Dec. 24, 2024

An Unfiltered Chanukah Rant About the Obsession with Doughnuts, iPhones, and Gambling

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Season 7

As I dust off my menorah for Hanukkah, I find myself reflecting on the deeper significance of this festival amidst the chaos of contemporary life. Join me as I grapple with the age-old struggle of balancing work, family, and faith. The ancient story of the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire isn't just about historical heroics—it's a reminder of the enduring Jewish spirit and the continued relevance of our traditions. This episode takes you through my personal reflections on the pressures and distractions of modern society, from holiday traffic and the temptations of materialism to the allure of technology, all of which can overshadow the holiday's true essence.

As we gather around the menorah, let's explore the teachings of Rav Hirsch and Rav Yerucham, seeking to imbue our lives with the profound meaning of Hanukkah. We'll ponder how to maintain meaningful connections with family and community while resisting the pull toward superficial pleasures. Get ready to reflect on the deeper flames of spirituality and tradition, igniting conversations that matter. Whether it's contemplating how to navigate the complexities of daily life or striving to keep the Jewish flame alive, this episode promises insights that resonate far beyond the holiday season.

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Questions or Comments? Please email me @ michaelbrooke97@gmail.com



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You'll forgive me if the following words are not in good taste or rub you the wrong way, or you can simply swipe off the screen and turn off the motivation congregation.

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But as I dusted off my menorah again, 5785 style, put it by the windowsill opposite my mezuzah, surrounded by mitzvos ready to get the family around the menorah again, l'cha l'sis Hashem, god of the Kaddish ba'i, l'mecha t'shua gedoylo furkan kayom hazen, celebrate with the whole family about the endurance of the Jewish soul and the Jewish spirit and how we continue to live on, and no matter how many of them tried to step on our Jewish throats back in the second century BCE.

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The Maccabean revolt and the standing up for the Almighty against the Seleucid Empire teaches us that forever and ever the Jews will live on and we will live on with our spirituality and the enduring of our Judaism and dedication to the Torah.

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Yeah, those were some of the thoughts that I had, but many of the other thoughts included some less than satisfactory or really growth-filled thoughts, because I thought to myself well, you know, hanukkah is important, but to light in the middle of the afternoon means that I'm probably going to have to leave work early.

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But well, maybe I can really make some money at that time and I really need to maximize because times are tight here at the Motivation Congregation.

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And what about the fact that second Seder I should give up my personal learning time with some of the chavrusas but to go home to maybe I can light Rebbe later after Second Seder, maybe I could light before.

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How do I beat the traffic?

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I thought to myself more as we go on this growth-seeking and wanting more type of Hanukkah rant, that how can I possibly hit the $12 donut over there on the south side of Lakewood and then go to the north side and catch that well, kind of custard-filled and half-topped donut, double-crusted cronut type of donut.

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Because I want to maximize the pleasure-seeking.

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But then also I want to be somebody that has time to gather around the table and enjoy and sing shiros v'teshpachos but still make time for the obsession with the sports gambling or maybe other kind of silly habits that somehow dreidel became a gambling.

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There's certain groups of people now that I hear, actually bet real money on this child's game, schlepping down this kind of old tradition into murky waters.

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I thought to myself and well, thank God I don't suffer from the gambling addiction.

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But how can I make my way out of the synagogue not after an hour and a half, because it's hard for me to sit still.

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But halal, all eight days of Hanukkah, that's a lot of davening.

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If I daven the early one, they rush.

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But that could be fun because it's quicker.

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But I daven the later one, oh man, they're going to be schleppy.

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So how do I?

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How do I?

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How do I?

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But I found myself asking some rather sad questions about how it is that I can maybe even get my kids a present that'll make them happy.

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But, god forbid, maybe some people like to buy their kids the newest technology that ends up only rotting their brains and is really created by some tech guru in some lab somewhere, just to addict the child's mind and totally bankrupt him of any sort of sense of what is right and what is wrong, as he just scrolls aimlessly through the depths of YouTube and TikTok.

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So this Hanukkah, as I try to come up with good things to say and organize the Torah of Rav Hirsch and Rav Yerucham, we'll do that in the future, but let it be that we all sit around the Hanukkah menorah, that easy light 1999 set, because we don't want to put any Mesir HaSnefesh into our mitzvahs.

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Again I say that with not too intense of a chip on my shoulder, but all trying to be there just to pour a point here that Hanukkah is about something more.

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It's about the dancing flames, that you should stare at them and see.

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Something deeper is happening.

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There's something going on in your soul.

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There's something more to life and family and Torah and Judaism matters.

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And don't necessarily buy the fresh tech that everyone else gets for their kids, but maybe buy your son a Mesih HaSharm, rabchaim ala Rambam, or maybe even more, give him the gift of your time and pay attention to him and help him to see that the Jewish spark can never be extinguished.

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And what we have, this inheritance from Avram, yitzchak and Yaakov that's been passed down to us the soul of the Jewish people.

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Being an Israelite, no matter how far we get from Harsinai, and we continue to live in 2024, 2025, and 5785, fighting for what is right, standing up for God and trying to do what brings satisfaction to Hashem Rabban B'yad Ma'atim, that's always the right thing and that is maybe one of the most important lessons that we should internalize this Hanukkah.