Chabad Jewish Centre of Woodbridge Rabbi, Shalom Bakshi joins me on Awareness episode 9.

[00:00:13] Speaker A: Hey there again, family and friends. It is Rob Daniels with you for a week. Well, we'll call it Episode nine, not week nine. We've, we've missed a few weeks in there, but we're going to say episode nine because that's the more accurate Episode nine of Awareness, the podcast fostering a more compassionate, empathetic and accepting society. And I'm so glad you're along for the ride. And hopefully you have already subscribed to this podcast. I see some of the messages on social media and I thank you for those and supporting this wonderful cause, this podcast. So please subscribe and like where you can, wherever you get your podcasts. And thanks so much for listening or watching wherever you you get your podcasts. This episode 9 here of Awareness brings a very special guest. I mean, each week is a very special guest. This one is a very close friendship I have with none other than Rabbi Shalom Bakshi. Welcome to Awareness. [00:01:17] Speaker B: Welcome. Thank you for having me. [00:01:18] Speaker A: Yes. It's so good to see you here. And this is, you know, I've been wanting to do this episode for quite some time with you because I know it's something that the world needs. It's something that society needs is an episode with a rabbi to hear things firsthand from him, to try and get some facts in front of the camera for you to try and bring more kindness to the world. And I want to start this off first by saying you might be wondering, well, how do you know that this specific rabbi, I mean, there's a lot of rabbis out there, Chabad rabbis, and this is one of them right here. This is actually my community rabbi. Okay. So that serves the Woodbridge and Kleinberg area in Ontario. And I'm so thankful that he could make it here today and be with us. And Rabbi Bakshi, how him and I first met, actually, I'm going to say it would not have happened if I didn't work in Barrie for a couple of years. Barrie, Ontario. And how I first met his brother in law at Chabad Barry. And then I was told by his brother in law that, hey, there's a very nice rabbi that's in the community of Woodbridge where you also have a whole bunch of family and he's going around and giving out. Sorry, the. And. But you also do a nice service where you. On the. It's. I just lost it in my mind for a second what you put on the door. My back, my bad. I was in my mind and I'm like, oh my gosh, I just lost the thought Train of thought. So Mezuzah, he goes around Woodbridge and helps others that may be less fortunate or do not, are not aware of how to put one on their door. He helps out around the community to do that. And he drops off challah to new people in the community that he meets. And so that's how I officially knew of him. But I tell you, and then we had some different scheduling issues where we didn't really get to connect over that loaf of challah. But where we did first meet was one of the most emotional times of my life, I have to admit, because it brought back a whole lot of triggering thoughts because it all had to do with October 7th. 7th of October 2023. And it was a very, very dark time in Jewish history now. And just bringing back a whole lot of recurring thoughts and negativity from the past in. In history and such. And so, you know, Rabbi, when I first met you, I came into your house and it was for that actual honoring the lost soldiers, or sorry, not soldiers. The. The people that had been killed in this terrible tragedy in Israel. And at the music festival, which was the name of it again, if you could remind me. [00:04:42] Speaker B: Yeah. In the Nova Festival. [00:04:44] Speaker A: The Nova Festival. [00:04:45] Speaker B: Doing Simcha Torah. [00:04:46] Speaker A: Yes, Simcha Torah. Where people are just dancing and having a good time, celebrating life. And we had this. This tragedy that we were trying to unite everyone in the community by having a nice prayer service at your house. Because for those that don't know that Chabad of Woodbridge is actually in Rabbi Bakshi's home, which is incredible. You know, it's public knowledge, you know, 189 Stanton Avenue in Woodbridge. You just. You knock on his door and this wonderful man right here is going to answer with a smile and, you know, be the most kindness to you. You be kind. He's going to be kind. And he's the most. He's a. He's a gracious fellow right here. So when I first walked onto your doorstep and I saw you and I met you and your smile and your compassion, I was. We put on to fill in. Right. Which is. And we said a prayer for all the people that were affected by this horrible tragedy in Israel on October 7th. And. And I just sort of. I broke down. I am. This is going to be a vulnerable episode, so I'll be. It's going to be difficult for me to not, you know, shed a tear or two here. I will do my best to keep it composed because I essentially broke down and gave you a big hug that day. And I was crying. I was, I was. I couldn't get a hold of myself because I'm like, what just, you know, what happened here to, you know, I'm more of a humanitarian than anything else, humanity. But I know and I understand and I feel when people say what happened to our people that day, you know, when I hear that. And that's what. And I just, I. Because of being, you know what, you know, 20 years ago, I had anti Semitic remarks revealed to me and shown to me and not kindness for doing nothing. That triggered that just ran into that. It brought a whole bunch of triggering thoughts back to me. So reoccurring 20 years later, I didn't know how to feel. Obviously, I was showing how I was feeling. Very emotional and water works flowing. And you just, you know, were there to give me a hug and be in attendance for this service to honor the people lost that day. And you being a rabbi, you were holding it together that day somehow. I don't know how you did it yourself. You were so professional that day and bringing up community leaders. And I, I just. Tears were just falling through my face because I just knew how supported we felt that day. But I. It was very hard to. To see so many people hurting for no reason that I could think of that, that. Why does this. Why did that need to happen? That did not need to happen there. And so I, I know that you were holding it together better than I was that day, and probably it's part of it because it's your job, but you're also a human being and you have these emotions too, and you're probably raging on the inside, but you. You hold it together very well. So here, I'm giving you this platform here today to talk to me about how you, Rabbi Bakshi, because you're from Israel, why don't you say the town that you're from, which town are you? [00:08:31] Speaker B: Yeah, we are actually. My family is from Arad, Israel. So southern part of Israel, south southern district, which is basically next to the Dead Sea Yamamela, and right below Ofakim, right around the corner from the event of nova Festival on October 7, 2023. So for us as a Jewish community and as a person from our holy land, promised land, Israel, for me, this event was also attached to the core. And again, because we are a part of this, a part of this holy nation, I'm Israel, but especially a part of the people who are coming from the holy land, a part of the Eret Israel. But it touched to the core when you see others that touched their core. And. And I must start today with giving a hug to my friend Robbie. Thank you. [00:09:42] Speaker A: Thanks, Rabbi. Yeah. [00:09:43] Speaker B: And so we're sitting together over here, and it's a privilege to be, you know, not just speaking one on one, counseling and discussions and conversation with my friend Robbie. We have on a weekly basis, we get together on an hourly basis, we are having a chat together. But for sure, sitting together and having it viewing, you know, to the public, an opportunity to say very important thing. To begin with, first of all, Rob was speaking about an event that touched the core of the Jewish nation. I want to add to it and say this is this event, touch the core of every single human being. Humanity was touched to the core this day. And from this day and on. Our job is to bring humanity to the next level, to bring the sacred of humanity, the sacred of God and the circuit of holiness in this world to the next level. And for this, we have to do increasing in goodness and kindness. Every event, every get together, every meeting, we are starting, we are starting with a good deed. So let's start with giving charity. I will start with giving a charity. And my friend Robbie, please. And the producer also over here will. [00:11:05] Speaker A: Give one Producer Mike. [00:11:07] Speaker B: That's it. [00:11:07] Speaker A: Okay, we're calling out producer Mike. [00:11:09] Speaker B: We are here to increase in goodness and kindness. And it's something which is very important not just to think about this or to speak about this, rather to act on it. When we are giving to charity, we are basically saying that this coin, this 5 cent, this nickel or a dime, 10 cents or a quarter, 25 cents, regardless the. The amount, the message is that I'm right away thinking about somebody else who is less fortunate than me. And I'm doing the act. I'm going outside myself, my comfort zone, my own box, and I am going towards somebody else. So it's so important not just to speak about this, to think about this, obviously, rather to act on it. And that's why thank you for the opportunity, Rob, from being here today with you and to do the act of charity and study this very important broadcast with an act of goodness and kindness. [00:12:04] Speaker A: It's amazing how I find that the ones that are hurting the most are always the ones that are trying to help the most. And I feel like your soul is hurting too, from that. And you're still trying to be kind and just get by. You know, everybody can just, you know, keep trying to do bad things to you, but you never let it shake your soul to. To stop doing kind things. And now it's it's amplified now, the kindness. Because no, you're. We're not going to let evil win here. That's, that's what it means to you. I know, and I can see it in your face and how you hold gatherings and. But so I didn't know this officially. So from your family and friends in Israel, how. Who was affected by this? Did you lose any loved ones? Can you elaborate on that a little bit? [00:12:57] Speaker B: Okay, so very good question. I can tell you that, that from the immediate family, thank God, we didn't lose anybody. But as I mentioned before, we're talking about extended family, we're talking about a nation, we're talking about humanity. We're talking about one big people with many, many bodies. One big nation with many, many parts, limbs of one tall, strong body. So immediate family from my brothers and sisters, thank God and cousins and so on. No one got hurt. But, but again, it was shaking to the core as any other event to a family member. I can tell you that family members who live close by and they needed to be in a shelter for, you know, quite a few months and waking up, you know, from babies, infant 2 years old to 7 years old, to adults waking up middle of the night and running around outside the building to find a shelter, you know, the first few months was not easy. I remember until today I was showing it to my kids and family at home when my brother was turning the, the calendar pages. October, November, December, January, they were not home for three and a half months. They left southern part of Israel and they went to my other siblings in the north. Until the north start to be excited. And then the north came to visit by my south family members. But I still remember until today my brother, together with his, you know, his own kids turning these pages of the calendar, they were not home for three and a half months. So back to Robbie's question. It touched to the core of every human being, especially of our people. But extended family members or immediate family members were not attached, were not affected by this event. But I want to hear from you, Rob, before we're going to speak about what my answer to the world. Yeah, I want to hear, I want to hear from you what was so bad that day? Why you felt so bad, took to the core why you felt so bad that day that by the shloshim, the 30th day after the event, when we held at the synagogue, at the shul, we held the solidarity event with community members, leaders, mps, mpps, mayor of Hon, and so on and so forth. Why that was so Kind of important for you to attend, to be there, to put the feeling, to do a mitzvah, to say the prayer, to be at the solidarity event. You know, you can say, this is not my. My country. Thank God I'm here in Canada. My family didn't get affected. I have a friend, maybe he told me back then, you have a friend that his cousin from Florida was in Israel. [00:16:09] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:16:09] Speaker B: And so on and so forth. But this is not like a sh. House that you are attending because you know somebody. So let's turn the question to you. What was so bad from this event that shook you to the core and you felt, I need to attend, I need to come to say hi, I need to do something. So you tell me. [00:16:29] Speaker A: Okay. Before I answer that question, Rabbi, let me get this microphone out of your beautiful face. Okay. Let me just make sure it's. Oh, a little bit, little bit. A little bit more to the center. There we go. Okay. Now I feel confident to. To answer this question. So, yes, I. Why it got me so emotional is that was the. We all, like, you know, last week I had a guest in episode number eight talking about trauma a lot. And I think that was one of my. One of my more traumatic episodes in my life for a good period of. I don't want to say sorry. Not a good period. A period of four months in my life where I was. Basically everything I was watching on the news, from the anti Semitic remarks made all over college campuses across the United States of America was all rushing back like. Like, I can't even. I don't know what the expression is, but they were all. It was all coming back to me. The, the thoughts, the anxiety, the trauma. It was. It was constantly triggering because the news was ever evolving on what was going on with October 7th. And it was triggering because when I was 18 years old, I played on a partial baseball scholarship in the United States. And for four months there, on and off, I was discriminated against Jewish for. For four months, on and off, through practices, at baseball practices. I am a good Jewish man. Where I'm not going to start giving details of what school it was, but it was in. In, you know, the dead center of the United States of America in Iowa. And people might say, well, why did you go there then? And if you're Jewish and it was a school sponsored by the community of Christ, hey, that's okay. They. Everyone was welcomed there. According to this school. It doesn't matter, you know, and that happens a lot in the Jewish religion too. It doesn't matter. What faith you are, you are welcome at, you know, Jewish synagogues and such if you're paying your respects. And so I go to this school because it was the. The whole entire situation was American money was. It was. And the exchange rate with Canadian money, it was a little easier to afford because they were taking some at the Canadian rate to pay tuition. So I end up there and on and off just for being the freshman in school, I understand, you know, helping carry the seniors bags and the juniors on the team. And you get. There's all kinds of stuff that happens when you're a freshman and all kinds of initiations. But when it went too far was like, where I really felt it on the inside to the core was when they started bringing in Judaism. I'm like, this is. This is not right. Like, this is. And they. I don't. I don't know if we should go into the sayings, but it's. It's. You know, it's. If you want the details, how about I just go this. Because it'd be way too long if we do this. But I, you know, you wanted to talk about quickly the book I wrote a few years back called beyond the Mic. But that's where I go into detail about it in one of the chapters called Anti Semitism in America. And it, you know, you got to be vulnerable when you write about this stuff, when you talk about it, because it's something that. It's real. It's out there. I don't know how we combat it. And I want to get to that in a. In a moment. Maybe you have some better thoughts on it, but that's my answer to why I arrived and gave him this huge bear hug and broke down, because I felt this was rushing back all over again 20 years later. And you feel that trigger, that trauma from all those years back. And it's difficult to talk about because I know, and I did fight back. You stand up for your faith, for who you are. I wrote a speech and I spoke in front of these baseball players that were anti Semitic towards me. I got the floor and spoke in front of 30. 30 college baseball men to tell them how I was feeling. And this was going too far for initiations for being a freshman. This is not a part of it. And, you know, and a lot of them were just sort of oblivious to the fact of. Of what you're like. They would apologize and they'd be like, I'm sorry. I didn't know this would offend you. If they called me, you know, how could it not offend me when they called me a Jewish bastard. That's what, that's what they. How could it not Again, So it may have not been that guy, but they, they would say stuff. Are you, are you still Jewish? Like, you know. No, I'm something. You know what, what? You know, all these comments that I. And so all this came rushing back that day when I met you. And it was very horrific to see it on the news constantly and to see it on the college campuses again and again. And this is. I. I could not believe it because this was happening to me in like 2002. So to see it again, I'm like watching my life unfold again like 20 years ahead. It was just crazy. I can't believe it's still happening. So to keep myself together here. Yeah, I know. Go ahead. I was just going to say, you know, summarize. These are. [00:22:02] Speaker B: Summarize the answer. Yeah, that's that day. What happened? Memories, experiences, bad event that happened to you in the past came all the way back. [00:22:14] Speaker A: Rushing back. [00:22:15] Speaker B: Yeah, rushing back. So we can say on a larger scale, On a larger scale for the Jewish nation, the Holocaust came once again. And who was not touched by the Holocaust? So since the Holocaust was touched by the entire Jewish nation. Yeah, by the whole world, but especially by the entire Jewish nation. So to this event was. Yeah, number one. Number two. Yeah, go ahead. Number two is because this event remind everybody that we are the same. No one was touched because less observant. More observant. Which part of the nation? From the right, from the left, from this opinion, that opinion. All those who got murdered, we say al kidush hashem self sacrificed on God's name. Just because they are Jewish. [00:23:17] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:23:18] Speaker B: And in this sense we are all the same. They were attacking not people that were attacking Jews. Why not? Because they didn't like the way how they dressed or they do appreciate what they did not did or do or will do. It's just because their soul is a Jewish soul, their mother is Jewish. And this is why they are being attacked. And that's why each and every one of us was touched for the same reason why the Holocaust happened. Which is basically attacking the Jewish people as they are without of any, you know, reason undressed. So to over here attacking the Jewish people in Holy Land just because they're Jewish. That's why the answer that the robe just said, summarizing it in my own words, this is the reason why the entire nation shook to the core. Because it can happen to me, it can happen to my Cousin can happen to his cousin, can happen to my sister, can happen to parents. God forbid, what can happen to my friends. That itself, that I am a Jew and she or he was a Jew. That's why, and that's why I want to go back now, step back and say if the event itself was attacking the Jewish people and all the Jewish people were shook to the core, that's why we're going to build up now the next level. That's why the action that took place right after the event and for a year and a half, over a year and a half, is taking place by the entire nation. [00:24:49] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:24:50] Speaker B: Everyone felt they got attacked. [00:24:52] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:24:52] Speaker B: And everyone felt we have to do something. [00:24:55] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:24:55] Speaker B: We call it, in our language, we call it the Jews before October 7th and the Jews post October 7th. [00:25:03] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah. [00:25:03] Speaker B: There is so many Jews who were not affiliated before they knew the Jews, but they did not do anything about the Judaism. There's so many Jews after October 7th. They are seeking advice, consult consultations. [00:25:19] Speaker A: Right. [00:25:20] Speaker B: Lights. They really want to do something about their identity. [00:25:24] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:25:24] Speaker B: Something they were not doing before. And now they are doing it with love, with passion, with excitement because they got this wakeup call. We have to do something about our identity. So, so this is what I'm going to say once again. So Rob was coming back to me and saying, I am a Jew. They were Jewish. Let's do something in their honor. They are my brothers, they are my sisters. We are in one nation. Let's do something. So our conversation now is coming to kind of bring the message to ourselves and to the world after something happened to our people. [00:25:59] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:26:00] Speaker B: Something which happened to my family member, your family members, the all nation family members, and also how to bring it to the next level in a good way to our families, our community and to the world. What we have to do now post 10-7-in order for us to feel either in their memory or in us, for us for our community to feel much more embraced and connected to God than before. [00:26:29] Speaker C: But you. [00:26:29] Speaker A: Okay, and, and that's, that's a very good response. I mean, I, I, I hear what you're saying and I love your positivity, but I know you're also a human being. And I, I, I wonder about October 7th and you've heard about my mental health challenges, but what like such as yourself or some of the rabbis that you know, maybe it's not yourself, but first, let's touch on that yourself, when that happened, what kind of mental health struggles did you personally face after October 7th? [00:27:01] Speaker B: What a question What a question. [00:27:05] Speaker A: Yeah, that's. I know. And we can. [00:27:06] Speaker B: You want the rabbi to tell you what did you. [00:27:08] Speaker A: What did you felt? [00:27:10] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:27:11] Speaker B: What we felt that day. [00:27:13] Speaker A: Not even just that day, but what. [00:27:14] Speaker B: Did you period this period of time. [00:27:16] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:27:17] Speaker B: Right after October 7th. [00:27:18] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:27:20] Speaker B: For the emotional living. [00:27:21] Speaker A: What did you go through? And it could be even today that you're still managing it. The feelings, the coping, the. What did you. This is a horrific tragedy. So how are you putting one step in front of the other after knowing there's such evil in the world? [00:27:45] Speaker B: Very honest question and you deserve honest answer. Very vulnerable question. And you honestly want to. You. You deserve honorable a vulnerable answer. So first of all, I want to tell you that this question was already asked before, many times. [00:28:02] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:28:02] Speaker B: In many platforms. [00:28:04] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:28:06] Speaker B: Within the community, outside the community, personal, private, public. But in this platform, in this forum, four months, I will be very much honest to say the same answer. Suppose the answer. So, first of all, you have to acknowledge that if it shook you to the core, it made something to you. It's made something on your personal level. [00:28:30] Speaker A: Something. [00:28:31] Speaker B: It means something to you. And it's not like, you know, you're making it up. [00:28:35] Speaker C: No. [00:28:36] Speaker B: Like you just speak about this, but it's not really touching you. So if it's really touching you, Rob's question is a very good question. How you were able to cope. [00:28:46] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:28:46] Speaker B: What you did to overcome these feelings, what you felt at that time. [00:28:50] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:28:52] Speaker B: So as I said before, you have to acknowledge that this is actually something that we all went through it, but as Jews, we were taught all the time to shift your eyes from your own emotion and look into the eyes, glasses, perspective of the Torah, what the Torah will say about this. If a tragedy happened in somebody's personal life, what's the first thing he's going to do? He's going to call the rabbi, he's going to open the Torah, he's going to ask guidance directions. What God will say for this situation, about the situation in honor or because or in light of situation. So to be tragedy and something not good happened to a Jewish person is right away is already being trained from day one. Because this is the way how parents, grandparents, teachers, educators are, you know, training our community to shift yourself from what you want or what you think rather than what God will say about this. The first step is you share your feelings. [00:30:02] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:30:02] Speaker B: Whatever you really feel, you have to be honest, you have to share and you have to acknowledge and you have to admit and you have to be really vulnerable. Vulnerable. It's Called ait. Truthful. Be really there. But as soon as you finish with this acknowledgment, with this first moment of admitting with the situation, you have to really ask yourself not what's going to happen? What should I do? What's going to happen? How this happen, why this thing happen? Very good questions, as I mentioned before, go back to the Holocaust, have the same questions. Why, how it happened, why this happened. [00:30:44] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:30:45] Speaker A: So you reason, you even yourself don't even know. Sorry. It like how it happened, how it. [00:30:52] Speaker B: Happened, how did it happen? [00:30:54] Speaker A: What. And also, doesn't Israel have like the, the, the best security systems and in place that this could take place over? Wasn't it over a six hour period, October 7th at that, something like that. [00:31:08] Speaker B: And the planning before was over a year. How can, how can the Israel Security Department happen? We're not aware, touching or aware or getting the awareness a year in advance, a month in advance, a day in advance. [00:31:21] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:31:22] Speaker B: How can Israel, you know, all the way. [00:31:25] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:31:25] Speaker A: Did they brush the price? Maybe they brushed it off as like, oh, they're not going to actually go through with it. That's kind of maybe what they did. Maybe it's just like they're. And, and, and then the response was not as could have. If it was more immediate, maybe there would have been less casualties. [00:31:43] Speaker B: But you're wrapping up all these questions in a bag and you say it's an important bag. [00:31:47] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:31:48] Speaker B: But let's hold on for a second. [00:31:49] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:31:50] Speaker B: What we have to do right now, I will give you a very, very, very practical example. [00:31:57] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:31:58] Speaker B: That day, October 7th in Israel was already stabbat. [00:32:03] Speaker C: Okay. [00:32:04] Speaker B: So Shabbat over here was still Simchatora. So we are celebrating two days every holiday. [00:32:11] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:32:11] Speaker B: Over there it's being celebrated one day. So they were already finishing Simchat Torah, entering Shabbat. 6, I think 6:29 in the morning. So October 7th, 629 of the deal in Israel is a regular Sabbath, a regular Shabbat. Over here it's the second day of the holiday. So the question for us as a community members, community leaders, the question for us was are we celebrating today? Are we pausing the holiday by 26 hours? Let's talk to me after. I need to mourn right now the next 25 hours. [00:32:44] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:32:44] Speaker B: Or we said just like it's a holiday. Yeah, it's a holiday. [00:32:49] Speaker A: Right. [00:32:49] Speaker B: For those who live outside the Holy Land, it's a second day of Simcha Torah. We had the obligation and we have the obligation to hold the Torah and to Dance around the bima to dance in the shul with your family members, with the community members. [00:33:03] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:33:04] Speaker B: Seriously, you nuts? Are you crazy? You know what's happening behind the scene? You know what's happening in front of our eyes for those who live in Israel. [00:33:13] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:33:13] Speaker B: Look in the Torah. What is the answer in the Torah? This event never happened in the Torah. But the truth is, similar story happened years and years ago, over three and a half thousand years ago after the. The Torah was given on Mount Sinai. [00:33:29] Speaker C: Right. [00:33:29] Speaker B: Moses built a tabernacle, the Mishkan. At the eighth day, after seven days of training that Moses and Aaron, his brother, was training the other priests to get ready for the tabernacle establishment and completion. The divine fire, the holy fire came down to the altar and everybody understood that God is accepting our prayers. The tabernacle can come to function same day when this event took place. The tabernacle is complete, the divine is coming down and the service is about to begin. The same day, two sons of Aaron passed away. Two sons of the high priest passed away, were in the tabernacle. What are you going to do right now? So Moses was very, very much connected to God. He was facing this question, are we following now the media? Are we following now the, you know, socialism, population vibes, what's happening around the world? They're celebrating the divine come down. Or he's going to be mourning about his two nephews, Aaron, what he's gonna do. [00:34:40] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:34:40] Speaker B: Celebrating his own achievement, becoming the high priest. [00:34:44] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:34:44] Speaker B: The Cohen Gadot, and start the service or taking care of his two sons. So Moses and Aaron, they had this dilemma. [00:34:51] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:34:52] Speaker B: Moses asked God, God says, you take these two holy bodies, ask other people to take care of their funerals and go back to the service. Be objective as far as emotion and feelings are very important. But you have a mission over here to continue with the service. With 35,500 years ago. We have the same questions. We are celebrating Simchat Torah and our brothers and sisters are not partying anymore and not celebrating anymore. What do you have to do? [00:35:31] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:35:34] Speaker B: Very, very hard, very challenging day. You're asking me about how I took it. The first moment was the hardest moment. These 24 hours to know what to do. Are we dancing? Are we celebrating? Are we saying those, those phrases which speaks about God greatness and Torah's greatness and Jewish nation greatness. [00:35:56] Speaker A: So I think maybe. [00:35:57] Speaker B: Oh, dancing. [00:35:58] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:35:59] Speaker B: And dancing. Oh, stopping everything. [00:36:01] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:36:02] Speaker B: And that was the answer I look into. So let's summarize it. The same challenge that Moses and Aaron had, who knows how many years ago, the same challenge we faced. What should we do? But as soon as we shifted ourselves from the emotional part of the event to the objectival way, what God will say about this situation, what did Torah's view about this? They got the answer. So that's the answer. [00:36:34] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:36:35] Speaker B: So we knew what to do. [00:36:36] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:36:36] Speaker B: So too after the event itself, after Simchatra, after we actually celebrated, still having in mind those holy souls, the victims, right? We pray for them, we dance for them, we did everything for them. Still you back to the routine, you back to the day to day lifetime. And you're having the same questions again. But because we are being trained to look at the Torah, to look at Hashem and to ask Rabbi Hashem, Torah, what should I do right now we. [00:37:07] Speaker A: Got the answer, I think also, and this is maybe this is said in the Torah, but I find maybe it's what you're doing, the way you serve the world and your community, your purpose, it's not necessarily that the pain is ever going to go away, but you use it to help others. And I'm wondering if that's in the Torah somewhere that that is. Yeah, 100%. The pain is almost inevitable in anything in life. Whether it's a physical pain or emotional pain or trauma, it's always there. It's gonna be shook. At certain points in your life, you can manage it, you can cope. But using it to help others like I see you do, and spreading kindness. And so it's almost like anytime that there's more anger or evil, you try and amplify it by 100 more percent with kindness. And that's what we do to help our brains cope and to live a more fulfilling life. And I notice that in you and I noticed that in Judaism and I encourage it for anybody watching, listening, you don't have to be Jewish to do that, but I notice it. Even my mother in law, she's Italian, she's got a lot of pain, but she cooks. Her purpose, I know, is the most incredible cook, one of the most incredible cooks I've ever had the privilege of having her food. But the way she, I see, uses her pain to help others is she tries to distract by cooking for everyone. All she wants to do is she'll be in pain, but she wants to make sure that like 12 other people are served food and that they're eating and why are they not eating. And if they're eating, that means Italians love you. And you know, if you're sharing her. [00:38:53] Speaker B: Cook with Other people. [00:38:54] Speaker A: Yeah. Or she just, you know, I don't understand like my mother won't understand. She doesn't understand how like my mother in law will cook for like 12 people at a time or she has, you know, 20 people over at Christmas. And you know, she's in her 70s and she's still cooking. But she, it is the one thing I see it in her face that she loves to, to take care of people through food and food is a nourishing thing and she makes them some of the most nourishing dishes out there. And I see. Yeah, that's what it is. It doesn't, you know, using your pain to help others, you can use, you can use even. [00:39:32] Speaker B: I'm sorry to say. Yeah, I'm sorry to interrupt you. You can use even Covet as an example. [00:39:36] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:39:36] Speaker B: How many charities, besides government funding charities, worked very hard after covet began to help other people? [00:39:49] Speaker A: Right. [00:39:49] Speaker B: New opportunities, new initiatives, new charities, new foundations. They all came because this sudden covet came in front of our place. Yeah. So too with the Jewish community after October 7th. I can't remember the exact amount, how many billions of dollars the charities are being given. Foundations are being given, donating toward building up this place in Israel and the entire Israel, you know, as a whole. And to help the soldiers. And all these initiatives came from the pain. But the pain was not just to be. The pain is not there to experience the pain is there as a wake up call to do something about this. So you see. Yeah, you're speaking about turning pain into purpose. Purpose after the event, so many events, so many charities came together to be able to help those who are in pain. [00:40:43] Speaker A: Right. [00:40:44] Speaker B: People traveling to Israel and actually I heard it after October 7th. I didn't try it, but I heard it. If you were going to Google and search, fly to. The first option came up is Israel. [00:40:57] Speaker A: Israel. [00:40:58] Speaker B: Fly to Israel. [00:40:59] Speaker A: Really? [00:40:59] Speaker C: Eh. [00:40:59] Speaker A: That was right after the vibe. [00:41:01] Speaker B: Yeah, the vibe and the excitement and the passion. People want to go to help, to support, to volunteer, to be a part of this. [00:41:07] Speaker A: Right. Was so, yeah, that's. [00:41:11] Speaker B: It's reminding us what we started with, that we are here to project the message to the world beyond our family members and our nation is what we have to do as a human or something like that, not to happen again. And for something like that, of an experience from the past, to learn for a better future. [00:41:31] Speaker A: Let's, let's try and get the facts straight here. So October 7th happened from Hamas terrorists is my understanding. Right. That's what they did this premeditated the facts are out there online, too. You know, we don't have to get into the. The gruesome details, but I want to know from you. Like, I'm interested in a rabbi's point of view. This is like two years down the line. Maybe the next day, you wouldn't. After October 7th, you wouldn't have the same answer. But let's say you go to a coffee shop or a public place where there is a Palestinian individual that wants to confront you and sort of pick your brain and ask you questions the way, I am a Jewish individual, but loves humanity, all forms of humanity, but is coming up to you and wants to learn from you, wants to not shove anything in your face in the way they think, but they want to be your friend or they want to confide in you in. In certain ways. Will you, as a rabbi, accept this now? Will you take this person in under your wing like you would a Jewish person? [00:42:59] Speaker B: Good question. So first of all, I want to tell you that as a person and obviously as a rabbi, you have this sense to know if a person is asking you to seek information and to get advice and guidance and help for his future or to attack you. [00:43:20] Speaker C: Right. [00:43:21] Speaker B: And if it's about the second option, you just say no, not good morning, good afternoon, good evening, and you move on. You don't even go into a conversation, Right. If you see she or he really want to speak to you about this, you give your number, you give your address, not address right away, but after you get another person, you say, okay, let's get together, let's meet, let's speak about this. Call me tomorrow. But it's a very thin line in our days, especially after October 7th, to know if somebody come to ask you, to challenge you. [00:43:53] Speaker A: Right. [00:43:54] Speaker B: To get something from you, to do something with you. [00:43:57] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:43:58] Speaker B: And I had already many events, you know, throughout the neighborhood, either in Vaughan or city of Toronto when I was in US Anywhere in the world, you can have the same questions. And you have to be wise and clever on the spot to decide what you or he tried to do. [00:44:17] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:44:18] Speaker B: And right after October 7th, actually was still, you know, nice weather outside. We went to the park at one point. We tried to do always going to the park, not only to enjoy with the kids, you know, play time, also to meet more community members. It's a good place to see your members, your friends, your neighbors, the community. So right after October 7, we went to a park and two kids biking over. My kids. [00:44:51] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:44:52] Speaker B: And they scream out something. Something out loud. I don't want to say yes, and I do. You're asking yourself where this came from. [00:44:59] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:45:00] Speaker B: They heard it somewhere, they saw it somewhere, they read about it. They were educated about to educate something about not being educated. [00:45:10] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:45:10] Speaker B: It came from somewhere. Kids are not doing it on other kids. [00:45:13] Speaker A: So they held something anti Semitic to your children. [00:45:16] Speaker B: Correct. But what you're gonna do, you're gonna start to bite back after them and ask them. So you really meant to say whatever you said to my kids from where you took it from, why you say that? [00:45:26] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:45:27] Speaker B: Sometimes you have to have this sense of, even if they're going to be staying and speak to me, I won't be start the conversation. What I see from the full statement, they are coming to attack, they are coming to instigate. They're coming to something negative. [00:45:41] Speaker C: Right. [00:45:41] Speaker B: So I'm not engaging except for negativity when I see somebody really wants to. [00:45:47] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:45:47] Speaker B: Understand. [00:45:48] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:45:48] Speaker B: We had many times come for a coffee. Let's get together, let's speak over the phone in person. But back to your question. It all depends who is the person, Right. What intention he has. And you have to have this sense to decide on this path what is exactly, you know, the motive behind the action. [00:46:06] Speaker A: Exactly. What do you want to see then? What do you want to see happen in the Middle east in terms of a solution to this ongoing war? Because it's not over. I mean, is there a solution? And if not, how do you think it's got to be managed? [00:46:23] Speaker B: I tell you something, which you might be surprised, but that's my opinion since day one, especially after October 7th. [00:46:33] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:46:34] Speaker B: Is me and you, we live in Vaughan. [00:46:39] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:46:39] Speaker B: We live in Woodbridge community. [00:46:41] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:46:42] Speaker B: We should not be asking this question, diving in this conversation. [00:46:47] Speaker C: Right. [00:46:47] Speaker B: Why? Because I will let the professional, trained people who are in the military positions to handle it. [00:46:56] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:46:56] Speaker B: Right. I going to be the one. If I going to be the one to handle the situation, then. [00:47:00] Speaker A: Then you have an answer. I know. [00:47:02] Speaker B: And then you will be the one to say the answer, seek advice, get the guidance and see together and elaborate the ideas. But it's really something which has to do with. [00:47:15] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:47:16] Speaker B: Holy nation in a holy land. And they will have the trained people who are able to handle it better than me and you. [00:47:24] Speaker C: Right. [00:47:25] Speaker B: And. And I think it's. It's. It's also giving you an emotional clarity and a good state of mind. [00:47:33] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:47:34] Speaker B: My job and your job as a husband, as a family, as a father, as a family member, as a community leader, as a friend, is to be in Touch. And to engage with a person. I'm able to influence. I'm able to help and support. [00:47:48] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:47:49] Speaker B: Stumbling. Which is in my outreach capacity. [00:47:52] Speaker C: Right. [00:47:53] Speaker B: As soon as. This is not in my capacity. [00:47:55] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:47:56] Speaker B: It gives you the calmness of. I don't need to handle it. I don't need to take care of this. This is not my part. [00:48:02] Speaker A: Right. [00:48:03] Speaker B: My part is to make sure that the neighbors are nice to us. [00:48:11] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:48:11] Speaker B: We are nice to our neighbors. [00:48:13] Speaker C: Right. [00:48:13] Speaker B: Neighborhood is safe for other people to live in. [00:48:16] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:48:17] Speaker B: Community leaders and activists are busy and involving with making sure this will be reassuring and taking place. [00:48:27] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:48:28] Speaker B: Continue to pray. [00:48:29] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:48:29] Speaker B: For the peace in Israel and the world peace. Continue to do act of kindness to your friend. [00:48:35] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:48:35] Speaker B: And just be a good man. [00:48:37] Speaker C: Right. [00:48:37] Speaker B: You just said before. [00:48:38] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:48:38] Speaker B: First is human. Before you are a Jew. [00:48:40] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:48:40] Speaker B: That's it. [00:48:41] Speaker C: That's it. [00:48:41] Speaker B: If you are human. [00:48:42] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:48:42] Speaker B: And you wake up every morning and say good morning to your friend. [00:48:44] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:48:45] Speaker B: You increase in love in your neighborhood. [00:48:47] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:48:47] Speaker B: I believe. [00:48:48] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:48:48] Speaker B: Based on the teachings of my rebbe, the Lubavitcher rabbi, the most influential rabbi in our generation. In our time, when one person is giving the kindness and he's, you know, giving light to his neighbor, to his friend, to his community member, to his family members. Light is contagious. Love is contagious. Hug is contagious. You're going to see how change will be happen, maybe gradually, but ultimately to the entire world. You start to do it with yourself, with your own family, with your own neighborhood, and you will see the ultimate change around you as well. [00:49:28] Speaker A: Talk to me about anti Semitism, Rabbi. We did touch on that earlier, but I wanted with a focus more on the Greater Toronto area because you serve Woodbridge and this podcast is hosted in Ontario. Personally, I've been, you know, I told you about how we've been. I've been triggered by seeing a lot of this in the news. And why the continued hatred towards Jews? Because, you know, I. I noticed or I didn't notice. I. I was told by a family member that in Thornhill there was some. A swastika that was graffiti on a school in. In Thornhill, there's been numerous shootings that have gone on. What do you want to say to anybody out there who may be watching or listening that's done something negative towards Jewish people or considering it? [00:50:23] Speaker B: You mentioned shooting in a school. I can tell you that this is the school that my own two daughters, Aya and Bracha, are going. So the school called Beit Hayamushka Elementary School from girls. So this school, you know, not York, they had three incidents within a few months and again was very, very shocking to the kids, to the parents, the family members, to the whole community. But you're asking a very, very specific question. You're asking what is my message to those who are, if I remember correctly, those who are. [00:51:11] Speaker A: What are your messages? Yeah, the hatred. [00:51:12] Speaker B: Those who are listening and have the hatred. [00:51:15] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. Have the hatred towards Jewish people. What would you say to them to try and so. [00:51:20] Speaker B: So my message is very simple. My message is if you're hurting the Jewish people, you're not hurting the Jewish people, you're hurting God. If you're believing in humanity, you're believing in the creator of the universe. [00:51:34] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:51:34] Speaker B: You believe in God. [00:51:36] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:51:37] Speaker B: And if you believe in God and at the same time you hate his children, you hate his nation, you hate his people, you have a problem. Yeah, it's a very big problem. And the only way to stop doing it is by increase act of kindness. If you love somebody, really truthfully, you are going to love the spouse, the family members, you're going to love also their children, grandchildren, extended family members, neighborhood. [00:52:07] Speaker C: Right. [00:52:08] Speaker B: So if you have a problem with another person happen to be the Jew, you have also issue with yourself and with your own family members. Because love and kindness radiate everywhere. If you show AIDS to another person, happen to be a Jew, you must be also not fully showing love to your own fellow, to your own friends. Because if you're really a loving person, a loving character, you're going to be love everybody. As soon as you're not, you have an issue also with your own friends, with your own family members. So why to speak negativity? Let's speak positivity. [00:52:48] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:52:48] Speaker A: 100. [00:52:49] Speaker B: Do an act of kindness to your own friends and it's going to help you also to stop doing something bad to you Jewish friends. But it's a very, very important question, but very, very, very, very, very much unrelated question. If you focusing in increasing in love, you should not even think about up hurting somebody else. Is an. Is an event that somebody came to the Lubavitcher Rebecca and he was not speaking nice about a non Jew who is doing something negative. And what's the Rebbe told him? It's in a video. I don't like the way how you speak about somebody else. But you train yourself speaking about somebody negative, even though it all something not good. At the end of the day you might be speaking negative also to your own friends, to your own community members. So Flip the coin to the other side. You feel hatred towards somebody else. Do something kind to your own community. And at the end of the day, it's going to train you from the inside to do something good for everybody. But we saw already in the past that those who are against the Jewish nation, God is not with them. God is with love. God is with completely unconditional love to those who are doing the right thing. If you're doing the right thing, you are one with your friend. You want with your community should not be speak about hatred. And the bottom line is we have to go back to basic. Back to basic is King Solomon says in his holy books, do good. [00:54:42] Speaker C: Act. [00:54:42] Speaker B: Good, think good, speak good, and the world will be changed. [00:54:49] Speaker A: That's tremendously said. Rabbi. I've known you for a couple of years now and I've been just intrigued by your work that you do within the community. And we haven't touched on that yet. And I thought you could maybe take some time to. To elaborate on your work duties in the city of Vaughan. Do you. Can you touch on that? [00:55:16] Speaker B: We have here the whole day now. [00:55:18] Speaker A: I know we can talk forever. Actually, let's be mindful of producer Mike's time. What do we got, like 10 minutes left. [00:55:24] Speaker B: Now? We have the whole time we got. [00:55:25] Speaker A: Okay. [00:55:26] Speaker B: Especially because the producer is from Woodbridge and we are both from Woodbridge. So with three Woodbridge people get together. [00:55:33] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:55:33] Speaker B: We can only speak about what's happening in Woodbridge. So in Woodbridge, actually, since we arrived at the end of 2019, beginning of 2020, the Jewish community in Woodbridge, not only population wise, but even. Even with the awareness about their heritage was very limited. Population was limited. And also the awareness about God, the Torah and the practice of the mitzvot was very limited. And we brought a wind, a storm of love, a storm of giving and a storm of unconditionally acceptance that break all the boundaries. The amount of love that we see from the community which reflected back to us. [00:56:23] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:56:23] Speaker B: It's unprecedented. It's really unbelievably. We see it with the community members themselves and also with the government and with the community leaders. And it only show you that when you really try to do the right thing because you really love the other person, it's radiates and it's reflect back love as well. So there's two ways how to approach practicing of the Judaism. Either you ask me and you're approaching a person to do a mitzvah. Yeah, go do a mitzvah. [00:56:58] Speaker C: Right. [00:56:58] Speaker B: Or you're Approaching him with love. Before you ask again, go do something. There is good morning before, while you're working. [00:57:08] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:57:09] Speaker B: Here is the before you say keep Shabbat. [00:57:12] Speaker C: Right. [00:57:13] Speaker B: Is the how you doing business before you offering to fill in. [00:57:16] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:57:16] Speaker B: It's about bringing them to a barbecue together before you telling him to say a blessing for the barbecue. Whatever you eat, say a blessing before. So the message of doing something kind and love your friend, be together with your neighbors, together with your community members and embrace each other is the opening for any other growth in the community. As you know, Judaism practice. [00:57:46] Speaker C: Right. [00:57:46] Speaker B: Judaism practice will come right after you're embracing somebody unconditionally. And we see it, and we saw it all the time until now. And we're going to keep seeing it again and again. There's an event coming up on Thursday. Yes, the event actually called Lagba Omer. The Lagba Omer is in between Passover, when we recall them. Celebrate the exodus to Shavuot, the receiving of ether on Mount Sinai. Right in between, the Lagba Omer comes around and tell you pause. Celebrate unity, celebrate inclusiveness. Celebrate Judaism, Celebrate community. Celebrate the fact that you are alive. Celebrate the fact that you are able to get in touch with another neighbor. And for this reason, we are doing it outdoor. The barbecue and the attraction, everything is going to be in Chatfield park with the permission of the city of on, obviously. But the message is that you are going out of your comfort zone. In my home. In your own home. In your own house. You may be, you know, subjected to some details, some restrictions, but we are doing it in a open place, open concept, open environment. Inclusiveness. Come around. This is actually one of the first event of this summer after the weather becomes nice. [00:59:02] Speaker A: Right. [00:59:02] Speaker B: Beginning of May, middle of May. This is actually happen right on time to get to know many new neighbors. Yeah, many neighbors throughout the years either coming to the event or not coming to the event. But this one of the event which is very much overpopulated, thank God, which is continue to be packed and full. Why? Because it's the first event of the summer, Summer and spring season, which we actually happy to include everybody and Rob, his family and the whole community are going to be there. And the only thing we can say is to continue to spread goodness and kindness around ourselves. I want to hear more from you. [00:59:45] Speaker A: Yeah. That day. Okay, so it's the celebrations this Thursday. That's May 15th. [00:59:49] Speaker C: Right. [00:59:49] Speaker A: And it's. What time does it take? 5:35, 35:30pm okay. So if, if they want to touch Base with you on that or get more information. [01:00:01] Speaker B: JewishWoodBridge CA. JewishWoodBridge CA or Jewish Kleinberg CA. And you reach my wife Hannah and myself right away. And only this morning. Let's talk about today. Only this morning we got to know another community member who just arrived here because of the work, because of the. He arrived here from Israel with his family. He live actually in the southern part of Israel, which he had enough. Yeah, I understand him very much. Illibrance right next to my brother's house in Ashkelon. But we see more and more the concept of the community members are coming together. The awareness and the love is just projected from everybody to do more, to act more, to get together more, to practice more. It's. It's unbelievable. It's unbelievable. Not only from the Jewish community, also from the non Jewish community. As you know, I live in Woodbridge. My neighbors, my friends are also Italians. And it's unbelievable. A few months ago, I was walking on the street and I like to say good morning. As you know me, good afternoon, good evening to everybody, which I'm coming in contact with. [01:01:14] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:01:15] Speaker B: And I saw a nice guy, elderly person, with his dog. I'm like, good morning. He's like, good morning. Then he told me, I didn't hear good morning for years. [01:01:26] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:01:27] Speaker B: I must say good morning to you. Good morning. What's your name? [01:01:30] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:01:31] Speaker B: And sure enough, became the best friend. We have coffee together, we have lunch together, we learn together. He loved to learn the Torah about the Jewish people. He told me since October 7th he was searching for a Jew, he was searching for a rabbi. He was anticipating to have an encounter with a rabbi to ask him guidance, advice, consultations, directions, what to do and how to do, what to pray, how to pray, what to learn, how to learn. And. And it only came from just shifting yourself from what you experience, what you feel or you not feel, and thinking about somebody else. Say good morning. Project Love. Be real for somebody else. You will see after how the, you know, Judaism and practicing and the community affair is coming on the secondary. Just because you hide away, went out from your own challenges, your own backs, starting to speak and care about somebody. [01:02:26] Speaker A: Else situations, you're certainly projecting love and kindness on, on the towns of Woodbridge and, and Kleinberg. And I'll. I'll leave you with that last question. Why could you bring into awareness why Chabad chose Woodbridge and Kleinberg to be the, the towns that you serve? Why. Why did you move there? [01:02:49] Speaker B: I knew that the Rob is gonna have good questions. Yeah, right, perfect questions. Excellent questions, but so personal. Okay, so me and my wife are family members living Towen Hill for the last 16 years. [01:03:12] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:03:13] Speaker B: But while I was teaching in Tow and Hill, I was also looking for a place to start and to become the, you know, the. The source of leadership and giving an opportunity to other people who are unaffiliated, yet to become inclusive and affiliated. So we searched for a place which is not too far from the city, but not too detached, also because we have kids who are going to school over here in the city. So after we did our research, we approached the. We call Head Shalia, the head office of Havad Lubavitch of Southern Ontario. We came with the numbers. How many Jews we, you know, got in touch with how many events we already did. There's interest. There is a love. There is a potential place for, you know, another branch. And he was the one to give us the okay. And then you get the blessing from the Rebbe, the Rabbi himself, who is actually behind the movement and has over 500 leaders under him. He's the one to give the final okay and the blessing. We did the same thing. And now we are here to bring light. As we saw in our logo. Love, hear, inspire. If you love somebody, you care about somebody unconditionally, eventually you are going to inspire him as well. [01:04:34] Speaker A: That's a fantastic message. Thank you so much. Rabbi Bakshi, thank you very much. Fantastic to have you here on Awareness. [01:04:41] Speaker B: Thank you. [01:04:41] Speaker A: I'm Rob Daniels and I thank you so much for watching. Don't forget to subscribe, like, wherever you get your podcast. For producer Mike, I'm Rob Daniels. We'll see you in the next episode. [01:04:56] Speaker C: Sa.