Jewish Calendar
144: A Rambling Exploration of Pshat in Sefer Yonah
Not quite a shiur, more of a ramble through questions and principles that help pull together the pieces of that fascinating and mysterious book, Sefer Yonah, with a special focus on Chapter 4 and its relationship to the rest of the book.
143: Atta Chonen IV: Da'as as a Prerequisite for Teshuva
142: Da'as and Self Knowledge
136: Tisha B'Av and Kedusha - אתה קדוש
Handouts:
What is there to look forward to on Tisha B’Av? Do you even know what you're missing?
Here’s a whole new look (literally!) into the mysteries of the Kodesh HaKodashim, the Holy of Holies… and what that has to do with YOU and YOUR LIFE.
The pain of Tisha B’Av is the pain of losing sight of God’s love for us; the pain of rejection. On Tisha B’Av, our pain can lay the foundation for growing towards Hashem, for committing to becoming something greater.
Growing in Kedusha is “work that is done quietly, silently, known to no one but oneself and God, on one’s own inner self.”
132: Tammuz, Vision & Yirah
Tammuz is the month of Vision. It is also the month in which the Meraglim toured the Land of Israel, seeing not what Moshe hoped they would see, but something much darker indeed… Surely, it is time for us to try some “Vision Therapy” and move back to following Hashem’s lead into the Holy Land.
124: Purim - Purpose of Redemption
Session 120: VeZocher Chasdei Avos - Part II - וזוכר חסדי אבות
המתפלל בעד חבירו והוא צריך לאותו דבר
Davening from our own pain for the needs of others.
Session 110: Chanuka - Expect Miracles
Session 102: Feet Together / Yom Kippur
In restraining the body — in the right way, the right time — we open ourselves up to greater spiritual light. Yom Kippur is a most powerful opportunity for this.
Session 101: A Moment in Time / Rosh HaShana
We begin exploring how the halachos of Shmone Esrei all are expressions of the reality that we are speaking directly with Hashem, and define the elemental 3-part structure of the Tefilla (Shmone Esrei), and how it plays out in the Rosh Hashana prayers.
Time is the structure in our lives that allows us to think of our lives as having meaning, mission, purpose. Time allows us to think about our past, commit to our future, and make choices in the present. אין עתה אלא תשובה.
The call of the Shofar "brings you through your innermost self to God." (— Rabbi S. R. Hirsch)
"The root of the root of the Shofar on Rosh Hashana is the selfsame breath which God blew into the nostrils of Adam at the creation of humanity." (— Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner)
Session 95: Only You: the Intimacy of Kedusha והייתם קדשים לאלקיכם
in Shema, Jewish Calendar
P.S. Tisha B'Av Bonus Track
Helpless, not Hopeless: embracing God through loneliness.
In pain, we can choose to reject the allure of the temporary fix, of distraction, and choose instead to focus on defending our relationship with God.
Session 89: How to See the Real World - וראיתם אותו - Part II
in Shema, Shavuos, Jewish Calendar
"Hashem is as a sun and a shield." (Tehillim 84)
"The world is filled with His glory." (Yeshaya 6:3)
An advanced-level shiur on relating to Hashem through the lens of the physical world. "Everything which the Holy One, Blessed be He, created in His world, He created for His Kavod" (Avos 6:12).
.כל מה שברא הקדוש ברוך הוא בעולמו, לא בראו אלא לכבודו
.שנאמר: כל הנקרא בשמי ולכבודי בראתיו יצרתיו אף עשיתיו. ואומר: ה' ימלך לעלם ועד
Session 88: Change the World! The Importance of Seeing - וראיתם אותו - Part I
p.s.: Bonus Track! Learning from Ruth how to become a vehicle and a channel for holiness and blessing to the world. Yes, you can.
What is Tikkun Olam? Hint: It's not what they've been telling you.
"To change the messages which the world sends us is to change the world itself." (R' Reuvein Leuchter, Teshuva)
Session 87: Every Story has a Happy Ending - והיה לכם לציצית
in Shema, Jewish Calendar
"VeHaya!" Good things are coming your way! Every story has a happy ending... but you may need to hang on until the last chapter to see it.