July 4th, Independence Day, a day that marks all the wonderful things about our country.

As a Jew there is one thing in particular that I find so important, freedom of religion. We have the ability to believe as we choose, without the fear of persecution by government or from anyone else.

An interesting point to note is that this year July 4th falls out on the Hebrew date of 12th of Tammuz. On this day in 1927, the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe was miraculously released from prison in the former Soviet Union after originally being sentenced to death for crimes against the Russian government.

What was the "crime" the Rebbe committed to deserve serving a life sentence? He was spreading Yiddishkeit by establishing underground Jewish schools and opening Mikvehs (ritual bath), among many other so called crimes.

What the previous Rebbe did for the Soviet Russia he repeated for the United States. In 1940, he arrived in New York, and although he was no longer subjected to religious persecution, he was confronted with other handicaps. Judaism in America was floundering. The Previous Rebbe was facing complete indifference from the majority of the American Jewish community. His life mission was now focused on bringing Judaism to the masses and replacing the indifference with a spark and joy for Yiddishkeit. Eighty years later America and countries around the world are bursting with the fireworks that were ignited by the Previous Rebbe's vision.

So on this day, July 4th and on the 12th of Tammuz let us exercise and actualize this beautiful right of ours to practice our religion. What better way to celebrate that right than to perform a mitzvah!

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Zalman

Light candles tonight before 8:18 p.m. (Earliest time one can light candles is 7:06)
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