Lessons From My Mother That Shaped My Life

In this powerful lecture marking the shloshim (30-day memorial) of his mother, Rivkah bas Avraham obm, Rabbi Shais Taub weaves personal memory with Torah insight in a way that is both intimate and intellectually arresting. Drawing on his mother’s life as a speech pathologist, he explores what it truly means that the human being is defined by speech—how words emerge from the deepest levels of the soul, and how language can shape identity and destiny. Along the way, he shares formative childhood stories, including how she taught him to write, the first (and last) time he ever lied to her, and the quiet moments of parenting that profoundly shaped his inner life. The lecture moves beyond biography into unexpected territory, tracing a line from Tanya and Onkelos’ description of the human soul as a “speaking spirit” to modern linguistic theory. Rabbi Taub recounts how his mother found support for Noam Chomsky’s ideas about language in the writings of the Alter Rebbe, including a clip from Rabbi Taub’s own conversation with Chomsky. He also reflects on her lifelong love of Chabad niggunim—first learned as a teenager from Zalman Schechter—and her remarkable positivity through twelve years of serious illness. Timed to Tu B’Shvat, the lecture becomes a meditation on the power of gratitude and positivity. Last year, Rabbi Taub delivered a separate lecture in memory of his father, Gershom Taub obm, on the occasion of his shloshim. 👇 https://youtu.be/LN1edJpU1zg?si=oCoxlfu31Q_zn-_O *Lecture breakdown with timestamps:* 00:00 – Introduction: Losing both parents in close succession 01:05 – The number 26 and the 20-day gap between his parents’ yahrzeits 04:55 – How his parents’ daily study of *Hayom Yom* linked their legacies 07:45 – His mother’s work as a speech pathologist and her own childhood language struggles 11:15 – *Medaber*: what it means that a human being is defined by speech 12:35 – Speech in *Tanya*: the soul’s pre-conscious expression 15:20 – Growing up around linguistics: Noam Chomsky, linguistic nativism, and Tanya 18:25 – “A speaking spirit”: Onkelos and the creation of Adam 21:00 – His mother’s love of music, piano, and Chabad niggunim 23:20 – A childhood memory of “Sabbath Birds” and preparing for Shabbat 24:20 – Learning to write: how his mother trained him in words and discipline 28:10 – The “clown slippers” story: encouraging expression without shame 31:40 – The first (and last) time he ever lied: the sanctity of words 37:10 – Mental health in his twenties and a lesson from Abraham Maslow on creativity 41:50 – *Tu B’Shvat* and the image of sap slowly rising in the tree 47:00 – Her “unrealistic” positivity and seeing the humanity in everyone 49:15 – Living with stage four lung cancer for twelve years—and choosing hope 52:30 – A final ICU visit: “You were right the whole time” 55:00 – Giving space: a story from age three and a “conversation with Hashem” 1:02:10 – A mother’s greatest gift: empowering her children to stand on their own 1:04:00 – Closing reflections on a life devoted to lifting others --- *For more classes from Rabbi Shais Taub:* 🌐 *Website:* https://www.soulwords.org/ *Follow Rabbi Shais Taub:* 📸 *Instagram:* https://www.instagram.com/rabbi_shais_taub 🎥 *TikTok:* https://www.tiktok.com/@rabbi_shais_taub 🐦 *X (Twitter):* https://www.x.com/ShaisTaub 📘 *Facebook:* https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573478244968 💼 *LinkedIn:* https://www.linkedin.com/in/shais-taub-81a95466/ 🎧 *Listen to the SoulWords Podcast:* 🎵 *Spotify:* https://open.spotify.com/show/51E7XHWFDbZCGJQz7CoAZP 🍏 *Apple Podcasts:* https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/soulwords-full-library/id1450892501 *Support Our Work:* 💳 *Donate:* https://www.soulwords.org/donate/ 💰 *PayPal:* https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/soulwordspayments 💵 *CashApp:* https://cash.app/$soulwords 🪙 *Venmo:* https://venmo.com/u/soulwords *About SoulWords:* SoulWords is a virtual community hosted by Rabbi Shais Taub, where people come together to explore the spiritual insights of Torah and discover their unique purpose. This platform is here to facilitate your spiritual growth by sharing the mystical teachings of Judaism in contemporary language—making deep wisdom accessible and relevant to your life.