only wayout from Auschwitz was through
the chimneys.
So, and it was later because atfirst they had their own
organism when the Nazis tookover the government the details
(25:30):
I can't remember.
The history per say so theycame along, this group of
teenage boys, and they werebrought in.
But when they came to Auschwitzthey were sent into the camp.
They were not immediatelykilled and they were there a few
weeks.
Then came a selection and allthese, this group of boys, were
(25:50):
taken to be able to the gaschambers to die.
I think it was.
I didn't even look up the dateto be sure.
I think it was October 9th,because this is recorded in
people's diaries, so October 9th1944.
So it was the same holiday.
It was the same holiday.
(26:10):
So they were brought in to the,they were taken and they knew by
that time they weren't in theshock position of where it's
going on.
They already knew they're therea couple of weeks.
They know, like they say, theywere told that.
So they were brought into thegas chamber and they one of the
guys before they were going toput down the Zyklon B which
(26:31):
turned into the gas.
They were told.
One of the guys said Hevre.
I mean, guys, tonight isSimchastera.
We do not.
We're rejoicing with the Torah.
That's the holiday.
We do not have a Torah withwhich to celebrate, but we have
our souls.
So let's dance.
(26:52):
That's because we, becausethat's what we do, that's the
holiday, that's what Jews do.
So they actually I mean theysay they know the songs that
they sang and they're singingand they're dancing.
So before they pour them, theNazis hear singing coming out of
the gas chamber and they'rethat never.
(27:15):
That's not what the usual soundis.
You know, could imagine.
The usual sounds are screams,whimpering, anguish, and they
hear sounds of rejoicing.
They open it up and say what'sgoing on here?
So the guy that calledeverybody to dance said we are
(27:39):
celebrating the fact that we'releaving this world, which is run
by vicious humans like you, andwe're going to be reunited with
our parents that you murdered.
The Nazi said it's not enoughto kill you, I'm going to take
you out and we're going totorture you to death tomorrow.
(28:00):
So they took them all out.
The news came across within thesystem.
There was a commandant of anarmaments factory right nearby
and he needed workers.
He heard about these guys.
He came and he took them andneed them to work, so he
(28:23):
commandeered this group.
He needed slave labor, so hetook them, so this group
survived.
So when you see, what do we dowhen we're faced with this, how
do we rejoice?
We rejoice.
We have no choice.
I have nephews in the army, inthe Israeli Defense Forces, and
(28:48):
videos coming back.
They were asking people.
Asking people because it liftstheir morale.
You say, lifts their morale.
Yeah, they're facing.
They're facing difficult things.
My niece, my sister's daughters,husband's brother, my sister's
(29:10):
daughters, brother-in-law, wasat that festival, the music
festival, to celebrate.
He died, saving others.
How did he save others?
I've heard that, I read, Ilistened to the interview.
He took a few days to identifyhis body but he kept everybody
calm and he was directed them tosafety.
(29:33):
There were 1,250 at that place.
There were hundreds, hundreds,to direct people to escape the
hide.
So the story is, what morecould he want than people should
celebrate life?
That's the type of person hewas, because that's how he gave
(29:56):
up his life.
I hope I haven't rationalized athing, because God needs a good
lawyer and I'm not going to beit for him.
But I'm going to say, at thesame time, people want to know.
I get provocative.
When you ask where people,where was God?
I say you know, god was there100%.
(30:18):
God was giving those monstersfreedom of choice and they chose
not wisely it's anunderstatement.
They chose rudely what wordscan we use?
And people like my niece'sbrother-in-law chose very wisely
(30:41):
, and so that's all.
We tap into this because it'sall about the moment.
The moment says we are Jews andwe're going to celebrate
because we have a gift.
What the alternative is to sayI don't want to be.
(31:01):
What kind of?
I don't, not for the world.
There was a story with a youngman that would go to the story
that there was a guy at a.
There was a gentleman, he wasspeaking at a fundraiser thing
for a Jewish organization aJewish organization.
They asked him how did you?
What was his story?
(31:23):
They brought him here.
He says I'll tell you.
It was a boy that would come, aLabaavich, a boy that would
come to my business every week.
What happened?
He would ask me to come to myoffice and ask me to put on film
.
And I said no.
Every week he came, I said no,every week I would tell him.
(31:43):
I says you know how does it?
How does it feel to be afailure?
And the kid says what do youmean failure?
He says you're coming andasking me to do something.
It never happens.
I said ah, you don't get it.
You just don't get it.
That's not a failure.
I'm not a failure, I'm notfailing at all.
(32:05):
I come every week to let youknow that I love you.
Mission accomplished.
Speaker 1 (32:16):
To fuse everything with love.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Right and that's, and we'll tell you this, if you was
with love, I do like myfavorite Catholic, jfk, you know
, forgive your enemies but don'tforget their names Is therefore
the love I would say.
Any this could other people mayfeel differently.
For me, it's not about revenge,it's about doing the right
(32:42):
thing.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
Thank you, you know, for your insight and thank you
for sharing.
I know, as a, as a mom, when Iheard, you know, the stories
start to come in and things onthe news, I felt, you know, I
felt a certain way, you know,heartbroken.
(33:08):
Um, you know, I think about youknow, my husband, I thought
about you and your family.
I thought about people that Iwent to high school with, um.
The high school I went to waspredominantly a Jewish, you know
, community, um, I thought aboutJay's grandparents, um, and,
(33:32):
like I said, as a mom, to hearthe stories come in how
terrorists came and did awfulthings, my, my heart broke and
it still breaks because, as amom, you know, you think you see
(33:54):
things from a differentperspective and, like the
overarching theme, like, even onour talk, you know, it's like
what is your calling?
Like, if you don't doeverything for love, what are
you doing it for?
Speaker 2 (34:18):
It pains me to see that humanity has even stooped
to this.
It's a blight on all of us.
And but the only, the only wayto combat darkness is with light
(34:41):
.
You can't use the, the, theexpression is you can't use rags
and brooms are not going to getrid of darkness.
So they, taking care of thedark, taking care, removing the
(35:01):
cancer, is going to takesurgical tools, that's for sure.
I, like you, know it's kind oflike the idea that you don't
have the spill blood if you justturn off the water.
But the the story is in ourlives.
Our response, our response herein Rochester is we are building
(35:25):
.
We're going to build more.
It's going to be to make moreopportunities to support people
that are seeking health, becausethat's what we got to.
You know, we both talk aboutfootball.
I'm going to stay in my lanebecause when somebody, when you
leave your lane, that's when all, when you miss your assignment,
you're blocking assignment.
(35:47):
That's what the I think thathappened to very often, a lot,
of, a lot of times, even for,even though they won, you know,
they for the Vikings, if youheard, you know.
But but so I was listening tothe they they were talking about
their assignments missed,because we everybody has to do
their assignment and in ourassignment we have, we have a
(36:15):
list, you know, we know, we want, we know what to do and to be
able to build, to be able to payanother look, this morning our
meeting at Chabad was about okay, who's in town, who are we who?
Okay, so update the listbecause people got got left town
.
So we're going to now we'regoing to focus on, we're going
to this way we're not distracted, because we're going to focus
(36:40):
our energies as people that arecoming to town and people need
kosher food and where, andpeople and things about places
to stay and people andanticipating and how we're
communicating with that and this.
And then you have other events.
We're going to be having anevent and we're going to be
having a chronic is coming upand we have the people to speak
to because that's also bringingmore light.
And then at the same time, andthen we actually have a building
(37:01):
campaign that we're working onand we have fundraising that we
have to do and people have otherthings and so we have to.
That's about doing and bringingin more light and that's
sticking with our assignment.
And, as you know, if they callme up and they want my advice,
(37:22):
I'll give my what do I know?
But I'll give my, of course.
But until I get that phone callI have my assignment for sure.
And I have what we need to do.
And, yeah, we get distractedand we hear when you hear such a
news and and and hearing thenews and it and it and it works
us and it to the core.
And there's a balance also withwith with that, because it
(37:47):
makes us depressed down and Ialways remember they broadcast
it.
So by consuming what theybroadcast, you're, you're,
you're doing what they want andI don't want to do anything that
they want.
Speaker 1 (38:02):
Right, it's a good point.
It's a good point, it's a goodpoint.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
They have people of arguments.
People of arguments.
I've heard the arguments.
They say well, you should knowto understand.
It's a good, you're anexception, right.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
Right, good for you.
Speaker 2 (38:17):
But I would say as a general agenda, so good.
You're not going to get cancerif you smoke mouth off, but I
but we suggest people don't.
Speaker 1 (38:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
Because the statistics show that it's
harmful for your health.
Speaker 1 (38:30):
For sure.
I really appreciate.
You know your perspective.
I really appreciate your voice.
You know you've given, I feel,a lot of clarity and peace to
the conversation.
And this is given not only formyself, I know, for the
(38:50):
listeners who will listen tothis podcast more food for
thought.
You know just different thingsthat we can do within our daily
life to be more light, be light,live in love.
To do our part, you know, andwhatever that part is, like you
said, you're helping that person, you know, at the supermarket
(39:12):
or holding that door, butwhatever our part is in this big
thing called life, only Godknows, and we have to get up
every day and put one foot infront of the other.
Speaker 2 (39:23):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
Knowing that, hopefully, we are contributing
to the better good, not ofsomething else.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
But if a person is looking for an opportunity, I
would say waking up in themorning is an opportunity to say
thank you God and that's justand I say doing it, not just
thinking it, articulating it.
Don't have to look in themirror while you're doing it,
(39:53):
but just say thank you God, andI submit that that will be a
centering moment and acalibrating moment towards
recognizing all the rest of yourday.
You'll be purposeful if westart with thanks for God.
Speaker 1 (40:10):
You have a way again of just having beautiful
conversation in a way that isnot only meaningful but
enlightening and in terms that Ican understand, and it will
help me move better in the world.
And, dear listeners, you cansee why Rabbi Green and his
(40:33):
family really means so much tomy family, to my journey, to my
husband's journey, to my kid'sjourney.
It's this level of conversationthat he engages us on and
challenges us to think about theworld differently.
So I really appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (40:55):
You're welcome.
Thank you and lots of success,happiness and all the blessings
for you, your family and allyour listeners.
Speaker 1 (41:06):
Thank you, Rabbi Green.
Good afternoon and welcome to everybody.
The podcast which sharesstories that highlight people in
life, that make the world aninteresting place, which
ultimately ties us all togetherin unique and wonderful ways.
And who am I, you might ask.
I would be the headwrappedsocialite Weith mom,
(00:23):
micro-influencer in the fashionand etiquette world, but on this
podcast I will be introducingyou to some people who I've had
the opportunity to meet along myjourney, who have helped enrich
me in my life in beautiful waysand who I hope will do the same
with you.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
The strength that we have from children Now as adults
we can think about well,because it's important.
So when they grow up, that'swhere it comes in, that
spiritual, mystical, practical,but it's reality.
We've seen the energy andeffort that people make to
capture the minds of the youth,but they're powerful in itself.
(01:08):
There is actually a cute storywith talking about the youth,
what the youth can impact.
I'll tell you about my daughter, who's presently in Israel.
So as a young girl, two yearsold so we have a guest that
lives in Rochester and he cameover for the Sabbath so she's
going to entertain the guestswhile we're finishing getting
ready.
So he had just gotten his carrefinished, new paint job, and
(01:35):
my two year old he says is thatyour car?
And he says yeah, he thoughtshe's admiring the paint job and
whatever.
And she says you shouldn'tdrive on Shabbos and he looks
around, where's the adults?
He told her to say that andshe's not doing it in your
(01:57):
terrible person.
She's just saying here's thefact.
And it struck him that you saidchildren get it.
This is what it is.
Because of this, this gentlemanactually eventually moved close
by so he wouldn't have to driveon the Sabbath.
He was open to hear it.
(02:20):
The challenge we have very oftenwith crazy our children we're
not in an insular place and forsure, and many of my colleagues
wherever they are the deeperlessons of teaching, of care and
compassion.
And it's about your response,to be able to encourage a person
and give them the opportunityto observe, For sure, to be who
(02:44):
they really are.
That's it.
You see, that goes in themystical aspect.
It's helpful to read the get-go, the scripture in the beginning
.
We are really good.
I know there's other religiousfaiths that think a little bit
differently or very differently,but that's how it is.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
On today's episode we have an extraordinary guest who
has dedicated his life to faith, community and healing.
Rabbi David Green's journey isas fascinating as it is
inspiring.
Boran, raised in the vibrantcity of Minneapolis, he comes
from a rich academic lineage,with his father teaching at the
(03:30):
graduate school for publichealth at the University of
Minnesota.
David's educational path wasequally exceptional he attended
the very first Orthodox Jewishparochial school in Minnesota,
setting the stage for what Iwould say an incredible journey.
My family and I have knownRabbi Green and his family for
(03:50):
over 15 years and I'm excited tohave him on today's episode.
Welcome, rabbi Green.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Thank you, great to be here.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Thank you for being here.
Could you tell the listeners alittle bit about who you are?
Speaker 2 (04:03):
So I was born in Minneapolis and actually point
out that my great grandparentsare interred in the Minneapolis
Jewish cemetery, so that makesme come from a line of long
suffering Vikings fans.
That's something true, althoughI can't say anything about
gophers because from when I wasyoung my parents became more
(04:29):
observant and so I never wouldengage with college sports
because we were observing theSabbath.
So the television was off onSabbath and so never got a taste
, so never got hungry.
So I grew up in Golden Valley.
(04:51):
Great friends in theneighborhood and those closest
friends were a family that werenot Jewish, so, and the father
was actually our family doctor.
So when I would go over to thehouse on the Sabbath to play,
the father would be sittingwatching the college football
(05:15):
and he wouldn't chase me outsaying this is not for you, you
should be playing with the kids,it's, you know, this is not for
you.
So growing up, chased to theroom that, the room where the
Christmas tree was, it's okay,but it's not, it's the Sabbath,
there's not what you do, but itwas.
So definitely enjoyed sports,definitely played it, but never
(05:40):
engaged in organized sports,okay.
So I grew up in at 15, aftergoing through that Torah Academy
, the Jewish Procurel School, Iwas sent to the LeBavitch
Yeshiva which is in Canada, inQuebec.
In Quebec it was CollègeRabanique du Canada, which is
(06:03):
rabbinical college of Canada.
So I matriculated there inCanadian history.
That was a tough year becauseit's not that interesting.
But it's interesting to learnhistory from a different
perspective, for sure.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Now, was it taught in French, or was it taught?
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Thank God I was one class ahead of that rule being
applied in the school systembecause the class below me had
to learn their secular subjectsin in France.
But anyway, the word Yeshiva isjust, it's the word for high
school.
It was a high school and itcontinued to post high school
(06:45):
studies and eventually thecollege portion, learning
learning rabbinic ordination.
The community in Quebec andMontreal specifically, is an old
Jewish community and at thesame time was a vibrant Jewish
community.
So the influx of meetingdifferent people from different
(07:06):
backgrounds, and not necessarily, I'm going to say in my classes
, but the LeBavitch, which is aname of a town in White Russia,
where the leaders of the ChabadSchool of Philosophy, of Hasidic
philosophy, where the, the Rebis the, the, the, the leaders of
(07:27):
these movement headquarteredfor 200 years.
So hence it's, it's the name ofthe organization that we have
is Chabad LeBavitch.
The Chabad is three words inHebrew Chokhma, Bina Das,
knowledge, wisdom, understanding.
(07:49):
The Chabad movement was, whichwas founded by Reb Shnerzal
Mevladi, incorporated asystematic understanding.
It's not just all heart, it'swell.
I got to use brain and to usethe mind, to devote and dedicate
(08:10):
how and direct.
So I was sent to thatinstitution.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Would you mind sharing with the listeners how
you do know that you were goingto be a rabbi?
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Here's the personal story.
So, after finishing high schooland continuing on studies, I
think the teacher had he washe's.
I eventually found he's a greatteacher for other things.
But I just was where am I going?
Where is this going?
It's quote, unquote, the system.
So my parents sent me overthere as I continued.
(08:44):
So the perpetual motion kind ofstarts to slow down.
Where am I now?
And a lot of my friends aregoing on and and so who am I?
Where am I going with this?
They I mean they transferred toother places because they were.
Then they were sent.
I have a lot of contemporariesin my class that were said to be
to study in Caracas for acouple of years.
(09:05):
But I was a matriarch andeventually I turned to my
teacher that was taught me in inin 10th and an 11th grade and I
just asked him a question.
I said what, where am I withthat, was he thinking?
And he, he said well, he sayswhat's wrong?
(09:28):
You don't have to be, you don'thave to make a career out of
this.
There's plenty of people thatare good Jews, they're fine and
dandy, they're wonderful.
And he didn't want to get, hewasn't doing the psychological
analysis.
What is making you think this,that you have to do this.
You don't have to, don't?
You don't have to put that onyourself.
However, I do recommend thatyou don't leave until you have
(09:53):
that piece of paper, you,because then you will feel good
about all the time you spent andyou have a baby, have a diploma
on the wall.
So you have to.
I said you know what soundsgood, sounds good.
So I I got into the program oflearning and then, once I
started doing that, I said itwas.
There was a couple of thingsthat came at the same time.
(10:14):
To be able, first of all,learning for a goal completely
changed things for me.
I was saying you just made thefist with both feet.
And once you're doing this,there's another factor that the
in this movement, in this andthis system that that it was in
(10:34):
they do not give you a test.
Therefore, there's a number oftests that you have to go
through of different subjects.
As you go through them, you'renot permitted to take a test
unless you have a signedpermission slip From what's
called the mashbiyah in Yisheva.
The mashbiyah of Yisheva is thespiritual counselor.
(10:56):
Okay, so once I startedattending, once I started, I
came and going to attend and Irealized I'd better do something
with this time.
So I went and worked with someothers and developed a
curriculum of what I'm going tolearn in Hasidic.
He's a young man, he's anelementary school teacher in Los
(11:20):
Angeles and he used to say mymother loves you, so why is your
mother like this?
Because I would call the houseearly in the morning and say,
when his name is Yorahmeel, Isay did you wake up, yorahmeel?
She says I said he'd tell himI'm expecting him here in 10
(11:41):
minutes.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
I'm here, right.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Because he was going to go through this curriculum,
we were just going to completeit.
And when you start gaininginformation, gaining information
, gaining information and it'sthe second paragraph of the
Shema, which is the prayerthat's recited twice daily by
Jews, we hear oh Israel, theLord is our God, the Lord is one
(12:03):
.
There's a couple otherparagraphs.
In the second paragraph it saysand you shall place these words
upon on your hearts, upon yourplural hearts.
You shall, you plural, how'sthis Yal should place these
words on your hearts.
I think that's where it works.
It sounds better than youplural, anyway.
(12:25):
So the question is it's notabout you can't do anything to
the heart.
All you do is place the wordson the heart and from time to
time the heart opens up and someof these words fall in.
Our job is keep on information,information, information.
(12:46):
Not like that Charlie Brownthing they put the book under my
pillow and it'll seep in.
It's real infer-.
You have to learn it, you haveto read it, you have to review
it, you have to look at it.
And at the same time, very muchgot involved with that, going to
people's businesses in Montrealon Friday and there was a
(13:09):
statement from one of the Chabadleaders that when you do this
type of work it improves yourability to understand a thousand
times.
So these gentlemen would comeand visit them on a weekly basis
.
So they would come on theweekend.
So one of these guys I'm fastfriends with him now until this
(13:32):
day, while he was here, I said,you know, there's somebody I'm
going to, I'm going to go visitsomebody in the hospital and he
says, can I come with you?
There's good old days.
I said, sure, why not?
So this is a guy.
No matter how you see, if I'mthe Sabbath I wear a longer coat
, the formal coat, I wear fedora.
This guy in that Hasidic groupthey wear the fur hat and he had
(13:58):
.
They look like I call themmotorcycle boots.
It looks like they look likemotorcycle cops, have these
leather boots that go up.
That is their style of dress,plus the long coat.
So sure, let's go.
I walk in.
So we come up, of course it's alittle colder.
So we go in to the closestentrance to where we live is in
(14:20):
Damatilla.
So we go up and we're going tobe walking down the hallway down
the Damatilla.
So I walk with me.
Fine, I usually start to getyou know, I'm going to say game
face on.
I'm just thinking, okay, get mymind Just to center myself
before I go see this person.
So this guy, every singleperson in the hallway, he said
(14:44):
hello, how are you Nice to seeyou.
Hello, a nurse is at the sameand every nurse was hi, nice,
hello, how are you doing?
Very nice, thank you very muchfor asking that.
Every single person.
I realized at that momentthere's an aspect.
He's doing what's calledreceiving every person with a
(15:06):
cheerful countenance, which is astatement in the Talmud you
should receive or greet or meetor encounter every person with a
cheerful countenance.
And he was doing it, he wasliving it.
Me, the person that sees thesepeople and the person that's
going to do this, that is thisfrequency that he's exists at.
(15:28):
He doesn't.
What he does in his communityhimself is phenomenal.
I know the other things he does.
He does it.
He's involved with a burialsociety, so most of the people
he's dealing with are not evenmany people he deals with are
not alive anymore.
I said, note to self wow, I'mnot just going to be impressed,
(15:49):
I want to incorporate it, I wantto do it.
I got to get out of myintrovert self and be present
and you know, oh, but what aboutme?
Yeah, but you know what?
You'll be okay, because it's alittle bit self talk of you're
(16:11):
okay, you're good, you got it.
Here's an opportunity.
Do it Right.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
And that's it.
I've always been taking thatopportunity and making.
I always go back to it makeyourself a better version of
yourself.
And it's taking thatopportunity to be a little bit
better in this moment.
And if there's one thing Ithink that children it's going
back to.
Like you know, little children,they are so innocent, they are
(16:40):
so free.
They will bring you such joybecause they're able to live in
the moment.
And sometimes I have a questionand maybe you can answer this
question and maybe I've askedthis question of you before but
when do we lose that ability?
Because I know when we'reyounger we have that ability to
(17:01):
move through space, being sofree, and at some point it seems
like it stops and then we'rekind of guarded and then later
on it feels like we're able tomove through that space a little
bit more freer.
(17:22):
But there's a huge span of timewhere it stops, or at least for
me it has stopped and I'm likewhen did I lose?
Speaker 2 (17:34):
that.
That's a good.
I've listened to some lecturesabout this type of stuff and
there's there's a lot ofcolleagues that are very good at
analyzing this.
That's a good.
I have to.
I'm curious to know as well.
And as you bring it up, that'sa great.
I hate you know that's a greatquestion.
It is a question there and Iremember a lecture that it says
(17:59):
when kids get upset and they getupset and you say make up, and
they can, five minutes laterthey're getting along, and but
adults to make up it's not goingto happen.
Because and he, he used examplehe says because children would
rather be happy than be right.
So when did we stop becomingmore important that we're right
(18:26):
than we're happy?
So that's what I think.
I'm using that as a parameter.
So it's the same question.
I have an answer.
Your question per se, but it'slike I've assigned different
value of a decisionsubconsciously somewhere.
I don't know.
It's interesting, and probablydifferent people, and I'm sure
(18:48):
child psychologists would beable to say when, when the kids
do that from observation.
But that kid is always withinus, so we can always tap into it
.
We can always tap into ourinnocence, our curiosity and and
, and it's that's what our, ourego gets in the way.
(19:11):
Yeah, so I was speaking to acolleague and he was pointing
out that well, he was sayingsome of your problem is that you
don't realize that you're okay.
Therefore, you super inflateyourself and now you're more
sensitive.
I've, I've been, I've been,I've been reflecting on it this
morning, because they just toldme on this morning, because
(19:34):
they're talking about why andhow making decisions says if you
, if we.
It's an interesting phenomenonthat when do we realize we're
okay, we're okay, you want toimprove?
I mean it's a whole thing aboutabout the harshest critic that
we have.
I went to my father and father,my mother, were visiting.
So I said I realized I'm my ownharshest critic and my father
(19:58):
said it's beautiful.
He says yes, I used to believeand understand that about myself
as well.
And then I married your mother.
My mother was there and shesays yes, you weren't doing a
good enough job.
I said I discovered perpetualmotion.
But that is, but it's not.
(20:19):
But we do have that's a.
That is a question why don't wehave a inner voice that says
you're good?
We have an inner voice sayingbut from what I understand, from
the understanding, the acidiclearning that I have, it's
because there's this statementfrom the previous Rebbe in a, in
a acidic discourse, he says allproblems come from ego, all
(20:41):
problems, so ego, there's ahealthy, I mean when I I'm not
talking about Freud, but I'mjust using that word.
But the idea for me it initiallywas like well, what about a
person with an inferioritycomplex?
How does that come from ego?
So, thinking and analyzing anddiscussing, came up with the
following that a person ininferiority complex what they're
(21:04):
really saying to themselves isreally I should be so much
better who says you'll be,that's you see, that's, that's
really ego.
You should be so much better.
How about being where you, whoyou are?
You have an image of yourselfthat should be so much better.
So you're, you figure a failure.
But really.
(21:25):
But why you figure a failure?
It's coming from that selfperception of yourself as me.
Better, this is not sad, it is,and but but this come.
This is where the, the again,it's like why did God create us
with such machinations?
See, that's a deeper question.
(21:46):
So what do you want God?
What do you want?
He says I've put in with, with,when you, within you, you see,
that's where comes in the, theidea of the original sin and
Judaism eating for the tree ofknowledge of good and evil.
So then we we were no longersubjective, no, we're no longer
objective, thank you, we're,we're, it's all subjective,
(22:09):
we're all involved, it's allinternal and it's a good luck.
So look, but then again, don'tthe psychologists and therapists
and psychiatrists deserve tomake a living.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
I guess they do too.
They do, yeah.
I always say we're brothers andsisters in this wonderful world
and called life.
You know we're brothers andsisters and we're, we're called
to be that towards one another.
You know every single day, evenif I don't know you per se, I
do know you because we're allone of the same spirit.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
Divine Providence.
God felt it's.
It's pretty good reason for you, for us to be encountering one
another.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Ask you this question .
I know that your work, youprovide emotional support, you
provide religious support, butyou also provide like a healing
and I had mentioned that earlierin the beginning.
And I know last week was theend of the high holiday, Sukkot.
How does one celebrate the highholiday in the midst of all of
(23:16):
the tragic?
Speaker 2 (23:20):
I like to.
I don't know.
I don't know, I don't know ifwe celebrated, I don't know if
we grieved.
People were saying some peoplesays unbelievable.
One of the things that got methrough it because we started
(23:41):
hearing the news on the day thatwe're celebrating.
So I had read a story inpreparation for one of the marks
at the end.
One of the events, part of therituals at the end of the
(24:02):
holiday is what's called theYizkor.
Yizkor means remembrance.
We talk about, we recite aprayer.
Every individual does this andtalks about what they got to
remember, the remember of thepeople that our parents that
have passed on and we actuallycommit to give charity in their
(24:25):
memory.
I mean, they're no longer ableto give charity, so we do
something and it's a benefit tothat soul and it's attributed to
that soul that somethinghappened in this physical world.
Remember, keep on emphasizingthat.
Okay, so I had a story which Ididn't say, but it came up
(24:46):
useful later, because the storywas as follows that there was a
group.
You see, towards the end ofWorld War II, in 1944, the
transports of Jews to Auschwitzwas coming a lot from Hungary.
The half a million Jews fromHungary were sent to Auschwitz
(25:07):
to die and they died.
As they would say, the only wayout from Auschwitz was through
the chimneys.
So, and it was later because atfirst they had their own
organism when the Nazis tookover the government the details
(25:30):
I can't remember.
The history per say so theycame along, this group of
teenage boys, and they werebrought in.
But when they came to Auschwitzthey were sent into the camp.
They were not immediatelykilled and they were there a few
weeks.
Then came a selection and allthese, this group of boys, were
(25:50):
taken to be able to the gaschambers to die.
I think it was.
I didn't even look up the dateto be sure.
I think it was October 9th,because this is recorded in
people's diaries, so October 9th1944.
So it was the same holiday.
It was the same holiday.
(26:10):
So they were brought in to the,they were taken and they knew by
that time they weren't in theshock position of where it's
going on.
They already knew they're therea couple of weeks.
They know, like they say, theywere told that.
So they were brought into thegas chamber and they one of the
guys before they were going toput down the Zyklon B which
(26:31):
turned into the gas.
They were told.
One of the guys said Hevre.
I mean, guys, tonight isSimchastera.
We do not.
We're rejoicing with the Torah.
That's the holiday.
We do not have a Torah withwhich to celebrate, but we have
our souls.
So let's dance.
(26:52):
That's because we, becausethat's what we do, that's the
holiday, that's what Jews do.
So they actually I mean theysay they know the songs that
they sang and they're singingand they're dancing.
So before they pour them, theNazis hear singing coming out of
the gas chamber and they'rethat never.
(27:15):
That's not what the usual soundis.
You know, could imagine.
The usual sounds are screams,whimpering, anguish, and they
hear sounds of rejoicing.
They open it up and say what'sgoing on here?
So the guy that calledeverybody to dance said we are
(27:39):
celebrating the fact that we'releaving this world, which is run
by vicious humans like you, andwe're going to be reunited with
our parents that you murdered.
The Nazi said it's not enoughto kill you, I'm going to take
you out and we're going totorture you to death tomorrow.
(28:00):
So they took them all out.
The news came across within thesystem.
There was a commandant of anarmaments factory right nearby
and he needed workers.
He heard about these guys.
He came and he took them andneed them to work, so he
(28:23):
commandeered this group.
He needed slave labor, so hetook them, so this group
survived.
So when you see, what do we dowhen we're faced with this, how
do we rejoice?
We rejoice.
We have no choice.
I have nephews in the army, inthe Israeli Defense Forces, and
(28:48):
videos coming back.
They were asking people.
Asking people because it liftstheir morale.
You say, lifts their morale.
Yeah, they're facing.
They're facing difficult things.
My niece, my sister's daughters,husband's brother, my sister's
(29:10):
daughters, brother-in-law, wasat that festival, the music
festival, to celebrate.
He died, saving others.
How did he save others?
I've heard that, I read, Ilistened to the interview.
He took a few days to identifyhis body but he kept everybody
calm and he was directed them tosafety.
(29:33):
There were 1,250 at that place.
There were hundreds, hundreds,to direct people to escape the
hide.
So the story is, what morecould he want than people should
celebrate life?
That's the type of person hewas, because that's how he gave
(29:56):
up his life.
I hope I haven't rationalized athing, because God needs a good
lawyer and I'm not going to beit for him.
But I'm going to say, at thesame time, people want to know.
I get provocative.
When you ask where people,where was God?
I say you know, god was there100%.
(30:18):
God was giving those monstersfreedom of choice and they chose
not wisely it's anunderstatement.
They chose rudely what wordscan we use?
And people like my niece'sbrother-in-law chose very wisely
(30:41):
, and so that's all.
We tap into this because it'sall about the moment.
The moment says we are Jews andwe're going to celebrate
because we have a gift.
What the alternative is to sayI don't want to be.
(31:01):
What kind of?
I don't, not for the world.
There was a story with a youngman that would go to the story
that there was a guy at a.
There was a gentleman, he wasspeaking at a fundraiser thing
for a Jewish organization aJewish organization.
They asked him how did you?
What was his story?
(31:23):
They brought him here.
He says I'll tell you.
It was a boy that would come, aLabaavich, a boy that would
come to my business every week.
What happened?
He would ask me to come to myoffice and ask me to put on film
.
And I said no.
Every week he came, I said no,every week I would tell him.
(31:43):
I says you know how does it?
How does it feel to be afailure?
And the kid says what do youmean failure?
He says you're coming andasking me to do something.
It never happens.
I said ah, you don't get it.
You just don't get it.
That's not a failure.
I'm not a failure, I'm notfailing at all.
(32:05):
I come every week to let youknow that I love you.
Mission accomplished.
Speaker 1 (32:16):
To fuse everything with love.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Right and that's, and we'll tell you this, if you was
with love, I do like myfavorite Catholic, jfk, you know
, forgive your enemies but don'tforget their names Is therefore
the love I would say.
Any this could other people mayfeel differently.
For me, it's not about revenge,it's about doing the right
(32:42):
thing.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
Thank you, you know, for your insight and thank you
for sharing.
I know, as a, as a mom, when Iheard, you know, the stories
start to come in and things onthe news, I felt, you know, I
felt a certain way, you know,heartbroken.
(33:08):
Um, you know, I think about youknow, my husband, I thought
about you and your family.
I thought about people that Iwent to high school with, um.
The high school I went to waspredominantly a Jewish, you know
, community, um, I thought aboutJay's grandparents, um, and,
(33:32):
like I said, as a mom, to hearthe stories come in how
terrorists came and did awfulthings, my, my heart broke and
it still breaks because, as amom, you know, you think you see
(33:54):
things from a differentperspective and, like the
overarching theme, like, even onour talk, you know, it's like
what is your calling?
Like, if you don't doeverything for love, what are
you doing it for?
Speaker 2 (34:18):
It pains me to see that humanity has even stooped
to this.
It's a blight on all of us.
And but the only, the only wayto combat darkness is with light
(34:41):
.
You can't use the, the, theexpression is you can't use rags
and brooms are not going to getrid of darkness.
So they, taking care of thedark, taking care, removing the
(35:01):
cancer, is going to takesurgical tools, that's for sure.
I, like you, know it's kind oflike the idea that you don't
have the spill blood if you justturn off the water.
But the the story is in ourlives.
Our response, our response herein Rochester is we are building
(35:25):
.
We're going to build more.
It's going to be to make moreopportunities to support people
that are seeking health, becausethat's what we got to.
You know, we both talk aboutfootball.
I'm going to stay in my lanebecause when somebody, when you
leave your lane, that's when all, when you miss your assignment,
you're blocking assignment.
(35:47):
That's what the I think thathappened to very often, a lot,
of, a lot of times, even for,even though they won, you know,
they for the Vikings, if youheard, you know.
But but so I was listening tothe they they were talking about
their assignments missed,because we everybody has to do
their assignment and in ourassignment we have, we have a
(36:15):
list, you know, we know, we want, we know what to do and to be
able to build, to be able to payanother look, this morning our
meeting at Chabad was about okay, who's in town, who are we who?
Okay, so update the listbecause people got got left town
.
So we're going to now we'regoing to focus on, we're going
to this way we're not distracted, because we're going to focus
(36:40):
our energies as people that arecoming to town and people need
kosher food and where, andpeople and things about places
to stay and people andanticipating and how we're
communicating with that and this.
And then you have other events.
We're going to be having anevent and we're going to be
having a chronic is coming upand we have the people to speak
to because that's also bringingmore light.
And then at the same time, andthen we actually have a building
(37:01):
campaign that we're working onand we have fundraising that we
have to do and people have otherthings and so we have to.
That's about doing and bringingin more light and that's
sticking with our assignment.
And, as you know, if they callme up and they want my advice,
(37:22):
I'll give my what do I know?
But I'll give my, of course.
But until I get that phone callI have my assignment for sure.
And I have what we need to do.
And, yeah, we get distractedand we hear when you hear such a
news and and and hearing thenews and it and it and it works
us and it to the core.
And there's a balance also withwith with that, because it
(37:47):
makes us depressed down and Ialways remember they broadcast
it.
So by consuming what theybroadcast, you're, you're,
you're doing what they want andI don't want to do anything that
they want.
Speaker 1 (38:02):
Right, it's a good point.
It's a good point, it's a goodpoint.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
They have people of arguments.
People of arguments.
I've heard the arguments.
They say well, you should knowto understand.
It's a good, you're anexception, right.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
Right, good for you.
Speaker 2 (38:17):
But I would say as a general agenda, so good.
You're not going to get cancerif you smoke mouth off, but I
but we suggest people don't.
Speaker 1 (38:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
Because the statistics show that it's
harmful for your health.
Speaker 1 (38:30):
For sure.
I really appreciate.
You know your perspective.
I really appreciate your voice.
You know you've given, I feel,a lot of clarity and peace to
the conversation.
And this is given not only formyself, I know, for the
(38:50):
listeners who will listen tothis podcast more food for
thought.
You know just different thingsthat we can do within our daily
life to be more light, be light,live in love.
To do our part, you know, andwhatever that part is, like you
said, you're helping that person, you know, at the supermarket
(39:12):
or holding that door, butwhatever our part is in this big
thing called life, only Godknows, and we have to get up
every day and put one foot infront of the other.
Speaker 2 (39:23):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
Knowing that, hopefully, we are contributing
to the better good, not ofsomething else.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
But if a person is looking for an opportunity, I
would say waking up in themorning is an opportunity to say
thank you God and that's justand I say doing it, not just
thinking it, articulating it.
Don't have to look in themirror while you're doing it,
(39:53):
but just say thank you God, andI submit that that will be a
centering moment and acalibrating moment towards
recognizing all the rest of yourday.
You'll be purposeful if westart with thanks for God.
Speaker 1 (40:10):
You have a way again of just having beautiful
conversation in a way that isnot only meaningful but
enlightening and in terms that Ican understand, and it will
help me move better in the world.
And, dear listeners, you cansee why Rabbi Green and his
(40:33):
family really means so much tomy family, to my journey, to my
husband's journey, to my kid'sjourney.
It's this level of conversationthat he engages us on and
challenges us to think about theworld differently.
So I really appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (40:55):
You're welcome.
Thank you and lots of success,happiness and all the blessings
for you, your family and allyour listeners.
Speaker 1 (41:06):
Thank you, Rabbi Green.
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