Throughout his life and his leadership, the Rebbe sought to change the world, one mitzvah at a time, until the entire world is awash with goodness and kindness, and the world is ready for the redemption.

The Rebbe emphasised several specific Mitzvot – the famous Mitzva campaigns – which became a call to us all, a framework to live a better life, influence our environment and make the world a far better place.

Here are 120 suggestions for you to participate in the simplest of ways.

Pick one or two. Start somewhere, anywhere. Any one mitzvah could take your life up to a whole new level.It’s life-changing. It’s world-changing.

 

Tzedoka – Charity – Giving is Living

  • Put a few coins into a charity box
  • Get a charity box for your home
  • Place a charity box in your kitchen
  • Get a charity box for your car
  • Place a charity box in each child’s bedroom
  • Make giving charity a daily ritual
  • Get free charity boxes from Chabad House
  • Carry a bag of coins with you in your car to distribute to the needy
  • Set aside Tzedoka in an account each time you get income
  • Talk to your family about the needy and the obligation to support them
    See video.

 

Torah Books – Creating a Holy Atmosphere

  • Fill your shelves with Jewish Books
  • Have Torah books in your children’s rooms
  • Purchase a new Torah book before each festival
  • Gift a Torah book to a friend
  • Persuade friends a family to have Torah books in their homes
  • Purchase Torah story books for your children
  • Utilise Chabad House Library if you cannot afford to buy books
  • Place Torah books on your coffee tables
  • Gift Torah books to those who cannot afford
  • Have a Chumash, Tehillim and Siddur in your car, wherever you go. 
    See video.

 

Mezuzah – Gateways to Happy Homes

  • Make sure there is a mezuzah on every doorway of your home
  • Check your Mezuzot regularly
  • Add a mezuzah each month to the doorways that don’t yet have
  • Ensure that children know about and acknowledge the mezuzot
  • Touch and kiss the mezuzah when you pass through the doorways
  • Consult with a Rabbi to ensure they are all up correctly
  • Help a friend buy a mezuzah
  • Persuade friends and family to place mezuzot wherever needed
  • Contact the mezuzah gemach if you cannot afford a mezuzah
  • Teach friends and family the importance of this mitzvah

 

Kashrut – We are what we eat

  • If you don’t yet, start buying kosher products
  • Separate meat and milk in your kitchen
  • Limit your eating out non-kosher
  • Teach your children about kosher animals, birds and fish
  • Attend a Kosher course
  • Use the UOS guide to keeping kosher
  • Persuade a friend to keep kosher
  • Don’t cook or bake on Shabbat or Yomtov
  • Change you dishes and kitchen for Pesach
  • Kasher your kitchen if its not yet done
    See video.

 

Tefillin – Our Spiritual Ties

  • Guys over Barmitzvah put on tefillin daily, except Shabbat and Yomtov
  • Buy a new pair of tefillin if you don’t yet have
  • Make sure your sons have kosher tefillin
  • Have your tefillin checked regularly by a sofer – scribe
  • Help a friend put on tefillin
  • Take your tefillin to work and encourage fellow Jewish workers or colleagues to put on tefillin
  • Say the Shma and pray with your tefillin on.
  • Consult your Rabbi to ensure you are putting on tefillin correctly
  • Contribute towards a Tefillin fund so everyone can participate in this mitzvah
  • Don’t travel without your Tefillin
    See video.

 

Shabbat Candles – Light up your home, light up the World

  • Light Shabbat candles each Friday night
  • Get a calendar to ensure you light on time
  • Girls over the age of 3 should light one candle
  • Light candles before each Festival
  • Give some charity before you light
  • Say the correct Blessing each time you light
  • Persuade friends, neighbours and family to light on time too
  • Give candles or small candlesticks to those who don’t have
  • Pray for the wellbeing of your family when you light
  • Ensure the candles are visible at the Shabbat/Yomtov table.
    See video.

 

Family Sanctity – Pure foundations for intimate relationships. Essential for all married couples

  • Improve your adherence to the Mikvah laws
  • If you don’t yet observe these laws, consult with a Rabbi/Rebbetzin as to how to start
  • Make the mikvah an essential part of your marriage
  • Persuade others to go to the mikvah
  • Study the family purity laws
  • Help others to study these laws and keep this essential mitzvah
  • Respect your spouse more. Be kinder, nicer and more considerate
  • Bring more harmony to your relationship
  • Read more about Family Sanctity on click here.
  • Become informed – books on the subject are available at Chabad House Library

 

Chinuch – Torah Education – Building our next Generation

  • Give your children a Torah education
  • Enrol your child in a Jewish school
  • Make sure your children attend some Torah education each week
  • Persuade friends and neighbours to do the same
  • Encourage your children’s Torah learning
  • Discuss the weekly parsha with your children at the Shabbat table
  • Set a good example for your children to follow
  • Use the Torah books in your house as often as possible
  • Support Torah education in your city/town
  • Spend time each day thinking and discussing your children’s Torah education.
    See video.
    See video.

 

Torah Learning – Ancient wisdom for a modern world

  • Study a portion of Chumash every day
  • Study a portion of Tanya every day
  • Study a section of Rambam – Maimonides  - each day
  • Join a shiur – study session whenever you can
  • Attend an online class or webinar
  • Get your spouse to join in the learning
  • Download these classes and listen to them whenever you have a free moment
  • Share Torah thoughts, lessons with friends and neighbours
  • Use the Torah books you have in your home to study and grow
  • Start a group to learn once a week/month in your home
    See video.
    See video.
    See video.

 

Ahavat Yisrael – Loving Each Other as we do Ourselves

  • Be kind to one another
  • Help a friend do a mitzvah
  • Call your parent, grandparents, siblings, just to say “hi”
  • Treat everyone with respect
  • Do a random act of kindness for someone else
  • End a family feud or farribel
  • Don’t go to sleep at night without resolving any misunderstanding
  • Speak with respect and politeness to all
  • Teach others Torah, ethics, morality and good behavior
  • Share your wealth – financial and knowledge - with your fellowmen
    See video.

 

OUR MISSION TO OUR NEIGHBOURS – OUR MISSION TO THE WORLD

  • Help non-Jewish friends and colleagues to recognise G‑d’s Oneness
  • To know that our moral and ethical actions and behavior can make a difference in the world.
  • Encourage everyone to live healthy, moral, clean lives.
  • Help friends and neighbours to respect the laws of Justice in the world
  • Persuade them to be kind to one another
  • Help fellow men with Acts of goodness and kindness
  • Enable them to pay if forward – give them ARK charity boxes to ensure a culture of sharing and giving.
  • Help educate an underprivileged child
  • Donate used books to libraries
  • Be kind to all people always.

 

MOSHIACH – The Ultimate Goal for Us all

  • Study the laws and insights into the coming of Moshiach
  • Do a random act of kindness for someone you don’t know
  • Do an extra Mitzva each day
  • Respect G‑d, respect the world and the environment
  • Be good to everyone in whatever way possible
  • Reach out to people who may be lost and help them find meaning
  • Care more for all the people in your life
  • Spend a little longer praying each day
  • Spend little longer learning Torah each day
  • Spend more time with your children each day
    See video.

 

For help, guidance and assistance with any of these, please contact Chabad House, your Rabbis or Rebbetzins or go to Chabadsouthafrica.org