PHOTO: The Torah Vibes display outside of the Chabad House adjacent to Reed College in Southeast Portland. Rabbi Dov Bialo's weekly Torah Vibes offer an inspirational message to Jews and non-Jews alike.(Courtesy Chabad at Reed College)

By ROCKNE ROLL
The Jewish Review
One of the most notable pop culture phenomena of the early 2020s has been the proliferation of “vibes.” As it happens, Chabad at Reed College Rabbi Dov Bialo has been putting out vibes of his own.
Torah Vibes.
The vibes are free and readily available each week in front of the Chabad House on the north edge of the Reed campus. Rabbi Bialo keeps each edition to one page, usually only one side. Creating them is a process that goes far beyond a typical rabbinical missive dissecting the week’s parsha. 
“I try to take something that I’ve studied and that I’ve also like integrated into my life. Either it’s been inspirational or something that moved me,” Rabbi Bialo explained. “Then after I’ve zoomed into my own life, I zoom out a little bit and see how that might inspire others.”
It’s a different approach for a different audience – a much broader audience. 
“The goal is that not only Jewish people, but anybody from all walks of life should be able to get a little bit of inspiration into their own life from the teachings of the Torah,” Rabbi Bialo said.
Rabbi Bialo feels strongly that taking the time to proactively consider and cultivate one’s personal values is an important part of human life. While Jewish values are naturally rooted in the Torah, its teachings can inform those who shape and select their values in other ways.
“When we decide proactively what our values are, we know how to direct our life in a more mindful way,” Rabbi Bialo said. So, I always try to share a Jewish value, and I’ll also share a universal takeaway that could be applied to everybody.”
The project started a couple years ago as a celebration of the birthday of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, z”l, and was aided by an unlikely source. The Chabad House was undergoing a renovation project at the time with a two-person contracting team – one Jewish, one not. Rabbi Bialo got to know both men over the course of the project. As they approached the finish line for the renovations, funding for the work ran short. The non-Jewish contractor ended up making a significant donation to finish the project, but that’s not all. 
“As soon as he heard what my plans were for the Rebbe’s birthday, he decided that he was going to put the display together at his own expense, on his own time. He has since passed away, so it was a last project that we did in partnership.”
A Jew and a non-Jew working together to put the Torah’s teachings into the world to benefit Jews and non-Jews alike – a most fitting way to honor the Rebbe.
“The Rebbe not only focused on the Jewish people as a whole, but the Rebbe had a very strong message to all of humanity that we’re all here for a purpose, and that it’s important for us to contemplate that idea of why we’re here,” Rabbi Bialo said.
Pick up the latest Torah Vibes at Chabad at Reed in Southeast Portland or visit jewishreed.com.